Israeli Cuisine NFTY in Israel Style

By Joey Chmara, NFTY in Israel Participant, Bus 3

Israeli food has been much different than the food we are all used to in America. For starters, the produce such as watermelon have been extremely fresh and delicious and these fruits are served at almost every meal. In the Negev Desert and all across Israel, the fruit has been a key to hydration and cooling us all off. In addition, hummus has been one of the most enjoyable and unique foods that we have all eaten. Unlike Sabra, Israeli hummus is homemade, fresh, and served with a variety of different foods such as with pita, vegetables, and more. The food we have been eating has been absolutely delicious and the meals have all been different. The mornings have consisted of fruits, cereal, pastry products, and more. Lunch has been the most interesting of our meals. For lunch on most days, we were given 33 shekels to spend on whatever we wanted and people got a variety of different foods such as schwarma, falafel, smoothies, and more. Dinners have also been a little bit different because of the food and our seating arrangements, but mostly in a good way. In the desert, we ate on the ground and we had foods such as chicken with vegetables and ALWAYS tahini sauce which was fantastic. Overall, the food in Israel has been both delicious, and new to the normal American cuisine that we are accustomed to.

The Blessing over the Children of Israel on Shabbat. 

The Blessing over the Children of Israel on Shabbat.  יְבָרֶכְךָ יְיָ וְיִשְׁמְרֶֽךָ. יָאֵר יְיָ פָּנָיו אֵלֶֽיךָ וִיחֻנֶּֽךָּ. יִשָּׂא יְיָ פָּנָיו אֵלֶֽיךָ, וְיָשֵׂם לְךָ שָׁלוֹם. Y'varechecha Adonai v'yish'm'recha. Ya-er Adonai panav eilecha vichuneka. Yisa Adonai panav...

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Last Shabbat in Israel

Last Shabbat in Israel

Dear Families of Yallah! Israel, As we arrive at our last Shabbat in Israel, it feels like time has flown by. On the one hand, it seems like the days have sped past, while on the other, even last Sunday feels far away given the wealth of experiences we've packed into...

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A Journey of Heart and History

A Journey of Heart and History

Written by Ben Plancey, Yallah! 2024 Participant The past couple of days have been both serious and fun. Yesterday, we visited a hospital home called “Save a Child’s Heart,” where we learned about the help the organization provides to children from all over the world...

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