Matzo Ball Soup

A Bird’s Nest / by Hayyim Nahman Bialik

I know you haven’t been sleeping much, desperately waiting for my post about Hayyim Nahman Bialik ’s poem activity. So this is it, no more sleepless nights for you.
I chose to translate the poem קֵן לַצִּפּוֹר - A Bird’s Nest. It is a classic, every child in Israel knows it, and most importantly it is one of Ori’s favorites. I hope you like it too.
I couldn’t find any other translation for this poem, so...when you can’t find it you just do it. With THE brilliant mind of my friend Anat we have got it done.

קֵן לַצִּפּוֹר - A Bird’s Nest
By/ Hayyim Nahman Bialik
Translation/ Anat Weinstein and Tali Buchler

קֵן לַצִּפּוֹר,
בֵּין הָעֵצִים
וּבַקֵּן לָהּ
שָׁלֹשׁ בֵּיצִים.

וּבְכָל-בֵּיצָה
– הַס, פֶּן תָּעִיר –
יָשֵׁן לוֹ
אֶפְרוֹחַ זָעִיר

Bird’s nest,
in the trees
and in the nest
there lay eggs three.

Inside each egg
-hush…, do not stir-
Is a sleeping hatchling
A tiny baby bird.

Inspired by this poem we have crafted a nest with 3 little painted eggs nesting peacefully within.
I have posted the tutorial on growing up creative as an Eco kids craft project. I hope you will enjoy making it as much as we did.
WARNING:This is a messy project but it is a mess well worth cleaning.



Please let me know if you have any questions.

tali

I found it - a pop up Haggada

I found it, the Haggada I was looking for and I didn’t even know existed.
It is a pop up Haggada which I think my girls will be thrilled about (any child, really…) and help them engage with the Seder beginning to maybe even the end.
It is based on one of the oldest extant Haggadot in the world:  from the late 13th century, from the collection of the Israel Museum in Jerusalem.  This only means one thing: a trip to see the original Haggada in Jerusalem. 

If you will not be going t o Jerusalem, you could always get it at Amazon - The Koren Bird's Head Haggada: A Hebrew/English Pop-Up Passover Haggada .

tali

#03 Recycled egg carton hand-held mask

In the spirit of Purim we have crafted some imaginary birds hand-held masks using recycled egg carton. A great activity appropriate for any age group.
This post is part of an ‘Eco kids craft’ series I feature on my other blog Growing Up Creative. ‘Eco kids craft’ is a series of craft tutorials using recycled materials. My goal with this series is to guide parents and educators through the phases of some easy craft activities that encourage recycling, creativity and making with what you have. I have decided to combine this series in both blogs. I hope you will find it useful.

You will need:
Egg cartons (free range eggs carton is preferred…just kidding)
Scissors
Washable tempera paint and brushes
Feathers
Embellishments: feathers, fabric scraps, paper scraps, glitter etc.
Popsicle stick (craft sticks)
Masking tape
Craft glue
Please note, since I have more egg carton than I can handle and give to preschool, I have I been using them as disposable paint palette, it works great.

How to:

1. Cut a pair of egg carton cups with the “beak” for each mask
   
2. Make holes at the bottom of the egg cups
   
   
3. Paint
   
   
   
4. Embellish
5. set aside to dry
6. Tape or glue craft stick to the side of the mask
   
   
   
    
   
7. play

linked with Craft Schooling Sunday

Enjoy and have a happy Purim

tali

Dressing up+improvising= great purim party

Yesterday we had a pre-Purim party in my house to get the kids and the moms into the mood. I am sorry you couldn’t make it, but I highly recommend you have your own.

We started with:
a pile of an assortment of fabrics and scarves in the center of the room
6 high energy kids
3 weary moms
A couple of dozen Hamantashen.



We ended up with:
2 gorgeous queen Esters
one fierce yet sensitive tiger
a strong Batman
another very strong Batman/ Zorro
someone that looked like a gypsy
an eclectic dancer
a belly dancer
the cutest baby in the world (really)
the one who couldn’t decide what to be.
And a couple of Hamantashen (Oren ate most of them)



We made very simple outfits by wrapping ourselves with fabrics belts and scarves.
To make the dresses we took a large rectangle peace of fabric, we held it behind our backs with our hands stretched out (imagine when you start to wrap your self with a towel). We brought our hands to the front and crossed our hands around our neck and tied the ends of the fabric in the back behind our necks.
The result is a haltered dress. We tied scarves around the waist, and added a sparkly overcoat (see instructions here and here)

After finishing with the makeup we were ready for the entertainment part of the evening – the show:
We started telling the story of Purim and the kids were improvising as we went along. It was too much fun. Between the 3 moms we almost got the story right. Luckily we had the kids to correct us. If you need a reminder of the story you may open the Torah or read my previous post - a 'once upon a time story' with some new insight

The afternoon was such a success; we all had a great time. I think the key was NOT PLANNING, we kept it open ended and just went with the flow.

for those of you who hesitate, I will send you off with some encouragement: BE BRAVE, and have a dress up party for your kids, I know you can do it.

For more structured guidelines, templates and instructions you may ready my post from last year: “A Purim dress-up party”

I am looking forward to hear the stories from your dress up party.

Tali

A 'once upon a time' story with some new insight.

ong ago, in a far away land there lived a king and his queen. The king was rich and powerful and his queen was beautiful and strong-minded. (are you guessing where this is going?) I will go on just a little more…the king decided to have a big feast to celebrate his new kingdom… after all… ruling over 127 countries cannot be taken lightly…this king was young and a little full of himself, and for 180 days he was doing nothing but celebrating his greatness and wealth. One evening he has decided to ask one of his servants to bring his queen to him wearing nothing but her crown (I think it was the wine talking) he wanted to show off not only his wealth but also his beautiful and rare possession. Well...guess what, he didn’t expect it either… she refused…wouldn’t you?

The king was mad, he was so furious, his strength and pride were shattered into tiny pieces; It was him standing bare in front of his friends instead of his queen, exposed to an entire nation of 127 countries. Of course he banished her from the palace, what else could he do.
It didn’t take him long to find a new wife, after all - he was king. The new queen was very different from his previous queen, not as strong-minded but very brave indeed. She also carried a secret she did not tell her king. 
If you ever relocated, you should know that moving to a new home is not an easy thing to do, even more so when your new home is a bit over-sized - like a palace, and you are all alone not knowing another soul. Fortunately, her uncle who raised her was the sensitive type; he kept on visiting her making sure she is OK. He was soon nominated to be one of the kings advisers. As one, he had the privilege of hanging out with the rest of the kings advisers at the city gate, which was THE place to hang out.
One day, he overheard two of the kings advisers plot to kill the king. Being a loyal and honest as he was, he immediately told the queen his niece who told the king who wrote it in his diary. The two were not banished but hung… OUCH

We could have ended the story right here, but, like every good story the plot must get a little more complicated before the happy ending. Therefore it is time to introduce the really bad guy to the story. He was the kings new right hand, the head of all of the kings advisers, a very powerful man indeed. Being in such position the head adviser has now decided that all the other advisers must kneel when ever he passes by them. I imagine he was always the shortest boy in class and this was his opportunity to feel the tallest. Every one did except for…you guessed it… the queens uncle. He didn’t blame it on his bad knees, but proudly stated it was against his religion (which it actually was).
The head of the advisers was mad, he felt shorter than ever. There was nothing in his powers to make this new adviser obey him but….take actions against his religion.

the next morning he went to the king and convinced him that the Jewish people where different than all the others, they didn’t obey the kings laws but only obey their gods. Therefore they must all be killed. And just so that the king doesn’t even hesitate, he added the extra value of all the money and goods the king could gain by confiscate their properties and wealth.
The king commended all his people to destroy all the Jewish people in his kingdom on the 13th day of the month of Adar  (which is next week)
Well, you already know this did not happen, other wise I wouldn’t be typing up this story in such a late time at night instead of having my beauty sleep. Well, I guess the king himself had his own problems of falling asleep, could that be his conscience???
He was tossing and turning in bed.  And since there was no TV to help him fall asleep, he asked his servant to bring to him his diary.  Reading his diary he remembered the story of the queens uncle who saved his life. Suddenly he realized that he didn’t repay the guy who saved his life. Not being able to sleep he started to ask around his adviser closest to him (that was still awake) what to do with the man who is favored by the king. Suddenly he heard some noise in the garden. He looked out and saw his right hand working out side in the yard in the middle of the night, another one with sleeping problems…. His chief advisor was preparing a rope on the tree so he could punish the queens uncle for disobeying him. The king was happy to find his chief advisor and ask him that same question, what to do with the man who is favored by the king? The chief advisor thought the king was referring to him as the one he wanted to repay. Overjoyed he suggested the king to dress that person in the kings cloth, and have him ride on the kings horse through the streets and call out loud “this is how the king repays the ones he favors.” 
The king loved his idea, and commended him to do just that to the queens uncle who saved his life.
I don’t think Hamman could have felt any shorter than that.
While all this was happening the queen was trying to invite Achashverosh the king and Hamman to a feast. She poured much wine into their glasses. It was only on the second night that she was courageous enough to ask the king her question.

Finally, unveiling her true identity Ester has asked the king to have mercy on her people whom he has ordered to kill. The king surprised at the news has asked Ester who was the dreadful man who commended to kill her people. Without hesitation she pointed at Hamman who was sitting right beside the king. I can see how his chin dropped, can you?

Achashverosh was furious and drunk (again) he saw the tree the Hamman prepared for Mordechai and decided to hang no other than Hamman himself but not so quickly…first he had to walk Mordechai throughout the streets of Shushan sitting on the kings horse dressed in royal clothing and call out: “this is how the king repays the ones he favors.”  

Hamman was hung, Mordechai was nominated to be the chief advisor (what used to be Hamman’s job), and Ester was given her own ‘little’ house within the palace court. The kings orders to kill the Jewish people could not be changed, but the king allowed Mordechai to issue new orders that allowed the Jewish people to defend themselves and kill anyone who threatens their lives. And the city of Shushan was delighted and joyous.

 

Dried fruit cake recipe

The perfect cake for Tu-Bishvat and any other day.
The first time I had this cake was at my friends' Anat. Her friend made it for her after she had her baby, a perfect energy cake for any nursing mom. Shameless me, I was sitting next to her, slowly slicing the cake away, one sliver slice at a time.
Before we knew it was nearly gone.

I was waiting patiently to share this cake with you for Tu-Bishvat, so here it is - the recipe... via an Israeli site: the good life

The advantages of this cake:

• delicious
• very quick to make
• It lasts for a relatively long time (not that it would…in my house anyways)
• perfect with tea and/or espresso
• I consider it as a healthy cake I hope you will agree with me on that one

OK, now for the recipe:

You will need:
3/4 cup whole almonds
3/4 cup half walnuts
3/4 cup whole hazelnuts
1 cup black grapes
1 cup golden grapes
1/2 cup dried apricots
1/2 cup dates
optional: few pieces of dried ginger (will make it a little spicy)

10 spoons of whole wheat flour
8 spoons of brown sugar
3 eggs
2 spoons of squeezed lemon
2 spoons of almond extract or amaretto liquer

Note: when I was making the cake, I wasn't very precise about the dried fruit and nuts quantities. I did it according to what I had at home. and I also didn’t add any almond extract but used some vanilla extract instead.

How to:

• slice apricots, dates and ginger
• mix together with nuts and raisins
• add flour+sugar, stir using your hands
• add eggs, lemon juice and almond extract
• mix well till you can’t see any flour on the fruits and nuts
• pour into a pan (elongated rectangle pans are best for this cake)
• tighten the mixture into the pan

Bake for approximately 45 minutes at 320 ˚f  if the raisins start to burn a little, cover with aluminum foil

Let cool down before slicing.

When you serve the cake, slice it really thin.

enjoy.

tali

Planting trees – looking towards a future

yes yes, the hot topic is Tu Bishvat, and planting trees is the highlight. (besides the dried fruit cake recipe I will be posting in a few days)
I was reading a little about the history of the holiday, which through me into some deep thoughts (I do have them every once in a while…you know…)

I was thinking about how I used to want to own a house so I could plant a tree and watch it grow as I watch my family grow. In my thoughts I was actually more greedy in hoping for no less than an orchard with all the fruit trees I love. With the rate we are moving I will have to wait with that hope for just a little longer and settle with an herb garden...for now.

When I think of trees I think of past present and future.
I think of a sense of belonging, of something that is bigger than me and will last longer than me. I think of something that nurtures with fruit and cradles with shelter.

When I lived in New England I used to love the bare trees in the winter, I was fascinated with seeing their exposed structure. (I was an architecture student back then, I am sure that explains it)
Now, being a practical mom and living in a hot climate, I like trees that give lots of shade and relief from the hot sun.

I read a great little story that I wanted to share with you.
I found it on the Keren Keyemeth le- Israel the Jewish National Fund web site

What We Can Learn from the Carob Tree
“Over time, carobs became very identified with Tu Bishvat. To this day, Jews in the Diaspora eat carobs from Israel on Tu Bishvat as a means of experiencing their connection to the Land of Israel. Here is an interpretation of a Talmudic legend that teaches us what we can learn from the carob tree. In tractate Ta’anit, the Talmud tells us about Honi Hame’agel, who was befuddled all his days by the biblical verse: “When God returned the exiles to Zion, we were as dreamers.” Honi could not understand – this verse refers to the Babylonian exile, which lasted seventy years. Can a man dream for seventy years?
 
Once he was walking on the road, and he saw someone planting a carob tree. Honi said to him: This tree that you are planting, when will it bear fruit? The man answered: Seventy years from now. Honi retorted: Do you think you will be alive seventy years from now? The man responded: When I was born, I found a world full of carob trees. Just as my ancestors planted trees for me, so too, I plant for my children.”
 
Honi understood the biblical verse as referring to the exile. When we returned to Israel, the entire time of the exile seemed like a dream. This is what Honi could not understand: How could seventy years be like a dream? Life goes on, things happen both to individuals and to a people.
 
Honi received his answer from the man who was planting the carob tree. Since the carob tree bears fruit seventy years after it was planted, the planter will not eat of its fruit. Even so, he toils and cares for it. From his answer, Honi understood that the time of exile is not just a time of waiting. Just like the carob – from the time it is planted until its fruit is ripe, it is busy. Roots delve deep in to the earth, and branches reach for the skies. Complex botanical processes are taking place until it reaches the stage when it is ready to bear fruit. At that point, it becomes clear that everything that went on during the past 70 years was absolutely necessary. Honi learned from the carob tree that planting has intrinsic value, even for someone who will not eat of its fruit. The process that eventually leads to the fruit bearing time has great value in and of its own”.

 
How about planting a tree this Tu Bishvat, you can do it in your back yard, in Israel, in California or in other places too.

tali

Tu-Bishvat – a creativity book

I know I have promised Bialik’s activities, its coming and it is really good…I promise…a couple of more days.

In the mean time I started to feel the winds of Tu Bishvat blowing. If you are looking puzzled than I guess I will quickly say that Tu Bishvat is the Jewish new years for the trees, I always thought it was very special to celebrate the trees birth day. The name Tu Bishvat is derived from the Hebrew date of the holiday the 15th of the month of Shevat.

The holiday is 2 weeks away. In celebration of this holiday I will be posting different activities you can enjoy as a family. I will start by telling you about a Tu Bishvat creativity book I made last year, you can down load it from my blog, this is the link: TU BISHVAT ACTIVITY BOOK

^{Zoe drawing from the Tu-Bishvat activity book using water color travel compact set}

^{Zoe, Tali from the Tu-Bishvat activity book}

Please feel free to forward it to whom ever you think will enjoy it.

tali

Bialik's house

Hayyim Nahman Bialik  ((1873-1934) is the national poet of the state of Israel, did you know that? now you do…his poems are threaded in every Israeli childhood memories for many many generations. In commemorating his birth day, the girls, my sister, her children, and my self went to visit his house located on 22 Bialik Street in the city of Tel Aviv. Yes, I wanted to see his house, but truthfully, I thought this was a great excuse to visit the city which is one of my favorites besides LA, New York, and Paris (of course).



^{That's not his house, thats the house across the street from his. I just really liked it.}
His house in Tel Aviv was a real treat, just like a colorful box of chocolates, every room we visited, every story we have heard on the tour (must take the tour) was like eating another bonbon from the box. When we left his house, I had lingering flavor of chocolate in my mouth with a strong taste for more.

I loved hearing all the inside stories of his life. I could easily imagine him sitting in his office writing, and reading. I could see him looking through the window seeing his little neighbor Chamotal, that inspired him to write a poem (which I love) titled: ”Chamotal” (obviously); Visiting his house, seeing where he worked made me feel more personal with his work.
^{that's his office window on the second floor, right across from Chamotal's.}

Children’s literature especially poems are a great way to improve a language and get a better understanding of a culture. And if you tie-in a creative activity, the poems become a live.

In the next couple of posts I will be suggesting some activities for some of Bialik’s poems. So please stay tuned. And I hope you try your best to read them in Hebrew (I will try my best to translate, I may ask my friend Anat to do that, she is an expert…)

In the mean time, If you want to read more about Bialik, wikipedia is one way

some of his translated children’s literature:
Knight of Onions and Knight of Garlic
English: New York, Hebrew Publishing Co., 1934, 1939

Far Over the Sea - Poems and Jingles for Children
English: New York, Union of American Hebrew Congreg. Press, 1939

And It Came To Pass
English: New York, Hebrew Publishing Co., 1938

This is if you can read in Hebrew:
Rutz ben susi

And some pictures from his house: via tchochkes
(I couldn’t take any photos my self)

till next time, have a great week

tali

A reminder: don't forget your sketch book

We have concluded our - lazy, cozy, indoor - Chanukah break with a great bang. after staying home for 2 days (I wasn’t joking when I said - lazy), we finally changed our pj’s, packed a delicious picnic basket, got all the kids in their sits, didn’t forget sketch books and some drawing tools, and off we went - once again - to visit the caves of Beit Govrin in the Judea desert (how symbolic for Chanukah). We had the most beautiful day.
While spending some time in the bell cave waiting for a fire act to start, Erel (my niece) pulled out her sketch book and started drawing the carved rosettes on the walls of the cave. She was soon to be followed by Zoe, Ori, Yonatan, Daniel, Shira, and another Erel, sharing tools, drawing what they see.



It was nice to see the kids follow each other into doing something creative. Kids love to draw, they are not afraid to make marks on a paper. a little different from most of us - the adults, who watch our kids from the side afraid to try and show our lacking skills.
So make sure your kids turn out different. Make sure they have confident with making a mark.
One way of doing that is by carrying a sketch book (a drawing pad) and a pencil everywhere you go:
Place it on the restaurant table while waiting for your waiter to serve your meal. Make some doodles while you wait.
Take it with you on nature walks, encourage your child to record what he/she sees
Take it to the beach and try and draw the waves
Take it to a museum and draw the art you like.

When you draw a space, a view, a thing, you start to see and understand all the different details that make it special and unique. 
“I have learned that what I have not drawn, I have never really seen, and that when I start drawing an ordinary thing, I realize how extraordinary it is, sheer miracle.” Fredrick Franck the Zen of Seeing, 1973.

So, my reminder: when you go out, always have a sketchbook and some drawing tools with you. It is a great habit to have. kids will always be thrilled to use it.
Encourage your kids to simply draw what they see.
Make sure you draw some your self, even if you don’t think you can.



tali

Read more about keeping a sketch book.