Masa Israel Journey Blog

Conquering the chaotic Israeli classroom

Published : July 24, 2012

By Jennifer Handel, Israel Teaching Fellows

So what does a young American Jew with a bachelor’s degree in education and a master’s degree in liberal arts do after the endless battle of job hunting? Well move to Israel, of course! Now that might sound a little crazy, but that’s exactly what I did—though it was never part of my life plan.

Growing up in a New York suburb that was mostly Protestant and Catholic, I only had an inkling of a Jewish identity from Hanukkah celebrations and Passover seders. When I graduated from SUNY Cortland with a degree in Secondary Social Studies Education, I looked forward to becoming a public school teacher. ...

The best hummus in all the land

Published : July 20, 2012

By Alex Willick, Otzma

Ask any Israeli for their vote on best hummus place in Israel, and in general, they’ll all give you a different answer. There are, however, a few places that are known State-wide as having exemplary recipes and preparations. Noteworthy hummusias include Abu Hassan in the Old City of Jaffa, Hummus Abu Ghosh outside Jerusalem, and Hummus Sa’id in the Old City of Acco, which I visited earlier today.

It was packed with native Israelis who elbowing their way to the next open table and eager to take part in this epic culinary experience. Luckily, I went with the head coach of the middle school basketball team I help to coach. He’s 6’5” and weighs about 260. We did not have trouble getting a table.

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