Two children go missing from gan; found safely three hours later

According to the local paper, two children aged 3.5 and 4 disappeared from gan (preschool) without anyone realizing. At around 11 AM, the ganenet noticed that they didn't return to the gan after playtime in the fenced area outside. After a thorough search of the premises failed to locate the children, the staff realized that they must have gotten out. The ganenet set off in search of them, going as far as the children's homes.

During this entire time the ganenet failed to alert any authorities about the disappearance. Finally, at 1:15, she called the police and the children's parents. The children were found at 2:20, about five blocks from the gan. They would have had to have crossed several busy streets.

Update:
I've been thinking about this since I posted, and all I can say is, "What was this ganenet thinking?" The fact that the kids escaped is scandalous enough, although that is not an uncommon occurrence in Israel. But once she realized they were lost, she chose her own reputation over the safety of the children. She hoped to find them herself, and no one would be the wiser. But even if she had found them, they were old enough to talk and presumably would not have been able to keep such an adventure a secret.

Just think how much easier it would have been to find them, had they only been gone ten minutes when she called the police.

Another bizarre part of the story is that no one found the children wandering around this busy area of town (they ended up near the bus station). Israelis tend to get involved when they see children in dangerous situations.

First ever caption contest

This scene on the floor of my kitchen spoke to me somehow. So let your imagination run wild; I will publish the best captions next week (bli neder).


On Sunday I tore a tendon or muscle in my calf and have to stay off my feet for a few days (by now I can limp around a bit). So while I am exempted from housework (by whom I don't know) and have plenty time to sit at my computer, I am busy with other things. The blogging muse seems to have abandoned me for the time being.

It's my mother's yahrzeit (anniversary of death) today; it's a good time to repost my (unfinished) series from last year about motherhood. Introduction and Part I.

A Creative Solution for Unruly Teenagers

In the excellent book On Writing Well by William Zinsser (see my Library Thing sidebar--thank you Wolf), the author suggests improving your writing by imitating other writers you admire. My most recent post on cooking is modelled on Frugal Journey, Raanana Ramblings inspired my post on Efi, and the following is the kind of story that Rafi would tell.

On Friday we made a shiva call (visit to comfort a mourner) to our neighbor, who lost his mother. While there the neighbor mentioned that his father's family has run the hevra kadisha (burial society) in Jerusalem for generations, and told the following story.

During the forties, young Arabs disrupted the funerals on Har Hazeitim (Mt. of Olives) by yelling and throwing stones. Our neighbor's grandfather, head of the hevra kadisha, decided to put a stop to this once and for all. He dressed in tachrichim (traditional burial garments) and had the hevra kadisha carry him on a stretcher to the cemetery. When the stones started flying, the hevra kadisha ran away and left the grandfather on the ground. The stonethrowers cautiously approached the "corpse," who suddenly came to life and started shouting. He had a long beard and cut quite a formidable figure; they probably thought he was the Angel of Death.

Afterward the funerals at Har Hazeitim proceeded without interruption, at least until 1948 when the Jews were denied access for the next nineteen years.

What's there to eat? Saving time in the kitchen

I recently gave a talk to young mothers entitled, "Is there anything to eat in this house?" We all want to open our refrigerators and find delicious healthy food, but it won't get there by itself. I spoke generally, trying to break down the different cooking tasks -- those things that experienced homemakers hardly think about. Through awareness of what exactly makes cooking time-consuming and difficult, struggling cooks can develop useful strategies for kitchen management.

Most people figure out how to manage in the kitchen eventually. But I also meet some who are floundering under meal preparations, and rely on prepared foods or take-out more than they would like. Even many experienced homemakers never learned how to store food properly, operate appliances efficiently, or use up leftovers. It's just one more example of how the art of homemaking has been lost.

During the talk I touched on a few ways to save time in each of five categories (with a lot of overlap).

1. Planning. Making menus (often the most difficult part), preparing shopping lists, locating recipes, and checking that ingredients and utensils are available. More time planning means less time working. Menus take into consideration what we already have on hand, our personal preferences and food philosophy, time of year, quantities (use a cookbook for estimates), budget, needs and abilities of children, time, and storage space. Don't forget to plan what you will do with leftovers.
   
2. Physical preparations. Peeling, washing, chopping, checking for bugs (because they're not kosher), soaking beans, marinating, defrosting. With planning we can make these steps painless. Chicken can be prepared in advance and frozen or refrigerated, ready to pop into the oven or pan. Onions can be peeled, sliced, and frozen. Wash fruits and vegetables in quantity so they are ready to go. Most foods and food combinations can be cooked in quantities and frozen in small portions. When I make tuna casserole, I double (or triple) everything but the noodles, and store the extra for a quick meal next time. It takes less space than an entire casserole, but that also works.
   
3. Cooking. Combining ingredients, boiling, mixing, frying, stirring, checking doneness, making individual portions (like hamburgers), cooling (when necessary for the next step), heating. Avoid time-consuming chores like forming meatballs; make meatloaf unless you have older children available. Use a crock-pot or microwave instead of the stove-top--the food won't scorch. Any sauce that needs stirring works well in the microwave, and it won't matter if you get interrupted. Plan the tasks in a logical order--put up water to boil before making salads.
   
4. Distractions and mistakes. This includes miscalculations (of quantities, time, utensils, and ingredients), interruptions, spills, and burns (of both people and food). An ER pediatrician said that "100% of accidents are preventable." Causes include rushing, using too small utensils, doing kid-unfriendly tasks when they are "helping," transporting open ingredients across the floor, and using cluttered workspaces.
   
5. Clean-up. We won't enjoy our food if the kitchen is a mess. Wear an apron and spread old newspaper on your workspace before starting. Fill a big bowl or sink with soapy water for dirty utensils. Have a sprayer and rag handy for spills and to wipe the stove, appliances and counters when you are done.
   

Shabbat shalom and happy cooking.

There's No Need to Fear, Underdog Underfrog is Here

A big thank-you to Jameel at the Muqata for his ringing endorsement of Underfrog's blog A Mother in Israel for Best Middle East or Africa Blog -- 2007 Weblog Award (polls close at 5 PM EST November 8).

Treppenwitz may have a "total disregard for accolades and recognition," but some of us need all the encouragement we can get. Especially us underfrogs. What is the point of blogging if no one pays any attention to you?

So I want to give a big thank-you to all of the bloggers who have mentioned A Mother in Israel and the award. I didn't realize I had so many friends.

Special thanks to:
TREPPENWITZ
Israel Matzav (finalist in Top 250-500)
Orthomom
Jack's Shack (finalist in 2501-5000)
Life in Israel
Soccer Dad
West Bank Mama
Jewess
Seraphic Secret
Serandez
Simply Jews
Israelity
Daled Amos
Life of Rubin

And to all my real-life friends, readers and fellow bloggers who voted and even campaigned for me, I appreciate each and every vote. As for the readers-- whether you comment or merely lurk--I hope you stick around. Without you I would have quit a long time ago.

I've got to go; the tadpoles are wondering when they are going to get regular meals again.

Haveil Havalim #139: Chayei Sarah edition

Welcome to the November 4, 2007, 139th edition of Haveil Havalim, the Jewish and Israel Blog Carnival.

Thanks to everyone who sent in posts. Special thanks to Soccer Dad for suggesting posts and for providing loads of technical support. I set a limit of three posts for any one blogger.

Mazal tov to the Jewish and Israeli finalists in the 2007 Weblog Awards:
Middle East/Africa blogs: Dry Bones, Treppenwitz, and A Mother in Israel.
Best of the Top 251-500: Israel Matzav
Best of the Top 2501-3500: Random Thoughts

Best of the Rest of the Blogs 8751+: Photos by Seawitch
Vote early and often. You can vote once every 24 hours until November 8.

Without further ado, I present this week's Haveil Havalim.

Yesterday Jews in synagogues throughout the world read the weekly Torah portion Chayei Sarah (Genesis 23-25:18). Chayei Sarah, literally "life of Sarah," is about the death of the matriarch Sarah and her husband Abraham's acquisition of a burial plot in the ancient city of Hebron. Afterward, Abraham's servant Eliezer goes to extraordinary lengths to find a wife for Abraham and Sarah's son Isaac. The future bride Rebekah's hospitality is meant as a model for all Jewish women.

Gender and Marriage

I added this category in honor of the Torah portion, but maybe we should make it permanent.
westbankmama presents Please Don't Call Me That? posted at West Bank Mama. Check out her post for more links on women's roles in Judaism.

DAG presents Dear Rebbetzin...should I marry him? posted at There are no feminists on a sinking ship. I am not sure I agree with DAG on this one.

Maya Levy presents Go It Alone? posted at Maya, saying, "An article in Newsweek inspired this piece; even if you are not a single person I'm sure you know of at least a few single people in your community. They have some tough decisions to face as they get older, and they deserve respect and compassion." Amen to that. Not everyone has an Eliezer.

I enjoyed this one: Shira Salamone presents Moderation in modesty posted at ON THE FRINGE—AL TZITZIT, saying, "Either extreme ("anything goes" or "nothing shows") results in shooting the knees-covered legs out from under those wishing to stake out a moderate position on the issue of modesty (tzniut) in dress."

Yisrael Medad shows that other countries also have issues with mixed-gender transportation, when he presents Solution to Hareidi Antipathy to Mixed Public Transportation posted at My Right Word, saying, "MyRightWord thinks he's found a solution to the Hareidi antipathy to women on public transportation...in Seoul."

Politics

Israel Matzav presents Another reason to vote for Giuliani posted at Israel Matzav.

Robert J. Avrech presents The Report Nobody's Talking About posted at Seraphic Secret. about the consequences of dividing Jerusalem.

Yisrael Medad presents No Sermon on the Mount This posted at From the Hills of Efraim - Blogs, saying, At Yisrael Medad's new Arutz Sheva blog, From the Hills of Efraim, he takes LA Rabbi Yosef Kanefsky to task on the same issue.

Shrink Wrapped presents The Canaries in the Coal Mine posted at ShrinkWrapped.

Omri Ceren presents Hamas: When We Said That We're Going To Overrun The West Bank As Soon As Abbas Gets Land And Weapons, We Were Just Joking posted at Mere Rhetoric.

Elder of Ziyon presents October 29, 1947: Egypt refuses Jewish help on cholera epidemic posted at Elder of Ziyon.

Schvach Yid presents Brass Bris posted at Schvach - פני דל.

SnoopyTheGoon presents And we shall... investigate posted at SimplyJews about Syria's potential for nuclear capability.

Michael Medved presents Why Not Ask About Pakistan's right to exist? posted at TownHall Main Blog. Timely in light of yesterday's news.

Yisrael Medad presents Not Menachem Begin posted at My Right Word, saying, "Yisrael Medad corrects a misquotation of Menachem Begin by neo-conservative Ann Coulter."

Battle for Beersheva

This week we commemorated the 90th anniversay of the Battle for Beersheva.
Treppenwitz presents The Light Horse return to Beer Sheva posted at treppenwitz.

Chayyei Sarah (named after the parsha!) describes writing an article about the battle. My story published "All over the place" posted at Chayyei Sarah.

SnoopyTheGoon presents ANZAC attacks Beer-Sheva again! posted at SimplyJews.

Anti-Semitism

Here's a post about Moslem journalist Chadhoury, who is going back to his native Bangladesh even though he risks execution. "BANGLADESH IS MY COUNTRY. LET THE RADICALS LEAVE" posted at AHMADINEJAD AND THE JEWS

Yid with Lid presents Fighting Jihad is McCarthyism According to "Nation Magazine" posted at YID With LID.

Yid with Lid presents Americans: 1 out of 7 Hate Jews posted at YID With LID.

Culture

Here's a story about a Jewish-American artist who died this week: Remembering Kitaj posted at Commentary.

And now two about Halloween. A Simple Jew presents One Halloween Night In Monsey posted at A Simple Jew.

muse presents Halloween? posted at Shiloh Musings.

Soccer Dad presents Celebrity blogging posted at Soccer Dad.

Israel Matzav presents Israelis of baseball posted at Israel Matzav.

Attila presents Superman is Jewish posted at Pillage Idiot. Who knew?

History

Carl in Jerusalem presents The 90th anniversary of the Balfour declaration posted at Israel Matzav.

Karen presents Bridges posted at Shira bat Sarah. Shira studies her family's roots and discovers some Breslov connections.

Betsy presents The man who leaked Khrushchev's anti-Stalin speech posted at Betsy's Page.

Humor

Keeping in mind that political humor is not everyone's cup of tea:

satiricohen presents Troubled Horse Source of Violence at Amona , Police Say posted at Israeli Satire Laboratory, saying, "Thanks for hosting, dear Weblog Finalist!" I think he's trying to get on my good side.

Bagelblogger presents An Insight into our Potential Peace Partners: Kill, Kill, Kill posted at Mr Bagel, saying, "Serious article with satire article following."

I recently discovered TherapyDoc, who presents NaBloPoMo posted at Everyone Needs Therapy, saying, "Well, Moshe WAS a reluctant leader, no? And isn't blogging twice on Friday a remez to the mahn?"

Israel

Yid with Lid presents Peace Partner Fatah threatens More Rockets Toward Israel posted at YID With LID.

Theodore Pappas presents Scared to Visit Israel? (D.C. is Scarier!) posted at Britannica Blog, saying, "An interesting post on Israel's beauty, and why tourists should not be deterred from visiting. Washington, D.C., is more violent than Israel, writes the blogger, Mitchell Bard, executive director of the American-Israeli Cooperative Enterprise."

muse presents Zionist-Kibbutz Dream in YESHA posted at Shiloh Musings. about observant Jews who grew up on secular kibbutzim and now live in Judea and Samaria.

Let's not forget the interminable teachers' strike. ifyouwillit... presents STRIKE!!! Power to the People! posted at If You Will It..., saying, "Daily 'life in israel' rant."

Olah Chadasha presents Israel Not Playing By The Rules posted at Greetings from the French Hill. She thinks it's time they did.

South African blogger Steve presents The UN: Does Israel Dwell Alone? posted at It's Almost Supernatural. about how the UN treats Israel.

Judaism

A Simple Jew presents Question & Answer With Dixie Yid - Expressing Grief posted at A Simple Jew.

Shira Salamone presents Innovations that simplify observance posted at ON THE FRINGE—AL TZITZIT, saying, "Anatomy of a "Kosher Lamp," "an inordinately clever contraption based on a low-tech principle: Don't turn the light on or off on Shabbat, just hide it!"

Sephardi Lady presents Unable or Unwilling? posted at Orthonomics. Check out her entire series of letters to Yated on frum expenses.

Rafi G presents interesting psak of the week posted at Life in Israel, about a boy whose family found a controversial way to get him some of Ima's home cooking.

Joshua gives us this inspiring post about the California fires, One Of G-d's Small Miracles, 10/30/07 posted at J O S H U A P U N D I T.

LIFE-of-RUBIN presents Digital Halachas: What's Stealing? posted at LIFE-of-RUBIN.

muse presents One Man's Ceiling is Another Man's Floor! posted at Shiloh Musings. Batya objects to her synagogue's new furniture. Let's hope the clapping trend doesn't spread over this way.

Rafi G presents Shmitta: Otzar Beis Din posted at Life in Israel, saying, "continuing the shmitta series"

Personal

RivkA with a capital A presents Good News posted at Coffee and Chemo. This is an inspiring blog about coping with breast cancer.

Ari Kinsberg presents Passing the Time in Synagogue on the High Holidays: Then and Now posted at Ari's Blog. Ari's son is a chip off the old block.

Mottel presents Brown Shoes posted at Letters of Thought.

frummy twelvestep presents A Good Deal posted at Frumstepper, saying, "this blog post talks about self-confidence and self-respect and how this can be gained by anyone (not only addicts) through working the 12 steps program."

Hebron

Carolyn presents Cave of Hope and Blessings posted at Juggling Frogs.

PsychoToddler presents The Hebron Trip posted at Psycho Toddler. A special bonus: Scroll down his post to see some Jbloggers.

I hope you enjoyed this edition of Haveil Havalim. Have a good week and don't forget to vote in the Weblog awards.

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How did that happen? I'm a Weblog Finalist!

I nominated myself for a Weblog award. I was just following instructions; the website said not to be shy. Anyway, Soccer Dad informed me that A Mother in Israel is one of ten finalists in the category of Middle Eastern and African blogs. My kids said it's not such a big deal because how many English blogs are there in this part of the world, anyway? I guess my kids have never heard of South Africa.

I really am honored because this puts me in the same category, but not the same league, as some famous bloggers including Michael Totten, Dry Bones, Iraq the Model, and Treppenwitz.

Links to a few of my favorite posts are now on the sidebar.

Let's hope I won't be embarrassed too badly.

Update: I ended up in fifth place with 5.4%, and I'm not disappointed in the slightest.