I know, I know, some of you are scratching your heads at this post title! I means, preparing ahead is one thing, but this is ridiculous, right?
Well, not if you are an Orthodox Jew and you live in Israel. Next year is a shmittah year (the sabbatical year, or the seventh year in the agricultural cycle, where the farmers in parts of Israel supposed to refrain from planting and cultivating their land).
Jameel has an excellent post here all about it, and about the practice of signing up to buy produce through the Otzer Beit Din. We are also planning on doing this, and I am already worrying about finding a caterer for my son’s Bar Mitzvah next year who is willing to do this too. (Any tips about finding one will be greatly appreciated).
Go on over and read all about it.
just skip the vegetables at the bar mitzva. There is no specific mitzva that says you have to have cucumbers and tomatoes….
Comment by Rafi G — May 29, 2007 @ 4:24 pm
I don’t get it – if the farmers can’t grow food, what are they supposed to be eating? Presumably our ancestors did not starve to death…
Comment by jerusalem joe — May 29, 2007 @ 6:25 pm
this is actually driving me crazy. wbmama, can you recommend a good book (in english) explaining the halachas on shmittah? i’m so freaked out by this whole thing and have been thinking about it for weeks now….
Comment by bec — May 30, 2007 @ 3:44 am
It’s too bad we live in Canada….
Comment by WaysofZion — June 5, 2007 @ 12:41 pm
Last year pickles? Just guessing, you know
Comment by SnoopyTheGoon — June 6, 2007 @ 7:38 am
wbmama,
email me at
phishmatzah at gmail.com
i’ll send you the link regarding meeting our plane at ben gurion if you want.
hope the new job is going well and that things are good by you!!!
(((hugs)))
bec
Comment by bec — June 22, 2007 @ 3:40 am
I see you haven’t posted recently. I hope it’s for good reasons.
You’re tagged!
http://me-ander.blogspot.com/2007/06/tagged-gevalt.html
Comment by muse — June 26, 2007 @ 3:05 am
Yoohoo, blogosphere calling.
Comment by Ozymandias — June 28, 2007 @ 3:40 pm
Shalom, sister.
If you’d like to participate, you’re now “tagged” in the 8-ball meme.
(Please click over to the post of July 3.)
“It’s Ours!” — an inspiring post.
-Jeremiah
Comment by Jeremayakovka — July 4, 2007 @ 7:26 pm
Where are you? (Not that I should comment)….it’s been a crazy June and hopefully it’s only end-of-schoolyear-beginning-of-summer craziness that is inhibiting regular contributions to this site….?
Let us know you’re okay, okay? And if you’re NOT okay, let us know what we can do to help…
Comment by aliyah06 — July 7, 2007 @ 6:09 pm
[...] West Bank Mama, one of the most famous Israeli female bloggers, seems to have vanished too. Despite desperate pleas from distressed bloggers and visitors, there is no answer and nobody seems to know what has [...]
Pingback by Lost? « Ilana-Davita — July 10, 2007 @ 8:56 pm
I remember when we lived in Israel we jumped through hoops to get vegetables which were not grown on Jewish land by Jews. I think we had to buy from Arabs; I actually don’t remember many details, as it was so long ago…where do you buy fruit and vegies during Shmittah these days?
BTW–I tagged you for the Meme of Eight , so I would be honored if you read my blog and added it to your blogroll. Looking forward to seeing your Meme!
Comment by Lady-Light — July 16, 2007 @ 7:32 pm
Thanks for linking that article.
Comment by ifyouwillit... — July 18, 2007 @ 10:34 am
Ok, we’re getting ready to send out a search party.
Comment by Jack — July 26, 2007 @ 9:00 pm
seriously, anyone heard from mama?
Comment by BA — July 27, 2007 @ 3:08 pm
No and a number of us are getting quite worried….
Comment by aliyah06 — July 29, 2007 @ 5:51 pm
Yo, WBM!
Don’t make me dispatch the new olim from Brooklyn to hunt you down.
We’re missing you here. Sheesh. Give a smoke signal……something.
Comment by Erica — July 31, 2007 @ 1:02 am
BS”D
I miss you too! Please give us a little sign!
//Verodim
Comment by Verodim — July 31, 2007 @ 12:20 pm