creative jewish mom

Simple DIY Broken Tile Mosaic

I love mosaics of all kinds, though the ones I've actually made have mostly been using broken ceramic tile and dishes. So this August when our airbnb's rooftop porch had lots of mosaic covered surfaces, I felt right at home! The mosaic portions are actually the top of the exterior walls of the home below, and beyond the railing (not to worry there is one!) and this crafty touch lends a really nice feeling to a vacation rental, not to mention that it pairs nicely with the artificial grass! Enjoy this look at broken tile mosaic, and think about where this might work for you?

Views Of The Kinnerest And Har Arbel From Hararit

This past August during our 3 week summer vacation, we had the great pleasure of exploring some stunning mountainous areas in the lower Galil, under an hour's drive from our home, and yet new to us. One of my favorite locations was a community called Hararit, where there are stunning mountian views on two sides of the mountain peak top location as well as a lovely view of Lake Tiberius (the Kinneret) and Mt. Arbel, another favorite location. Hararit is located on the Netofa mountain range, which is parallel to the Meron mountain range, the end of which we see from our home. So friends, enjoy my photos and think about visiting this amazing location yourself someday.......ask me about it if you like!

A Sunburst Over The Galil In Northern Israel Just Before Sunset

Yesterday as I was pondering whether I had time to do a #sketchfrommywindow for my ongoing Instagram sketching challenge, when I suddenly spied rays of light coming from behind a cloud, and ran to grab my camera! Not every spectacular thing in the sky can be captured by a camera, or at least not mine, so I was very pleased to see that I did manage to capture this "sunburst" over the Galil, and more specifically over the Meron mountain range! So now, when someone draws a sun with rays coming out of it, well, we can say we've actually seen something just like it! Okay, lets take a peek at some more photos, shall we?

Welcome To Craft Schooling Sunday!

Welcome to Craft Schooling Sunday, thanks so much for joining me here! Fall has arrived indeed, and we have changed our clocks, so everything feels different which is inspiring! I feel like making some cozy crafts, then again maybe I'd best get a head start on Chanukah? As always I continue to spend my creative time on my art, so crafting has generally taken a back seat, but since I always go all out with Chanukah decorations I can't stop now! Okay, lets take a look at the features from last week's party!

A Visit To The Yodfat Monkey Forest

This past August, when I realized that the historic site of Yodfat (written about here) as well as The Monkey Forest of Yodfat were just a 20 minute mountain-ridge drive away, well we just had to check it out! My husband and I and three very grown up teens visited the Monkey Forest, and while it is certainly geared towards younger children we actually had a nice time and it felt good to support their work as a refuge sight for monkeys that no longer fit into the zoo scenario for whatever reason.

The Yodfat Monkey Forest is a 10-acre wildlife refuge situated in the natural oak forest of Moshav Yodfat. The Yodfat Monkey Forest has harbored a troop of squirrel monkeys since 1976, as well as rescuing and providing a life-long home for animals that have been subjected to deprivation or neglect. Their goal is to provide the animals a life of dignity and respect and instill a love of wildlife and nature in our visitors. So friends, plan a day in Yodfat, and be sure to visit the monkeys! The most memorable part of the visit may not be the alpaca with the crooked tooth, but rather the squirrel monkeys whose giant cage you walk into, and whom you can feed worms purchased on site. The monkeys come quite close to take the food from your hand, which is certainly exciting! Okay, lets take a look.......

A Visit To Ancient Yodfat, Galil Israel

This past August we had the pleasure of visiting the ancient city of Yodfat, located in the south west Galil, in Northern Israel. It is true, most of the family actually stayed in the car, but one of my sons did venture out into the hot afternoon sun with me to briefly check out this very important historic site. I do hope to return another time to explore the many trails, as it is certainly a lovely spot worth exploring.

Yodfat is famous for the siege of Yodfat, a 47-day siege by Roman forces of the Jewish town of Yodfat which took place in 67 CE, during the Great Revolt. Led by Roman General Vespasian and his son Titus, both future emperors, the siege ended with the sacking of the town, the deaths of most of its inhabitants and the enslavement of the rest. It was the second bloodiest battle of the revolt, surpassed only by the Siege of Jerusalem, and the longest except for Jerusalem and Masada. The siege was chronicled by Josephus, who had personally commanded the Jewish forces at Yodfat and was subsequently captured by the Romans.

We took the short walk out on a paved path, to see some of the excavated site, and this is what we saw, care to join me?