Organized Jewish Home

Planning your trip to Israel (part 2: Where to stay)

Now that you’ve got flights to Israel, let’s talk about where to stay. Wherever you go in Israel, there are several options for where to stay: with friends or family hostels hotels apartment The first option is something that you’ll have to find for yourself. If you have friends and family in Israel, and they …

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Planning your trip to Israel (part 1: flights and ground transport)

Planning a trip to Israel can be tricky. Since I just did it, I’m sharing the resources I found with you! Most of us who live outside of Israel have to get on at least one plane to get there. The main airport is the Ben Gurion airport just outside of Tel Aviv, Israel, airport …

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Summer Shabbat lunch ideas

With summer coming, it’s time to think of cool and easy ideas for Shabbat lunches. I don’t usually use a slow cooker in the summer, and it’s good to have a list of options handy to help me plan. salads / spreads (like roasted eggplant, hummus, pepper, carrots olive tapenade, tomato dip, zhug) veggie tray (with dips?) sunflower seed …

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Planning a trip to Israel! (Series introduction)

I’ve been writing a lot about traveling lately. (If you missed it, here are the links for the traveling with kids series. Check out part 1 (airplane travel), part 2 (your in-vehicle bag), part 3 (packing), part 4 (while you’re gone and making unpacking easy), part 5 (safety), and part 6 (away for Shabbat). Traveling to Israel has a …

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Traveling with kids (Part 6: Away for Shabbat)

This post is part of the traveling with kids series. Check out part 1 (airplane travel), part 2 (your in-vehicle bag), part 3 (packing), part 4 (while you’re gone and making unpacking easy), and part 5 (safety). Sometimes, people go away to someone else’s house or a program or Shabbaton where Shabbat will be prepared by the host. Yay! …

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Traveling with kids (part 5: safety)

This post is part of the traveling with kids series. If you missed it, here are the links for the traveling with kids series. Check out part 1 (airplane travel), part 2 (your in-vehicle bag), part 3 (packing), part 4 (while you’re gone and making unpacking easy), part 5 (safety), and part 6 (away for Shabbat). Our children are precious …

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Traveling: leaving the house checklist

Do you ever get halfway to where you are going and wonder if you locked the door – or more scary, if the stove is off? Or heard a horror story from someone who arrived home from a trip to find their entire freezer of expensive meat defrosted? I have a checklist for leaving the …

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Traveling with kids (Part 4: while you’re gone and making unpacking easy!)

This post is part of the traveling with kids series.If you missed it, here are the links for the traveling with kids series. Check out part 1 (airplane travel), part 2 (your in-vehicle bag), part 3 (packing), part 4 (while you’re gone and making unpacking easy), part 5 (safety), and part 6 (away for Shabbat). OK, you’ve packed and …

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“Emergency” Shabbat to go kit

There are times that one of us needs to be away for Shabbat, and sometimes with little or no notice! We have an “emergency” Shabbat-to-go kit to help us handle this. It’s everything you could need for Shabbat in a glamorous container – an old wipes tub… This is packed and ready to go, and …

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Have a fantastic Shavuot!

We’re sending “chag sameach” thoughts from our family to yours! Have a fantastic Shavuot!

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Planning your trip to Israel (part 2: Where to stay)Planning your trip to Israel (part 1: flights and ground transport)Summer Shabbat lunch ideas Planning a trip to Israel! (Series introduction)Traveling with kids (Part 6: Away for Shabbat)Traveling with kids (part 5: safety)Traveling: leaving the house checklist Traveling with kids (Part 4: while you’re gone and making unpacking easy!)“Emergency” Shabbat to go kit Have a fantastic Shavuot!

Planning your trip to Israel (part 2: Where to stay)

June 9, 2013

Now that you’ve got flights to Israel, let’s talk about where to stay. Wherever you go in Israel, there are several options for where to stay:

with friends or family
hostels
hotels
apartment

The first option is something that you’ll have to find for yourself. If you have friends and family in Israel, and they are willing to host you, this is obviously the cheapest way to go. Of course, it’s always nice to bring a nice hostess gift, flowers for Shabbat, and/or ask what you can bring from your home country for them! But compared with the cost of renting a room, it is cheaper. It’s important to keep in mind your plans, your temperament, and your hosts’ temperament(s), and make a realistic plan. If you want to go out at all hours and have someone to escort you around, you probably won’t get that from an 80 year old great aunt.

An option for a single or smaller family is a hostel. What the word means can vary somewhat, but it often denotes minimal furnishings, possibly sharing a room, and a small storage space. It’s good for people who will be out all day and just need a place to sleep, and those who want to meet up with others in public spaces. One good resource is hostels.com. A few options in Jerusalem are the Abraham Jerusalem hostel (with several tour options leaving right from the hostel including Masada and the Dead Sea), the Jaffa Gate Hostel, and the Jerusalem Hostel. I don’t have any experience or recommendations, and there are many options out there, so do some research to find out what options will work for you.

Hotels abound in Israel, especially in popular tourist areas. You can find fancy, basic, or somewhere in between, and expensive to cheap. Several resources to find them are here: Go Jerusalem’s Hotel List, Trip Advisor’s Hotel List, or the back of your Israel travel book. You can look at bargain sites, too.

An apartment is a good option for families or longer stays. With a family like mine (4 small kids!), we chose an apartment. We loved having a kitchen, and having a washer and dryer made packing easier. Having extra rooms for the kids to split up made life a lot easier, too. For about $150 a night, we had a three bedroom, 2 bathroom apartment about 20 minutes’ walk from the Old City!

Here’s the site where we got our apartment: At Home in Israel. The apartment wasn’t perfect, but they came back to fix the issue (bathroom needed better cleaning) and we were very happy overall. It was otherwise clean and we had three full bedrooms, extra bedding, towels (including enough to take to the Dead Sea), two bathrooms, Shabbat plata and water urn, full kitchen with kosher AND treif dishes (although you’ll have to decide if you use them), washer and dryer, and a balcony. And the extras were fantastic: a DVD player, fast wifi included, a telephone with all calls within Israel included, a parking space, and more.

*************If you rent an apartment from them, please use my referral code (AH3523) so we can start saving up for our next trip back!**********

There are some other apartment sites as well (I browsed, but I never used these):

You can choose to stay in one place or move around (we did one – so much easier for the kids, and we didn’t have to move the suitcases and car seats).

Does anyone have anything to add?

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Permanent link to this article: http://organizedjewishhome.com/2013/06/09/planning-your-trip-to-israel-part-2-where-to-stay/

Planning your trip to Israel (part 1: flights and ground transport)

June 3, 2013

Planning a trip to Israel can be tricky. Since I just did it, I’m sharing the resources I found with you!

Most of us who live outside of Israel have to get on at least one plane to get there. The main airport is the Ben Gurion airport just outside of Tel Aviv, Israel, airport code TLV. If you have somewhat flexible travel dates, you can usually get a good deal on tickets, but from the US (and many other places!) it is definitely pricey.

Duty Free Rotunda at Ben Gurion Airport (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Some general rules for getting cheaper flights:Be flexible! But fly midweek if you can, choose a non-peak time to fly, shop on Tuesdays for deals, etc. You can sign up with different sites and/or airlines to get their deals e-mail. (Which will work best for you depends on where you live and where you want to travel.)

On our recent trip, we flew El Al. It has direct flights and is kind of part of the Israel experience. It has kosher meals by default (although you have to request Badatz kosher meals separately – here’s the list of options for meals). We had meat only meals both ways (chicken sandwiches).

If you’re flying with kids, here is a post on flying with kids with lots of good ideas for you. Keep in mind that security flying into Israel is very tight, and you should probably plan extra time just in case.

Once you arrive at Ben Gurion, there are few kosher choices after you get through the customs and luggage area. There is a little convenience store in the arrivals hall, and some juice / coffee bars (I didn’t see a teuda, but I didn’t thoroughly check with hungry and needy kids). If you can plan food until you arrive, do! There are several choices for exchanging money or using the ATM here to get NIS (New Israeli Shekels) here, too.

After you’ve cleared the customs and gotten your bags (be sure to check the separate oversized area if you’re missing something – one of our carseats got sent there for no apparent reason!), it’s time to get where you’re going. You have a few options, all with pluses and minuses:

Nesher: a sherut (shared taxi service, kind of like Super Shuttle). These are 10 passenger vans that go through Jerusalem for 62 NIS for each passenger seat – about $17. They aren’t new, and there may or not be working seat belts on board. We managed to find enough seat belts for everyone on each trip, but they weren’t together. And although they expect you to hold your babies and young kids, we paid their fare and installed car seats (bring a locking clip!) and boosters for the kids. Several people just held young babies. They had plenty of cargo room for suitcases and strollers!
Israeli Railways Train: If you’re headed to Jerusalem, the train is a (very) slow and scenic way to get there – although probably not close to anywhere you want to go. But you can do it – click on the link for a trip planner for more on times and prices. There are other places you can get to as well, and it’s more convenient for some of those. The station is on the S level of the airport.
Car Rental: If you’re planning to rent a car in Israel, there are several options at the airport. Avis, Budget, Eldan, Hertz, and Sixt are there. You can probably get good deals shopping around, too. Be sure you check if your credit card provides car rental insurance before you pay for it!
Taxi: A taxi from Ben Gurion to Jerusalem will cost you about 350 NIS (close to $100), depending on where you want to go. Click on the link and you’ll see approximate rates to and from other areas. It’s recommended that you use a licensed taxi, which you can easily get from a taxi stand.
Other special transportation: Limos, tour buses, private shuttles, and more are available. You can even find someone to help you get through customs!

——–

The same options are available on the way back. You can call ahead and get a pick up time, which will help you plan.

The way El Al check in worked when we traveled at the end of May 2013, was a little disorganized. We came in and checked in on a computer and got our boarding cards, then took our checked bags through the x-ray machine line. After that, we carted them to the “express check-in,” where we gave the suitcases in to be checked. Then, we had to walk to a special elevator to send our car seats and stroller (we checked a single umbrella stroller). And then, we could finally head to security. Whew!

As you’re headed back through the airport, there are a few more kosher options, including a Pizza Hut before and after security and some coffee places. Depending on which gate you are at, there are options around, too.

This post is part 1 of the Planning Your Trip to Israel series. You can find part 2: Where to stay here.

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Permanent link to this article: http://organizedjewishhome.com/2013/06/03/planning-your-trip-to-israel-part-1-flights-and-ground-transport/

Summer Shabbat lunch ideas

May 30, 2013

salads / spreads (like roasted eggplant, hummus, pepper, carrots olive tapenade, tomato dip, zhug)
veggie tray (with dips?)
sunflower seed cabbage salad or coleslaw
gazpacho
sesame noodles
pasta salad
peanut noodle salad
pesto noodles / pesto couscous
deviled eggs
Egg salad / tuna salad / chicken salad
kugels (spinach, broccoli, sweet potato, potato, noodle, squash, carrot, onion, etc.)
roasted veggies (potato, cauliflower, )
tex mac (layer lettuce, crushed “nacho” chips, noodles, and ground meat cooked in taco sauce, maybe avocado)
roasted chicken
cold cut
deli roll

What do you use as your go-to meal for Shabbat lunch?

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Permanent link to this article: http://organizedjewishhome.com/2013/05/30/summer-shabbat-lunch-ideas/

Planning a trip to Israel! (Series introduction)

May 30, 2013

Traveling to Israel has a special place in our hearts, and in the hearts of many Jewish families. We returned late last night from a 2.5 week trip to Israel with the whole family: parents and 4 kids ranging from 2 to 9. We had a fantastic time. I did lots of pre-planning to make it easy: temporary cell phones, a short-term apartment, maps, books to read with the kids, activities to do (and avoid!) and more. I put a lot of work into making it a great trip, and now I’m going to share it with you!

Please let me know if you have any questions, and I’ll answer them to the best of my ability as we go. And stay tuned!

Part 1: Flights and Ground Transport

Part 2: Where to stay

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Permanent link to this article: http://organizedjewishhome.com/2013/05/30/planning-a-trip-to-israel-series-introduction/

Traveling with kids (Part 6: Away for Shabbat)

May 26, 2013

Sometimes, people go away to someone else’s house or a program or Shabbaton where Shabbat will be prepared by the host. Yay! That’s fun!

But if you go to a cabin, or are traveling somewhere else and stop for Shabbat, or any number of other scenarios, and you need to make Shabbat on the go, what should you pack?

I recommend having a Shabbat-on-the-go kit. But that’s really only good for a small group (the tiny bottle of grape juice would provide a taste to my family only – and that’s just one kiddush). So we pack more. Here’s our list:

Candles or tea lights and candlesticks if necessary
Tape (to prevent people, including a hotel employee, from turning off lights or keep an automatic light off)
Grape juice / wine (alternative beverages can work in a pinch, or you can make kiddush on motzi – but the specifics vary, so AYLOR)
Kiddush cup – we have a collapsible one to travel with, or you can use a nicer glass where you are
Challah or another appropriate bread, or matza if you can make motzi on it (we can’t if it’s not Pesach)
Salt – a little baggie works fine, or you can bring a whole shaker or tiny packages
Something yummy for food! Here’s when those disposable aluminum tins really come in handy. (What you can bring depends on what you have available to heat your food – see below for suggestions.)
Siddur and tallit
Havdallah items: spices, grape juice, and a braided candle or two more candles

It also helps to bring something to entertain the kids. We have brightly colored wooden blocks in a plastic shoebox with a lid. At home, they don’t get played with much, but outside, they were cities, angry birds pieces, hide and seek parts, and more. We also brought a set of tiny board books which are a hit. Going outside can be a bit tricky, with hotel room re-entry (metal keys are rare now!), no eruv (carrying), and more, but you can work it out if you want to.

Food is really tricky to give general guidelines on. It depends what you have available! But cold cuts and spreads, if you have access to them, are very helpful. I bring plain pasta, cooled, in a gallon sized plastic bag, and some Parmesan cheese for the kids. You can also bring cold soup like gazpacho, string cheese, sandwich makings like peanut butter, or other easy to prep things.

Non-perishables make things easier, like crackers, cereal (with or without milk), pastries, or other shelf-stable items.

If you have an oven, you can warm (or prep) food. But if not, it is still very possible to have a nice Shabbat away from home!

Anything else you would add? What do you bring?

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Permanent link to this article: http://organizedjewishhome.com/2013/05/26/traveling-with-kids-part-6-away-for-shabbat/

Traveling with kids (part 5: safety)

May 23, 2013

Our children are precious to us, and we want to keep them close and safe. But they want to explore and check out the world, and sometimes, in the chaos that can happen while you are traveling…

There are ways to minimize the risk and ways to get reunited more quickly. Here are some ideas:

1. It’s your children’s responsibility to be able to see you. This is a standard rule in our family all the time when we’re out. (It’s modified when we’re in an enclosed space like a playground to be they need to stay within the clearly identified boundary or come to me if they want to leave.) It used to be they had to stay within my sight, but turning it around makes it easy for them to follow and keeps them connected. Sure, they might forget or stray a little, but they can easily tell if they are following the rule – no more, “Well, I thought you could see me!”

2. Dress your kids in the same color, or a bright color – and you, too!. We did all orange for a while, including us. It’s not something people commonly wear, and you can spot the orange quickly, and we all “go” together. Bright orange isn’t the most flattering color for a person (like me!) with very light coloring, but I’m not going for fashion. And everyone knew we traveled together – an airport employee joked, “Hey, there goes one of your kids!” as another person in orange walked by.

3. Take a photo (or video) before you leave with a camera you’ll have accessible. This way, you’ll have a recent photo, should you need it, and an easy way of telling what the child is wearing. If everyone is wearing something similar and/or bright, it’s even easier!

4. “Tattoo” your child with a contact number. We write a telephone number with pen on the child’s bicep (for short sleeves) or forearm (for long sleeves). We do this for things like a fair, a shuk, or another crowded place. It’ll wash off in a day or so, but your child (and police or employees) will have a way to contact you immediately. If you’re travelling internationally or won’t have access to a phone, you can use a family member or friend – just confirm ahead of time. Then you’ll know who to call to connect.

5. Talk expectations and plan. I try to always lay out expectations: when we go into the store, I expect…So I do the same when we travel. This includes things like stay close to parents, listen closely, etc. We also review what to do if they get lost: stay where they are, ask someone in a uniform for help (and stay there), don’t follow a stranger, and use their “tattoo” to contact us. It varies a little by where we’re going and the child’s age, but that’s the general plan.

6. Bring appropriate safety devices. Whether it’s a car seat, boosters, an in-flight buckle system (like the CARES Fly Safe harness), be sure your kids are traveling safe. There are lighter car seats and boosters, if lugging them will be tough. Here are a few ideas:

The Bubble Bum is an inflatable booster seat that is light and easy to carry AND has good safety ratings. We have two, and use them for things like taxis. You can also buy a foldable booster seat for kids who need the back. It’s very lightweight and good for taking with you. (The Amazon photo is being tricky right now, but click on the link to see the photos.

7. Stay vigilant. I know traveling with kids is hard. It’s exhausting sometimes. But this is NOT the time to relax, get lost in a book, take a nap, or do something else to “check out” a little (unless your children are strapped down and sleeping on a plane – and then you need to be sure you are still easily available). Especially while they are young and on the move, they need your attention. You can catch up on your rest when you’re there.

Any other tips you would add?

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Permanent link to this article: http://organizedjewishhome.com/2013/05/23/traveling-with-kids-part-5-safety/

Traveling: leaving the house checklist

May 21, 2013

I have a checklist for leaving the house for a trip, and it helps me remember to check all of those things and more. If you’re just going overnight, you might not need to change your thermostat or check your refrigerator for food that will spoil, but if you are leaving for a two week trip, you would! The things for longer trips are at the bottom of the list.

Be sure everything you packed made it to the car as you go (we left behind the toys we packed for a week-long cross country trip once. They were sitting nicely in the hallway, ready to go…)
Wash any dishes and wipe down table and counter – no open invitation for ants!
Check the oven and stove: off
Check the refrigerator / freezer: closed
Be sure appliances are off: washer, dryer, or dishwasher – just in case
Flush the toilets (anything that sits will be really gross when you get back!)
Do one last run through the house for lights and to check doors and windows
Freeze or throw away any food that will spoil while you are gone
Take out the trash from the kitchen at least (and work out curbside arrangements if it will be needed)
Change the programmable thermostat to save energy and money
Unplug or switch off any computers / electronics you are leaving behind
Set timers to turn on and off lights if you like
Be sure your mail, newspaper, and packages are taken care of: a slot to put them in, neighbor to check for packages, or hold your mail (file a USPS vacation mail hold here)
Be sure you have bills paid (if it’s online, it’s easy, but if you still pay with a check, be sure you plan ahead)
Lock the door mindfully

I usually do most of these things and then get the kids out to the car with dh so I can do a final run-through without worrying that someone small is trailing behind and undoing what I just checked.

And you’re off, worry free!

For more traveling organization check out the traveling with kids series. If you missed it, here are the links for the traveling with kids series. Check out part 1 (airplane travel), part 2 (your in-vehicle bag), part 3 (packing), part 4 (while you’re gone and making unpacking easy), part 5 (safety), and part 6 (away for Shabbat).

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Permanent link to this article: http://organizedjewishhome.com/2013/05/21/traveling-leaving-the-house-checklist/

Traveling with kids (Part 4: while you’re gone and making unpacking easy!)

May 19, 2013

This post is part of the traveling with kids series.If you missed it, here are the links for the traveling with kids series. Check out part 1 (airplane travel), part 2 (your in-vehicle bag), part 3 (packing), part 4 (while you’re gone and making unpacking easy), part 5 (safety), and part 6 (away for Shabbat).

OK, you’ve packed and arrived. Now what?

I’m sure that everyone’s got different ideas about how to handle this part, but I’ll tell you how it works best for me. First, we’ll look at the most common vacation scenario for us: no laundry while we’re gone.

We bring two suitcases (for a 5 day trip or so) and a mesh folding laundry bin like this.

I unpack everything and put them by child on a shelf. Then I put one suitcase (opened and on the floor, but easily accessible) into the kids’ room to be used as the laundry bin. Then the laundry bin goes in our room. We try to keep the mess in hand as we go by making sure that things stay close to their home. I make this easy for the kids by giving them a “tour” of our things once we’re unpacked – so they should know where things should be and where to find their items.

When we’re ready to go, we dump all the adult laundry into the kids’ laundry suitcase. We close it up and it’s packed! Then the clean clothes, toiletries, and extra set of shoes in the second suitcase. I packed up our leftover food in a reusable grocery shopping bag, folded up the pack and play, and we’re ready to go!

When we get home, the laundry suitcase goes right into our laundry room – and it’s completely unpacked. The laundry will take a while longer, but it’s something you can work at when you have the time. The clean clothes suitcase takes a little longer to unpack, but since I have a family closet in our laundry room, it’s pretty easy to sort, too. Anything headed up to our bedroom or bathroom is put on their stairs and taken up as we go. And it’s unpacked!

Bring in the other items and you’re done. Talk about easy unpacking!

If you’re doing laundry at your destination, you can sort by person, which will make it easier to put away. Or sort by room or floor. But as you’re repacking, think about the best way to make it easy on the other side.

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Permanent link to this article: http://organizedjewishhome.com/2013/05/19/traveling-with-kids-part-4-while-youre-gone-and-making-unpacking-easy/

“Emergency” Shabbat to go kit

May 17, 2013

There are times that one of us needs to be away for Shabbat, and sometimes with little or no notice!

We have an “emergency” Shabbat-to-go kit to help us handle this. It’s everything you could need for Shabbat in a glamorous container – an old wipes tub…

This is packed and ready to go, and all you need to grab is a siddur (too big to fit inside) and motzi of some sort (matza would be good to keep with it if you can make motzi on it – we can’t, unless it’s Pesach!) If dh is traveling and has limited space, this is what he would take.

Here’s what’s inside:

travel candlesticks and candles
matches
a kipa
a bencher
aluminum foil (to put under the candlesticks if needed or cover your motzi)
a small bottle of grape juice
a collapsible travel kiddush cup (like this one)
a baggie of salt
a baggie of cloves (besamim)
a small havdallah candle (burned down, not specifically bought like this)

Would you add anything?

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Permanent link to this article: http://organizedjewishhome.com/2013/05/17/emergency-shabbat-to-go-kit/

Have a fantastic Shavuot!

May 14, 2013

We’re sending “chag sameach” thoughts from our family to yours! Have a fantastic Shavuot!

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Permanent link to this article: http://organizedjewishhome.com/2013/05/14/have-a-fantastic-shavuot/

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Planning your trip to Israel (part 2: Where to stay)

Planning your trip to Israel (part 1: flights and ground transport)

Summer Shabbat lunch ideas

Planning a trip to Israel! (Series introduction)

Traveling with kids (Part 6: Away for Shabbat)

Traveling with kids (part 5: safety)

Traveling: leaving the house checklist

Traveling with kids (Part 4: while you’re gone and making unpacking easy!)

“Emergency” Shabbat to go kit

Have a fantastic Shavuot!

Planning your trip to Israel (part 2: Where to stay)

Planning your trip to Israel (part 1: flights and ground transport)

Summer Shabbat lunch ideas

Planning a trip to Israel! (Series introduction)

Traveling with kids (Part 6: Away for Shabbat)

Traveling with kids (part 5: safety)

Traveling: leaving the house checklist

Traveling with kids (Part 4: while you’re gone and making unpacking easy!)

“Emergency” Shabbat to go kit