So, gas prices. For those of us who would normally gas-up at Costco, due to renovations of their gas station, we are now forced to contend with even higher gas prices. All of this is of course connected to the war with Iran who has very successfully choked off the flow of oil out of the Gulf states by closing the Straits of Hormuz. For a time it seemed that diplomacy would prevail, ending the conflict and opening up the Straits. For a short time the ships were transiting the Straits, oil prices fell and we began to feel some ever so slight relief at the pumps. Then that old saying ‘the devil is in the details’ kicked in with the U.S. and Iran not seeing eye to eye regarding control of the Straits and once again the Straits are closed. So, with the Straits being so present in my mind, here are some things that you may not know about them: 1) they are all together just over 100 miles long, narrowing down to 21 miles wide. This may seem like a lot but if you’re an oil tanker in a congested waterway, it’s narrow. There are three lanes in the Straits, each two miles wide – one for incoming traffic, one for outgoing traffic and one in the middle as a buffer; 2) they are home to a unique set of super corals that have adapted to the high water temperature (97 degrees) and salinity – these corals are being studied to see if their genes can restore corals on the Great Barrier Reef; 3) it is considered one of the nosiest marine environments in the world with the constant hum of the boat traffic interfering with the navigation of dolphins, porpoises and other marine life. This is a problem for the Whale Sharks that share this waterway and for whom the Gulf of Arabia is home to the second largest population in the world; 4) the insurance costs for ships transiting the Straits have risen to about 4% of a ships hull value – a roughly $600K in premium for one passage of a $150 million dollar oil tanker. As of writing this, the negotiators are still trying to hammer out a deal to end the war and to open the Straits, among other things. We can only hope.

Mahalo – David and Yael

P.S. – A Joke: WARNING – CLICK ON THIS LINK AT YOUR OWN PERIL: https://www.oldjewstellingjokes.com/2018/12/19/mike-leiderman-new-cell-phone-479

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And now for the connection between Jachnun and Hawaii – something that I learned about this week: In 1947 the U.N. voted to partition what was then the British Mandate for Palestine, creating two states – the Jewish state of Israel and the Arab state of Palestine. The Jewish leadership accepted the partition, the Arab leadership rejected it and in 1948 the new state of Israel was invaded by 5 Arab armies. At the same time, the rest of the Arab world responded by attacking and in some cases expelling their Jewish populations – altogether it is estimated that roughly 850K Jews were expelled or fled from Arab countries. Yemen was no exception. The CEO of Alaska Airways at the time was John Wooten who had purchased surplus DC-4’s and C-46 airplanes following WW2. He used some of these planes to help airlift aid into Berlin. In 1949 when he learned of the plight of Yemenite Jews under attack in Yemen, he used his fleet as part of a secret operation known as Operation Wings of Eagles, airlifting 49,000 to Israel between 1949-1950. Back then it was a perilous mission. The planes needed to stop to refuel in Amsara, Ethiopia before continuing on to Aden, Yemen. Navigation was done by a sextant and a chronograph. Fast forward to a merged Hawaiian and Alaska Airways and voila, the connection between Jachnun and Hawaii!! Here is a link to read about it: https://news.alaskaair.com/alaska-airlines/on-eagles-wings/

Finally, thank you for your patience and understanding as Motek was closed for one day due to tenting for termites. Naturally, we had just received a shipment of 2500lbs of flour that along with all other foodstuffs were moved out of the bakery, and then back to the bakery. Glad that it’s behind us.

Mahalo – David and Yael

P.S. – A Joke: WARNING – CLICK ON THIS LINK AT YOUR OWN PERIL: https://www.oldjewstellingjokes.com/2018/10/31/larry-greenfield-sidney-the-lumberjack-256

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Mahalo - David and Yael

Today was a bittersweet day. A member of our community, Brian Dugan, passed away on July 7^th. Today his family held a memorial service for him at Beach 69. The bitter part is of course the grief and sadness that define the passing of a loved one. Brian passed at 52, too young, taken by cancer. What was sweet was the beautiful service that brought together those of us who knew him to give a special embrace to his wife, son, mother, sister, aunt. His son Ian left us with a poignant lesson, sharing that as he visited his father in the hospital, he made sure to bring only positivity into the room until one day his father asked him – why the front? What do you really feel? Today 20-year-old Ian schooled us Kupuna as to the importance of being genuine and authentic, even – or perhaps especially – in the face of coming to terms with mortality. Thank you Dugan Family for sharing and including us.

That was kind of heavy so now for something lighter. A week ago a very nice couple drove into Motek in a fire-engine red Ferrari convertible - not the kind of car that one sees everyday in these parts. Of course, I immediately began joking around with them “Thank you for bringing my car back” and that sort of thing. Then I commented that a car like that will surely catch the eye of the police and that he must be like a cop magnet for the guys here in N. Kohala. He told me that in fact, coming in to Hawi one day he was pulled over. He hadn’t been speeding, hadn’t been drinking (God forbid), and had no idea why he was pulled over. He asked the officer what he did wrong and the officer answered, “Well, you seem to be missing your front license plate….well, actually, I just wanted to see your car.” You gotta love N. Kohala’s men and women in blue!

Mahalo – David and Yael

P.S. – A Joke: WARNING – CLICK ON THIS LINK AT YOUR OWN PERIL: https://www.oldjewstellingjokes.com/2019/01/16/ettie-steinberg-a-cure-for-horniness-499-42

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And now this from Yael:

Some of you may have met my cousin Stav and her family at the bakery this week. ❤️

There is something incredibly special about having family from Israel visit us here in Hawaii—literally the farthest point on earth from Israel.

When we first moved here, we knew we were moving away from the people who had been the foundation of our lives: our family, our oldest friends, and the people who knew our stories long before we became who we are today. Over the years, we’ve built a beautiful life here. We made wonderful friends, and we were even fortunate enough that some parts of our family found their way to Hawaii, too.

But having my cousin visit with her husband and their two children has stirred something even deeper.

There are about 21 years between Stav and I. I was a young adult when she came into this world; I have known her since the day she was born (and in truth, even before!). Her grandfather was my grandmother’s brother. Because they came from a very large family, her grandfather and my mother were close in age and close at heart—and that same bond passed down through the generations.

While I grew up in Tel Aviv, her father and his siblings grew up on a kibbutz on Israel’s northern border. In Israel, that was considered far apart! Yet, our lives were always intertwined. We spent holidays together, shared vacations, played, laughed, and argued as we grew up side by side. Later on, we celebrated the milestone of building our own families, and we stood beside one another through saying goodbye to those we loved.

Those years aren’t just memories—they are the foundation of who we are.

When you move far away, the people you meet only know the version of you that arrived. They don’t know the child you were, the teenager, your family stories, or the raw experiences that shaped you. The mirrors they hold up reflect your present, but not your past.

I was talking with a dear friend the other day about “before”—before we met, before we moved here. We laughed about how much there still is to tell each other, and how many chapters of our lives we never lived side by side. There is a certain charm in that. But there is also something deeply comforting about family and about lifelong friends who become family. They already know the story of you.

I’m not naïve. I know that family and relationships aren’t always easy. But when there is love, genuine affection, and a desire to be part of one another’s lives, family can become an anchor. A place where you belong.

Having my beloved younger cousin and her family here has filled our home with laughter, old memories, new memories, Hebrew, and a feeling that is hard to describe.

It’s a piece of home crossing an ocean.

Our hearts are so very full.

We only wish they could stay. 🌊✨

Mahalo – David and Yael

P.S. – A Joke: WARNING – CLICK ON THIS LINK AT YOUR OWN PERIL (some foul language): https://www.oldjewstellingjokes.com/2019/01/16/gary-krakow-onions-499-49/

So, it is July 4^th and we are celebrating 250 years of our independence from England. It started on June 7^th 1776 during the second Continental Congress when the delegate from Virginia, Richard Henry Lee introduced a motion to separate from England and declare independence. Not all of the colonies were on board and there was a lively debate. Rather than vote on the motion, they chose a small committee – John Adams (MA), Thomas Jefferson (VA), Robert Livingston (NY), Benjamin Franklin (PA) and Robert Sherman (CT) – to draft a formal statement justifying the break with England. This paper was presented to the Continental Congress on July 2^nd and unanimously approved (NY abstained at first, then affirmed). This of course led to the Revolutionary War but July 4^th was celebrated none the less and apparently this included a lot of mock funerals for King George III. In 1778 George Washington celebrated by ordering double rations of rum for his soldiers (gotta love George W.).

And here in Kohala we are celebrating a uniquely local milestone – 100 years since the establishment of Kohala High School. As newcomers to Kohala (2019) the significance of this celebration is not lost. The parade, the park filled with happy smiling faces, talk story, hula, music, great food – it is much more than a centennial anniversary for the local high school. It is really a statement by members of the community to acknowledge their deep roots in this special place and a celebration of the many generations that have made it what it is. As newcomers we are indebted to the people who have made this place so special and to all who continue to do their utmost to keep it special. Listening to Kū Maʻemaʻe play last night with everyone dancing, you could feel the love and pride of a community being in the moment, enjoying each other’s company and celebrating.

Mahalo – David and Yael

P.S. – A Joke: WARNING – CLICK ON THIS LINK AT YOUR OWN PERIL: https://www.oldjewstellingjokes.com/2018/10/31/harry-macklowe-new-guy-at-the-pool-258

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There are times that I wish that I had a camera to record some of the fascinating interactions and discussions that happen across the counter at Motek. We are in a position where we get to meet and know a large number of people from the community which gives us a unique perspective about the folks in this part of the island. For example, today Sophie came in, shared condolences for the passing of my mother last month (very, very heart-warming) which lead us into a discussion about philosophy and the interconnected nature of the universe. We touched on the 18^th century philosopher George Berkely who claimed that “to be is to be perceived” which is to say that an object exists only to the extent that it is perceived and that physical objects cannot exist independently of the mind and someone to perceive them. Shapes, colors, and objects are only sensory perceptions in our minds. An object can exist only if there is a subject to perceive it…AND that everything - all of nature - exists because it is an idea in the all perceiving mind of God. Trippy stuff to discuss while putting a piece of dark chocolate rye cake in a box. Later, Dave-the-gardner showed up with his very chill sidekick Roadie (a somewhat overweight dog that sticks close by Dave’s side). I always count on Dave to give me an informed and intelligent perspective on daily life (i.e. politics) all in clipped shorthand and signed with a barbed statement as he heads out the door. Today the barbed statement was “there’s a sucker born every minute” (I won’t tell you the politics that we were discussing). I could go on and on – one day maybe I will. In the meantime, these discussions come home with me and bang around in my head leaving me feeling incredibly grateful to be surrounded by so much beauty and so many beautiful people.

Mahalo,

David and Yael

P.S. A Joke: WARNING – CLICK ON THIS LINK AT YOUR OWN PERIL: https://www.oldjewstellingjokes.com/2018/10/31/larry-zicklin-hotel-room-260/

And speaking of Father’s Day – here’s a little background info about the origins and its development: Apparently the earliest Father’s Day card dates back to ancient Mesopotamia (modern day Iraq) origins of honoring father’s dates back 4,000 years ago when a young man named Elmesu inscribed on a clay tablet wishes for his father’s good health, long life and prosperity. Fast forward to pagan Roman festival of Lupercalia honoring Faunas, the Roman god of agriculture and fertility with rituals designed to protect the family and honor paternal figures. Finally, there are those who connect the Father’s Day with the ancient rituals around the summer solstice where the sun was seen as the father of the universe. In medieval times the Roman Catholic church instituted St. Joseph’s Day where it ultimately became canonized as the Feast of St. Joseph honoring the earthly father of Jesus as a symbol of paternal love and protection and later honoring fathers as the heads of households (as a Jew I can tell you that if you ask any Jewish mother, they would never let this fly…).

The Father’s Day that we are familiar with was started by two women from opposite ends of the country. In 1908 Grace Golden Clayton who was the daughter of a minister in Virginia suggested that they have a service to honor fathers following a coal mining accident that killed 100 men. A year later in Spokate Washington, Sonora Smart Dodd was inspired by Mother’s Day to honor her father who was a Civil War veteran who raised his six children by himself after his wife Ellen died in child birth. She was able to convince the YMCA to set aside a Sunday in June to honor father’s. President Woodrow Wilson tried unsuccessfully to make it a national holiday in 1913 and then President Coolidge signed a resolution that there should be a day to foster closer relations between father’s and their children and to help fathers understand the weight of their responsibilities. Calvin apparently had some dad issues…. Later LBJ signed an executive order mandating the 3^rd Sunday of June as Father’s Day and then in 1972 Nixon signed it into law as national holiday. And there you have it – a brief history of Father’s Day. Wishing all you father’s a very happy Father’s Day.

Mahalo – David and Yael

P.S. A JOKE – WARNING – Click on this link at your own peril (rated “R”): https://www.oldjewstellingjokes.com/2018/11/28/jonathan-avirom-laughing-nurse-564/

It happened right in the middle of work where I needed to finish dealing with the dough. I was completely in the zone. I had just finished feeding my sourdough starter, and my hands were deep in the dough—that critical window where every minute counts, and I have absolutely zero patience for distractions.

Suddenly, David calls out from the other side of the bakery “Yael, there’s someone out here. He’s a baker visiting the area, he just bought some flour, and he’s asking if he could have a bit of starter.”

Inside my head, all I could think about was the dough waiting for me. With my classic lack of patience for mid-work interruptions, I snapped back, “Oh, come on, I just fed it! It’s not ready to be used yet! You ll have to tell him it needs few more hours before using it.” Being a baker at heart, I found a small container, scooped in three tablespoons of the starter, and handed it over to David , desperate to get back to my the dough to finish what I started .

But David, being David, wouldn’t let it drop. “Yael, this is someone who really, truly has a bakery. In fact two. You should really come out and meet him.”

“Nu (which is like “come on” in Hebrew) David let me be, I need to finish with the dough!” I pushed back, trying get him off my back…

But he didn’t… and I ended up leaving my dough impatiently and going to meet the baker. He introduced himself as Richard Hart. Told me he has a bakery in Copenhagen, Denmark, named Hart Bageri and one in Mexico City, named Green Rhino.

As it turns out, he and his family are visiting the island, staying in our beloved North Kohala, and loving it! He had bought our sesame sourdough the day before- the one that’s a massive favorite around here—and they loved it so much they came back today to buy three more loaves and some spelt flour.

Of course when I came home I searched and researched about him on the net world and here is a little summary of what I found:

Master baker Richard Hart is associated with two primary, highly acclaimed bakeries:

Hart Bageri – The famous artisan bakery he co-founded with René Redzepi (of Noma) in Copenhagen, Denmark in 2018.

Green Rhino – His newer venture, which he opened in Mexico City after relocating there.

Before launching his own brands, he was also widely known as the head baker at the legendary Tartine Bakery in San Francisco.

Hart is known for his intuitive approach to bread making, his pursuit of the perfect sourdough loaf. He won a James Beard Foundation Award in 2025 for his cookbook Richard Hart Bread: Intuitive Sourdough Baking.

I was so happy when they came back today again. I felt I know him by now. I told him I learned about him and it’s all very impressive! He gave us compliments about Motek which my only regret was that David wasn’t in to hear them (he is still doing our taxes…). We talked for a bit saying how much we love people who are bakers and I told him about my favorite beach here…

Thank you David for insisting I leave my dough for few minutes and get out of the kitchen to meet the world…

Mahalo – David and Yael

P.S. A JOKE – WARNING – Click on this link at your own peril (but it’s funny…): https://www.oldjewstellingjokes.com/2018/12/12/richard-levine-bubbie-has-a-baby-445/

Here’s a sweet thing. It all started with Margret. Margret is a regular at Motek. She came in one day with what looked like a canvas bag that she wanted to show me. This was no ordinary bag – the material was impregnated with beeswax and it was meant for bread such as ours. She swore by it – it kept her bread fresh far longer than without the bag. Well, that’s all we needed to hear. The next day another one of our regulars came in – Amanda the seamstress. We know Amanda from the early days when we had a stall at the Pukalani Stables Farmers Market in Waimea where Amanda has a stall to this day. So I show Amanda the bread bag (online version) that Margret showed me and asked if she could make them for us. Amanda, being Amanda, jumped right in. She then connected with Kaisa, aka “Honey Girl”. Kaisa and her partner Jerimiah are beekeepers (apiarists to be more precise) here in Kapaau. As it turns out, Honey Girl was already selling swaths of cloth impregnated with beeswax which is used to keep food fresh. So now Malama-Ki Honey Bees is going to work with Stitch-In-Time Amanda to produce special bags for Motek (with our logo of course) that will keep you bread fresher, longer. This is all just a promo as they are still figuring it out – but it will happen. In the meantime, we have begun stocking some of Malama-Ki Honey Bees honey which is absolutely amazing as far as honey goes. They have 2 varieties – one produced from hives placed along the rim of the Pololu Valley, producing a dark, syrupy honey and the other from hives place in Puako producing a thicker, golden honey. We are thrilled to be selling their honey and very excited about this hyper-local venture to produce bread bags to keep you bread – locally and freshly baked at Motek – fresher, longer. Also, tomorrow (Saturday) we will be baking a special sourdough loaf with oatmeal and honey.

Mahalo – David and Yael

P.S. – A Joke: WARNING – CLICK ON THIS LINK AT YOUR OWN PERIL (you might laugh): https://www.oldjewstellingjokes.com/2018/11/13/neil-elliot-a-divorce-360/

This week we felt a nice earthquake as it rolled across the island. For many, the surprising thing was not only the magnitude, but also the duration. I have a personal connection to earthquakes and not only because I grew up in Los Angeles. Before Motek Bakery took over my life I was the head of business development for a start-up company that developed a method of providing early warning for earthquakes. Without getting too much into the weeds of earthquake early warning, there are two waves emitted by an earthquake. The first wave (the S-wave) travels very fast and arrives ahead of the damaging second or P-Wave. Using a lot of pure physics and some AI, the company had developed a technology that could very quickly analyze the data provided by the S-Wave in order to know when, where and how strong the P-Wave would be. On a good day we are talking about advance warning of maybe 15 – 30 seconds. Still, you would be surprised what you can do in 15 seconds: stop elevators, slow down trains, close tunnels, etc.. I tried to interest the authorities here in Hawaii but, as you can imagine, I didn’t get very far.

.Thank you – David and Yael

P.S. – A Joke: WARNING -CLICK ON THIS LINK AT YOUR OWN PERIL - https://www.oldjewstellingjokes.com/2018/11/13/richard-klinger-the-schmaltz-technique-358/

FYI “schmaltz” is chicken fat that is skimmed from the broth of a boiled chicken and used in Jewish cooking.

On another note, a huge Mahalo for all of the very kind and comforting condolences. Losing a mother is not easy and the outpouring of love and support from this amazing community has meant a great deal to us and has been quite humbling in the best way possible.

Thank you – David and Yael

P.S. – A Joke: WARNIG -CLICK ON THIS LINKAT YOUR OWN PERIL - https://www.oldjewstellingjokes.com/2018/11/28/jack-brandman-talking-dog-for-sale-555/

We will be following (in our way) the ancient Jewish custom of sitting shiva. This is when the family of the deceased spends seven (shiva) days sitting on low stools, mourning the deceased. We will sit on chairs and include the weekend (the Sabbath is not usually counted as part of the seven days). Old photo albums are brought out, friends come by and offer comfort and you say an ancient Aramaic prayer daily (Aramaic was the language spoken by the Jews while exiled in Babylon). In this way we will help each other deal with our grief – in particular my father who for the last 68 years had enjoyed the love and companionship of my mother. She was a beautiful woman and a kind and compassionate soul. We will sorely miss her.

Mahalo – David and Yael

Aloha Bread Lovers – Mother’s Day is a great day for Bagels and Lox. We will also be selling a limited number of bagels separately. We will be open as always, 9-2 and will also have our amazing Uke Jammers to make great music that will put a smile on your face.

This week Yael is the author with this beautiful post that she just posted to Instagram and Facebook:

We just started serving “My Mother’s Apple Cake” at Motek—a flavor from my childhood that I used to absolutely love when my mom made it. Looking back, I don’t know why it took me so long to finally bring it to life here in the bakery.

Talking about my mom brings me back to my Sir HaPele -Hebrew for “Wonder Pot”. It is in the photos here. This specific pot, made by Palalum likely between the 50s and 70s, was the original “baking hack” in Tel Aviv. Before home ovens were common, this aluminum legend sat right on the stovetop. Its hollow center creates a convection effect that makes cakes rise higher and fluffier than almost anything else. This one used to belong to my mother, and even though she didn’t use it for many years , she already had the electrical oven, she always kept it.

My mother has been gone for many years now, but she left me with the two greatest loves of my life: the love of baking and the love of reading and maybe also a deep love for chocolate, too! Some of my most cherished memories with her as kid are standing beside her, watching and mixing the chocolate and butter while they melt together for brownies and waiting for that magic moment when I finally got to lick the bowl.

She taught me that baking isn’t just about ingredients; it’s about the magic in the moments we share.

When I left home for university, my mother gave me this pot. It first came with me to the dorms, then to every apartment I ever lived in. Even when I finally had a real oven, I kept it close “just in case.” I wanted to know that no matter what, we’d always be able to bake a cake.

When we moved to Hawaii, it was only obvious that the pot would come with us. And believe it or not—with all the electrical outages we experience here on the Big Island—we’ve actually had to use it!

Now days we use it at the bakery when ever we need a pot with a hole in the middle. In the photo you can see the Flan in it…

I put here some photos of my mother from way back.

I guess it is a post about Mother’s Day…

Come try a slice of my mother’s apple cake this week and share in a bit of that magic with us.

Mahalo – David and Yael

P.S. A Joke – WARNING- CLICK ON LINK AT YOUR OWN RISK: https://www.oldjewstellingjokes.com/2018/11/13/steve-shecky-platt-traffic-stop-351/

In other news, we had the pleasure of having some friends over for dinner the other night. They noticed that we have a collection of various pot shards on our window sill that we brought with us when we moved here from Israel. They asked about them and I told them that I found them on the beach. I used to have a 20 ft. catamaran that I kept at a sailing club that was at a beach next to the ruins of the ancient Roman seaport of Caesaria, about 40 miles north of Tel Aviv. Back in the day, Caesaria was a major port whose ruins remain remarkably intact, made with cement that was mixed with volcanic ash that the Romans brought in from Mt. Vesuvius in Italy. In fact the ancient Roman amphitheater now serves as a concert venue. I guess that even way back when, various clay vessels fell into the ocean at the port. Every so often, just walking along the beach where I would launch my catamaran you would see an ancient amphora handle or shard poking up in the sand, which I of course collected. This then led us to a discussion about the Roman conquest of Judea. In 135CE the Roman emperor Hadrian renamed Judea in order to punish the Jews following their revolt led by Bar Kochba. His goal was to sever the link between Jews and their land. The name that he chose was that of the main adversary of the Jews at that time, the Philistines (remember Goliath?) who lived mainly along the coast of what is today Gaza and Southern Israel. In addition to renaming Judea, he also renamed Jerusalem, calling it Aelia Capitolina. After putting down the revolt, he sold most of the Jews into slavery, apparently glutting the market in Egypt at the time; he forbid the remaining Jews from entering his new capital, Aelia Capitolina and forbid Jewish practice such as circumcision. And there you have it…. all of this from a pot shard.

Mahalo – David and Yael

P.S. – A Joke: WARNING – CLICK ON THIS LINK AT YOUR OWN RISK (rated “G”): https://www.oldjewstellingjokes.com/2018/10/25/suzanne-shepherd-my-aunt-malka-225/

Some of you have been asking about my parents Ed and Gail (96 and 88 yrs. old) and their transition to life on the Big Island. Ed has been doing surprisingly well and has demonstrated that he can be responsible with a walker and in spite of some minor falls (or as he says “not a fall, I merely slid to the floor, nothing serious..no big deal”). Gail on the other hand has seen better days. Coming from LA to Hawaii has not been so smooth. One of the key sticking points that I did not account for was her hair. In LA she had her hair salon but since moving here a year and a half ago she has not had a haircut. There is very nice woman at the Regency Hualalai who cuts hair for the residents, however after looking around the dining room my mother decided that it won’t work for her. This week she finally broke down and asked her caregiver – who used to be a hair stylist – to take a couple inches off the back. According to my father he heard a yell and then my mother loudly repeating “UNBELIEVABLE! UNBELIEVEABLE!!” as apparently the well-intentioned caregiver took a little too much off from the wrong place and was stopped midway into the coiffure. That night the caregiver called to inform me that she is done working for my parents. Meanwhile, my mother looks a bit lopsided with half of a haircut while my father keeps reassuring her that it will grow back. I of course suggested that she reconsider having the nice woman at the Regency even her out.

Mahalo – David and Yael

P.S. – A Joke: WARNING – CLICK ON THIS LINK AT YOUR OWN RISK (this one’s pretty good – nothing too offensive) https://www.oldjewstellingjokes.com/2018/11/28/ian-abrams-what-should-i-wear-547/

This week has been bursting with topics to write about, starting with the developments in the Middle East however in an effort to steer clear of politically charged issues, I have decided to revert to my previous habit of copying and pasting the recent Harper’s Index. For those who don’t know, the Harpers Index is a monthly, extremely random collection of statistics that is published in Harper’s Review. Below are some of the choice ones from the most recent edition. I especially like the stat about believing in Bigfoot and Aliens and about the freshmen trying to get into my alma mater UC San Diego. Enjoy!

Mahalo – David and Yael

Harper’s Index

• Average amount that a U.S. worker has saved for retirement: $955

• Percentage of Americans aged 30 to 47 who have spent some of their retirement savings in the past six months: 57

• Estimated number of Americans who worked two full-time jobs in January 2015: 172,000 In January 2026: 476,000

• Portion of U.S. employees who would recommend working for their current employer: 1/4

• Portion of Republicans under the age of 50 who describe themselves as anti-Semitic: 1/4 As racist: 3/10

• Percentage by which Republicans are more likely than Democrats to believe that Bigfoot exists: 19 By which Democrats are more likely than Republicans to believe that aliens exist: 33

• Percentage by which Democrats are more likely to believe that contact with aliens would be good for civilization: 46

• Chance that an American believed that the government was concealing information about the moon landings in 2016: 1 in 4 Last year: 1 in 3

• Percentage of American males aged 16 to 24 who are neither employed, in school, nor in job training: 12 Average number of hours per day that such a male spends sleeping: 10 Of waking hours per day that he spends alone: 8

• Portion of incoming UC San Diego freshmen taking a placement exam last year who failed to solve for x in “7 + 2 = x + 6”: 1/4 Who failed to round 374,518 to the nearest hundred: 3/5

• Percentage of Americans with postgraduate degrees who report using AI “almost constantly”:46

• Of those with a high school education or less who do: 20

• Percentage of U.S. corporate executives who say that AI saves them at least twelve hours of work per week: 19 Of U.S. nonmanagement employees who say so: 2

• Portion of American mothers who say that children should start using AI “as early as possible”: 3/10

• Percentage of Americans who say that, as children, they knew a compassionate, nonjudgmental adult: 35 Percentage of these Americans who say that their mother was such a person: 50 That their father was: 5

• Portion of Americans who strongly believed in 2018 that society is “better off if more people are married”: 1/5 Who strongly believed this last year: 1/10

• Percentage of American men who say that it is acceptable for women to be topless at a public beach: 38 Of American women who say so: 17

P.S. – A Joke: WARNING – CLICK ON THIS LINK AT YOUR OWN RISK (language and sexual content): https://www.oldjewstellingjokes.com/2018/10/31/jay-orlikoff-grandma-and-billy-246/

Yael and I have been enjoying playing around with our new pasta machine which is in itself a marvel of Italian engineering. This week we put a Bucatini die on the extruder to make some killer fresh pasta. Bucatini is a narrow, hollow tube pasta about 10 inches long. It is said to have originated in Sicily sometime in the Middle Ages. Its name comes from Buca which is hole in Italian referring to the hollow center. This allows the pasta to absorb sauces. Bucatini is traditionally served with Amitriciana sauce, whose origins are not surprisingly in Amitrice. This is a sauce made with guanciale (pork cheeks), pecorino cheese, San Marzano tomatoes (a variety of plum tomatoes),black pepper, peperocino (Italian chili pepper) dry white wine, salt and some olive oil. Celebrity chef Carlo Cracco had the audacity to suggest that you could sauté an unpeeled clove of garlic in the sauce and then remove it before serving. This drew a quick rebuke from the former mayor of Amitrice who categorically rejected this idea…stay in your lane Carlo and don’t mess with the sauce. We sell our pasta in 10oz. bags for $10 (sort of like the dime bags of contraband that we used to buy back in the day…).

Mahalo – David and Yael

P.S. – A Joke WARNING – CLICK ON LINK AT YOUR OWN RISK https://www.oldjewstellingjokes.com/2018/12/13/ronnie-haber-the-desert-island-451/

SUNDAY APRIL 5^TH AT 7:00PM AT MOTEK

54-3854 AKONI PULE HWY., KAPAAU

OPEN TO ALL

PLEASE JOIN US THIS SUNDAY, APRIL 5^TH FOR A TALK STORY WITH C.J. – A CETACEA RESEARCHER BASED ON THE BIG ISLAND WHO WILL SHARE HER INSIGHTS AND EXPERIENCES FROM 15 YEARS OF GETTING IN THE WATER WITH HAWAII’S MOST FAMOUS AND AWE-INSPIRING PART-TIME RESIDENTS.

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This is a big week for everyone as today marks Good Friday. Being Jewish, I am pretty unfamiliar with the traditions around this holiday. For example, why is it called “Good Friday” if in fact Jesus was crucified? What’s so good about that? A little research taught me that “Good” in old English is actually another term form “Holy” such as the Good Book. Another explanation is that it was Good because of the good news of salvation. Then there is the Last Supper which was essentially a Passover Seder. Having experienced by now many Passover Seders, I have to say that it sad to think that Jesus’s last meal may have included gefilte fish, dry matzah, some bitter herbs and possibly a tough piece of brisket.

The Church of the Holy Sepulcher in Jerusalem is where Jesus was resurrected. It is a site claimed by 6 branches of Christianity. On the ledge above the entrance to the Holy Sepulcher there is a wooden ladder that has been there for more than 250 years. Way back in the 1700’s someone put out that ladder to access the roof. Any unilateral action by any one branch of those who claim ownership of the Holy Sepulcher insinuates a higher status of ownership relative to the other branches and therefore only a unanimous decision can make any changes…..and so it still stands there to this day.

But that’s not all. If a ladder has remained in place in order preserve a delicate balance between the different branches of Christianity, who gets to hold the keys to the Holy Sepulcher? The answer might surprise you – there are two Palestinian Muslim families who hold the keys – a representative of the Joudeh (Al-Husseini) family holds the 12-inch physical key and has been doing so for centuries. A representative of the Nuseibeh family is responsible for getting the key from the Joudeh family every morning and every night in order to unlock and lock the Holy Sepulcher each morning and every night

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It is said that this arrangement dates back to the time of Salah Al-Din after he took Jerusalem from the Crusaders. In any case, it is an often overlooked example of interfaith cooperation that has weathered centuries of wars, plagues, changes of rulers, etc.

Mahalo and Happy Easter

David and Yael

P.S. – A Joke: WARNING CLICK ON THIS LINK AT YOUR OWN PERIL https://www.oldjewstellingjokes.com/2022/01/12/sherwin-kepes-neil-armstrong-599-38/