Archive for the 'tzur hadassah' Category
February 23rd, 2010 by elie
Somewhere deep inside, I knew this day would come.
Tzur Hadassah is getting a ‘commercial center’ - which is basically a supermarket and an ATM - on Rechasim street.
I am not for this in any way, but I suppose my opinion isn’t worth much since I moved here two years ago and I don’t own property. But still. It’s unnecessary. We have a big-enough rip-off makolet and supermarkets all around us in Beitar Illit, Beit Shemesh and Jerusalem. I don’t see the sense in destroying trees and neighborhood peace to create an overpriced Mister Zol.
The worst part is, they decided to do it on a peripheral, dead end street. I don’t get that. If they want to build a community center eventually, and there is already a school in the middle of the horseshoe that is the yishuv’s layout, why not make everything commercial in the center, too? Why disrupt peripheral residents with a supermarket?
It’s only going to get worse; the ‘nature preserve’ across from my building is slated for construction as well (housing, though).
Maybe it’s time to look for a new small yishuv?
I took these photos less than a week ago and the building has already progressed significantly:
November 4th, 2009 by elie
C’mon sky, stop showing off. Besides, I’m fairly sure it’s due to pollution.
But, yes, you’re very very pretty.
October 23rd, 2009 by elie
Since moving to this area, we’ve watched local restaurants come and go. They usually aren’t kosher or attention-grabbing enough to get us interested. And the latter is probably mostly why they don’t survive.
To service (and survive) the Matte Yehuda area, I suppose you have to be pretty damn good, considering you’re competing with an evening out in Jerusalem - the big city with lots of choices - as opposed to a little local eatery with nothing else around it.
There are a few that thrive though, or evolve enough to thrive. I’m hoping the following is one of them.
In the last month or so, we’ve seen signs crop up along the country roads and yishuv entrances advertising פיצונקה (Pichunka), a kosher meat restaurant in nearby Nes Harim prepared to serve pareve brunches on Fridays, parties of 300, deliveries in the immediate area, and a complete and robust menu. They are even daring enough to lure Jerusalemites outside their paradigms.
Intrigued, we decided to check it out last night; surely it takes beitzim to open a higher-end restaurant in this economic climate in the backwoods of Jerusalem.
The place was already on the way to getting an A+ before we walked in. Location is great for us country folk and close/far away enough to make it intriguing for Gushniks, Beit Shemeshites and Jerusalemites. The venue is nice on the outside, and very classy on the inside. Spacious with two outdoor areas. And you don’t have to worry about parking.
The food was really excellent, but more than that, the menu choices were intriguing and well thought-out. The kind of thing where you choose what you want but you know you’ll be back again to try the other things you didn’t order. I’m not a food critic, so I won’t go into depth, but my husband is qualified and we can say we’d go back there (food-wise) before other places in Jerusalem (especially Emek Refaim). Check out theirrecommendations (more importantly, the photos of the recommendations).
Perhaps the most impressive thing, so rare in Israeli restaurants: a good, appropriate soundtrack. Seriously. The sound system was set up properly, small speakers in different locations instead of blasting a couple huge ones in one corner. The music was light and the level was right. Never underestimate how your venue’s music could turn off your customers.
I’m talking to you, Israeli bar owners.
Prices were decent, or as expected. See them on the menu. In my opinion, it’s worth not eating out for a while so you can save for a real quality meal and pleasurable experience in the hills instead of wondering why you fork out your cash for mediocrity in Jerusalem.
Here’s hoping it actually survives its first year and sticks around a while.
September 9th, 2009 by elie
Sometimes, living in Tzur Hadassah, hanging and taking down laundry in the cool evening breeze, I feel like I exist in a countryside painting.
And sometimes, I feel like I live in the opening for Weeds.
July 16th, 2009 by elie
Check out this headline:
Police bust cocaine lab in suburban Jerusalem
Bet you’d never have guessed where in ’suburban Jerusalem’ that took place if the subject hadn’t contained a big hint…
Jerusalem police announced Thursday that they had busted a cocaine lab operating out of an apartment in the suburban community of Tsur Hadassah.
Police uncovered 15 kilograms of cocaine at the apartment. (jPost)
I suppose to be more accurate, it’s Tzur Hadassah getting sleazy, not sexy. But without happenings like this we wouldn’t have the show Weeds, now would we?
July 13th, 2009 by elie
These days, as you know, I’m a housewife. I’m really not that bored or desperate, as the cliche goes, but I appreciate entertainment when it comes around. Today it came around.
For a country built on stones and concrete, I’ve discussed and seen a few too many fires in my years here. But this one takes the (burnt) cake.
Walking by my living room, I noticed the sky had turned gray and dim. Thinking for a split second that clouds had come to save me from the heat, I realized - it was heat - in the form of smoke.
A lot of it.
The valley below my section of Tzur Hadassah was lit up:
I have no idea how it happened but over the next hour or so I watched the flames evolve:
The (quite slow on the uptake) fire brigade and KKL trucks managed to put it out before it blew too close to the school or the houses nearby, revealing the scarred valley. It was a bit surreal after watching all that coverage of the wildfires whipping across Victoria, Australia, a few months ago.
So who says being a housewife makes you desperate?
April 21st, 2009 by elie
I was asked about transportation to and from Tzur Hadassah. Thought I’d share the options - though they are not as many as would be helpful:
Bet Shemesh: Superbus 182.
Jerusalem: Superbus 184 and Egged 180.
Beitar: Illit buses; there are multiple lines that go to Jerusalem, Bet Shemesh and Bnei Brak frequently.
Tremping: People do tremp (hitchhike) from the front gates. I’ve also seen (and picked up) people hitchhiking from the trempiada at Gilo junction.
Other information from the Tzur website here.
April 17th, 2009 by elie
Taking a walk through Tzur Hadassah’s Har Kitron neighborhood, you’ll find the following street off the main road…
I think this is particularly funny because Har Kitron comes off as a bit of a posh ‘hood. It’s all full, robust houses and a lot of ‘older’ families with teenage kids. I guess this isn’t the street corner where the cool kids hang out.
March 27th, 2009 by elie
Today we volunteered at a ’shuk kach-ten’ - kind of a giant yard sale where you bring junk and take other people’s junk. It was at the elementary school in Tzur Hadassah.
It was also the first time I have entered an Israeli school while it was in session. Kids running everywhere. Not unlike my own elementary school days… just, the screeching, laughing and taunting were in Hebrew.
I looked around at all these kids and their parents and their teachers… It’s absolutely true that the culture of education - and more importantly, the culture of schools - in Israel is completely different than what a lot of us Anglos grew up with. You could say here it is… without… certain elements we were raised to value.
After exiting the building quite bewildered, I went up to my husband and posed the following: “What the %#@! were we thinking having a child in Israel? Do you realize we are those immigrant parents? Elementary school was bad enough for me in English… How is my kid going to survive in this with me as a mom?”
March 25th, 2009 by elie
Lots of interest in Tzur Hadassah these days, at least in my crowd. Thought I’d update on how the yishuv is doing since our local election and a new local council has letter-bombed all of us residents with their promises. Here are some of those promises:
- Plans to finish a locale for the Tzofim (scouts) and the 60+ forum.
- Work with the moetza (local council for the area, Matte Yehuda) to solicit certain funds for direct Tzur Hadassah projects.
- Work on a better system for recycling to the benefit of the environment.
- Lobby for more independance for Tzur Hadassah from Matte Yehuda regional council.
- A new school will be opened next academic year as a joint project with the rest of the moetza.
- New security service for the yishuv.
- Working with the other small yishuvim in the area (called yishuvay mazleg, fork towns - Mavo Beitar, Matta, Bar Giyora and Nes Harim) on more cultural, educational and community programs.
If they work on the security, the programs and the school I’d be happy, personally.
A word about the school: I’m not sure if the school they mention in the letter is the same school that leaders of the miniscule dati leumi community are planning to open next year… But yes, the (itsy bitsy) dati leumi community, HaTzur V’haTzohar, is working on a new dati school to serve this area, beginning with first grade next year. It’s supposed to be dati-style but catering to a masorti-plus audience, principaled by the community rabbi’s wife. If all goes well, they’ll add a new grade every year.