Grandma's army

AGEISM AND CORONA The corona virus has taken over our lives. We still have freedom of choice – every person within his/her circumscribed small world. However, no matter how smart we are, there’s something we have to cope with that’s bigger than ourselves.   We are forced into taking life slower, which isn’t a bad thing. It gives one more time to think and see what’s really important. Another   consequence of corona is that older people are suddenly being taking into account. In Israel, a lot of thought and resources have been allocated in order to protect older people. Until now, youth has been much more admired and   visible in the public sphere than us “oldies.” According to the head of the Gerontology   department at the university of Haifa’s Health and Welfare centre, since corona, many senior citizens feel that they are being stereotyped. As if every elderly person is especially vulnerable and in imminent danger of becoming infected with corona. Th...

FOOD FOR THE SOUL The Festival of Pesach (Passover), which we celebrate in three days time, is highly symbolized by food. Throughout the eight days of the Festival, matzah (unleavened bread) is eaten instead of ordinary bread, to recall the hurried baking of matzah during the Exodus itself. On the last night in Egypt each Jewish household ritually slaughtered a lamb and then ate it at a family gathering. This banquet – reverent in purpose and joyful in practice – has been perpetuated through the ages in the Pesach `Seder` ceremony, celebrated on Pesach eve. To set the Seder Table for the ceremonies, the following will be arranged on a special Seder plate: Bitter herbs - in memory of the `bitterness` of slavery in Egypt; a sweet paste made of apples, and nuts mixed with a little wine – to soften the bitterness and simulate the `mortar` used by our ancestors in building for the Egyptians; a bone with a little meat roasted - in memory of the ancient Temple sacrifice; a baked egg -...

“WE ARE WHAT WE EAT” Food production is arguably the most important industry in the world – the entire population relies on it. For the best part of human history most of human labour was devoted to it. Today, it feeds over seven billion people and two billion people work in the food industry. Our physical and mental well-being is directly linked to what we eat and drink. The nutritional content of what we eat determines the composition of our cell membranes, bone marrow, blood, hormones, tissue, organs, skin, and hair. Our bodies are replacing billions of cells every day — and using the foods we consume as the source. Israel is known for its first wave of agricultural innovation – the invention of drip irrigation to counteract the country’s arid climate and water shortage. This was followed by the development of cherry tomatoes and other examples of agricultural technology. Today, we see a second wave of innovation – the transition from food security to nutritional ...