Big New Jewish Museum, ANU, in Tel Aviv, Free Entry Sponsored During Passover by Hapoalim bank 9a look a synagogue models, Balfour, Herzl, Mendelssohn

Tel Aviv is my second favourite city in Israel after Jerusalem, because of the art deco architecture, known as Bauhaus, a German word. There is a museum on Bauhaus, another on Bialik who promoted the Hebrew language, and about 15 more museums for you to visit.

Haus is German for house. But let's look at ANU museum.

Jerusalem has history dating back to biblical times. But Tel Aviv, founded in the early 1900s, is all history from the era of my parents and grandparents, and myself, as I lived through the second half of the 1900s.

ANU

Now there's a new, extensive museum, the world's largest museum on Judaism. It is on the university campus. (And much more cheerful than Yad Vashem, which is about the holocaust.) An Israeli bank, Hapoalim, has sponsored free entry during Passover. There are also concessions or rather discounts during paid for days for various other groups. Children under five free.

ANU

The word anu is Hebrew for we.

Beit Hatefutsoth

Beit means building or house. (Think of the city of Beth lehem which means house of bread or bakersy.) Ha is Hebrew for the. tefutsoth means diaspora.

Characters of different levels of orthodoxy, from different countries, with different beliefs.

Characters you might recognize in the photo s below, at the top the Vilna Gaon (gaon translates as guru or genius),  

the museum features the desk of Balfour (famous for the Balfour declaration), Herzl, 

Picture by Sodabottle from article on ANU in Wikipedia.

Top left is Moses Mendelsohnn, son of a man called Mendel, who started the name Mendelssohn, whose son had curvature of the spine, and whose grandson Felix was the composer who wrote the Wedding March.

A striking exhibit from Beit Hatefutsoth. ANU museum, Tel Aviv, Israel.

Leonard Cohen

You start on the top or third floor, with the present day. What might you recognize? Leonard Cohen, singer, a very interesting history of a modern jew who dipped in and out of Judaism and Israel. Following links, I found his song, Hallelujah, on You Tube, sung in Yiddish.

Jewish Hero In China

Other heroes include the Austrian Jewish doctor, Jakob Rosenfeld, who went to China, (on the side of the Communists) was given the highest honour, to a foreigner for the first time, for saving soldiers, villagers, whatever was needed, helping with childbirth. He is now a hero in China.

The Sad Story of Sol

On a sadder note, there is a Jewish girl who was executed in Morocco. As a teenager, aged 17 years old, she appears to have had an argument with her mother, and maybe switched to the local majority Muslim religion, with the encouragement of a devout Muslim next door neighbour, converted back, or not, and been executed.

 I have read several versions of her life story or rather death story, are given, both from the time or shortly afterwards, and later

Her grave is in Morocco in a Jewish cemetery. Now she has a place in this museum in Israel.. Oddly, or happily, she is revered by as a martyr and saint by both the Jews and Moslems.

Nowadays people of both religious persuasions are enthused by her apparent devotion to her old or new religion, and refusal to convert, or stay converted. 

You might be appalled that a young seventeen year old girl should lose her life, and be sacrificed or persuaded to sacrifice herself, not to save another person's life, but for a system of belief. But if you want to enjoy a holiday, it's best not to get upset about something which happened many years ago. You can read about this sad but fascinating story and try to decide what you think really happened.

I think it should be said that many Moroccan Muslims and Jews are friends, and the same goes for Singaporeans and Israelis, as well as some modern Arab leaders and Israelis.

Is this a true story? Apparently, yes. Her grave is in Morocco. It is small but attractive, like a little house with a blue roof.

On a lighter note, there's a section on humour. 

You can see synagogues from all over the world. Basically, the middle floor is about diversity. All countries. All eras.

The ground floor is about what is in common, the bible, synagogues and symbolism.

Jewish Food

ANU museum has another area on food. 

(A kosher cafe is on site.)

There's plenty more, and you can read about it all on the museum's own websites, Wikipedia and all over the place.

Bank Hapoalim sponsors free entry to 170 places in Israel over this holiday and other holidays. You have to book tickets online.

 Useful Websites

https://www.anumuseum.org.il/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ANU_-_Museum_of_the_Jewish_People

https://www.anumuseum.org.il/events/passover/?fbclid=IwAR2HnzNMIwxiGUZSZdO_iI7HyLZjEC8du2MjDjq01J8F7mX4aehJ2cAizJs

https://www.anumuseum.org.il/blog-items/solica-legendary-martyr-morocco/?fbclid=IwAR2HnzNMIwxiGUZSZdO_iI7HyLZjEC8du2MjDjq01J8F7mX4aehJ2cAizJs

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sol_Hachuel

For Jewish food and recipes see

https://www.foodish.org/en/

Secrets of Cincinnati - Book Fountain, Black History, Rock & Roll, in Ohio, USA

 

The book fountain is outside the main library in Cincinnati.

Before we go any futher, how is the city name spelled? Remember, Cin cin nati, or cin cinn ati. 

The book Fountain is my latest discovery and to me this landmark would be my absolute first attraction.

Not that Cincinnati is short of places to see and things to do.

Also see

Cincinnati Museum Centre

3 museums, 

Children's Museum,

History 

Natural History & Science.

Rock & Roll Hall of Fame

Underground Railroad (Black History)

National Underground Railroad Freedom Centre.

Cincinnati union terminal, principal facade. With arched building and  fountain above a stepped waterfall. Picture by Dacoslett in Wikipedia.

Cleveland skyline and Rock & Roll Hall of Fame

A third fountain. Tyler David fountain at night, from Wikipedia.

Where Is It

Look at the map and you'll see that Ohio is west of Pennsylvania. To the north is Lake Erie and Canada. Cleveland, Ohio in on the north coast. Columbus, Ohio is in the centre, just south of the centre of Ohio. Cincinnati is in the South West across from Kentucky.

Useful Websites

https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Cincinnati/Downtown

https://www.tripadvisor.com.sg/Attractions-g60993-Activities-Cincinnati_Ohio.html

https://www.lonelyplanet.com/articles/top-things-to-do-in-cincinnati?utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=--&utm_term=&utm_cmpid=19784214221&utm_adgid=&utm_tgtid=&utm_mt=&utm_adid=&utm_dvc=c&utm_ntwk=x&utm_adpos=&utm_plcmnt=&utm_locphysid=9062509&utm_locintid=1023626&utm_feeditemid=&utm_devicemdl=&utm_plcmnttgt=&utm_misc=&gclid=CjwKCAjw586hBhBrEiwAQYEnHRmEtIwNwI0mf3MkiUfvLHtUmtZxzo6XS6K3tmWQDRGJ3CeOj9nEHBoCFj0QAvD_BwE

The Romantic Story and Statues of Paul & Virginia in Mauritius and France

Mauritius is an island off the East coast of Africa, East of larger Madagascar. The rligion is largely Hindi with a large Indian poplation 

Languages spoken include English and French.

Paul and Virginia is a romantic novel about a couple whose first names is the title of the book. It was written when the author visited the island of Mauritius.

You can see a statue of Paul and Virginia if you visit Mauritius. it is in the Pamplemousses district. Pamplemousses is the French word for grapefruits. The statue is in the gardens of the St Francis Of Assissi church.

Another statue of the couple is in Paris.

Useful Websites

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pamplemousses_District

Paris. Author above. The two lovers in his novel are below.

How to use Tiktok on PC with Samsung Galaxy Phone!

According to this video, you can go to the Microsoft store and download something which links your computer with any app. You just click on the apps you want to link. So you do it with tiktok. 

However, although you can watch tiktok recordings on your laptop, you can only make recordings on your phone.

My main aim in using Tiktok is to record short one-minute or two-minute pieces. Promoting my books. Or me, my crafts, skills, travels, and so on.

My friend Carolyn joined in a Tiktoak challenge. Participants are asked to produce three Tik-tok videos every day for a month.

How To Perform Poetry Online and Be Seen Worldwide, Using Campaigning Poetry - Plus Deep Sleep Comic poem by Angela Lansbury

 I thought I would have to travel overseas to perform my poetry at literature event 

Then I heard about several online Zoom poetry groups in Asia and India and with readers and listeners and from around the world. I was told by active Singaporean poet Sylvia Ang, who I have known a long time from Braddell Heights Advanced speakers' training group.

It is best to have a short poem which you can remember. But have the text on the table in case you forget a line. I had printed out my poem. But we had no running order, The host gave me no indication when I would speak. Sometimes they announce in this fashion,

"Next will be Angela, followed by Sylvia and then Peter. Angela is a poet from .... who also teaches English and writes books on subjects such as Poetry Workbook. ... - She will give you the links to the books in the Zoom chat afterwards.'

How do you find your poem to read aloud online? I had printed out my poem, but it vanished. Luckily, or rather by design, as a backup, I also had it in my blog, so I quickly pulled up my blog and read it out. (See below)

Afterwards, I found that the printed paper with my poem had fallen on the floor and was under my chair. 

My second poem was from one of my poetry books, so I was able to hold up my book to show the audience the front cover, before turning to the pag I had marked with both a small Post-it and a large tuichk bookmark.

Afterwards, I looked for a card index box. I started a card for each Poetry group, and a master list of all my readings in date order. That way I could avoid reading the same poem twice to the same group.

If you are writing campaign poetry, you might choose to read the same poem over and over again, either to reach those members of the audience who are new to your poem, or to drum home the message. 

One poem from a writer in the USA was about a call for banning guns in the USA which cause, or enable mass killings. I had heard it before but had no objection to hearing it again. Reading it again and again is part of the campaign.

Poetry Which Rhymes

1 h  · 

Deep Sleep

by Angela Lansbury

At midight I might be in bed

I wonder whom I am cheating

I've listed things I need to do

Filled in the entire year's meetings

But sleep is ageing's antidote

Wrinkles reward, record sorrow

If I'd good thoughts, I ought to note

Type scrappy scribble tomorrow

I could not sleep, wanted to keep

The fires of excitement burning

At one a.m. my thoughts still deep

Wiped worries with language learning

I sighed at German der, die, das

I looked for knife and fork and spoon

Is this seat taken, please sit down

Too much sun, I see the moon

I hoped that I could beat the clock

And be up bright and swim at dawn

But borrowed time must be paid back

Late nights mean you risk a late morn

Can't escape fate, I got up late

I repaid debts from yesterday

I missed the morning from today

Woke late today, I'm glad to say

Although I'm late, I feel refreshed

The slate is clean, I've done my best

Forget yesterday, it's finished

Ready to pass the new day's test.

-ends-

Copyright Angela Lansbury 2023 Friday 7th April

Poem first draft on Facebook page Poetry Which Rhymes. This revised longer version on blogspot.com

Angela Lansbury has performed on

Reacharts (see Facebook) - orgnaized from the USA

The Fertile Brain - organized from India

Travelling Safely - what you should say to suspicious characters and leading questions

Safety Signals

When I was in Hong Kong with my husband who was at work, and my young son, I devised a coded message for myself and son. We had one message which said to each other, let's go. It was something like, Daddy's waiting for us. Although Daddy was at work.

We had another phrase meaning, grab my hand and run. It was, 'its getting late now'.

We had somebody ask us if we wanted to see watches. He led us down the street, not to a shop, but to a staircase with lockers. He said, 'It's just at the top of the staircase.' 

We went to the top, still in sight of the street below.

He said, 'Just one more flight'.

I said to my son, 'It's getting late now.' 

We turned and ran down the staircase.

Useful Website

For adults

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/lifehacks/article-11944485/Criminologist-reveals-situations-lie-protect-yourself.html 

Warnings for children

https://www.childsafety.org.au/documents/KeyChildrensSafetyMessages.pdf

How Polyglots Learn Languages - the military and multilingual language enthusiasts

Multilingual sign in Switzerland, photo by Sphoo in Wikipedia.

I watched two videos on  how polyglots learn languages.

The US Military

The first looked at how the USA military trains those in the armed forces, , army, navy and air force, including doctors, interpreters, engineers, rescuers and others, to speak the language like a local.

The first thing we learned was which languages are easiest, with the shortest number of weeks of training. The European languages French, Spanish, Italian, Portuguese. Next German and Indonesian. Later, other languages. The hardest are the Asian ones, Chinese, Japanese, Korean.

The recruits are rested on their ability to recognize shapes and patterns. If they pass this abstract test, they are then asked to submit three languages which they want to learn. These lists are compared with the military's needs.

No surprise there. But even the easiest languages require more than a year, 52 weeks, of study, a whole day, five days a week. 

The amount of learning is pretty impressive, too. Homework an be a couple of hours spent learning 80 words, and using them in sentences. That makes my thoughts of learning one word a day, or ten words a day, look pretty paltry.

The importance of this video for me was that it showed you in detail how languages are learned. Not just a guesstimate on the number of hours, but practical training. How it is done for people who will be using it in real life.

What kept them going through all the intensity? The appreciation that they were being paid whilst learning a new language, a skill for life.

After that, something lighter, how polyglots had learned multiple languages, not under pressure from doing it for a living, and not having to use it afterwards in life and death situations.

Polyglots

The video

Polyglot systems

On youtube

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ROh_-RG3OVg