This is one of my favorite times of the year. The skies are blue and rainy days are becoming fewer and fewer. Yellow blossoms blanket fields all over the country and my sweaters are making plans for their summer hibernation. Can you hibernate during the summer?
One of the things I love most though are all the preparations for the holiday of Passover. And part of these preparations include finding gifts for your Seder host. And that means the artists are out, selling their paintings, ceramics, jewelery and other kinds of goodies.
There are lots of places to find these gifts for your host. One of my favorites is the weekly crafts fair at Nachalat Binyamin in Tel Aviv. But something I’ve discovered in the past few years is called ‘Open Houses’. These are not open houses in the sense of an available place to live. It’s actually when houses around a given community (maybe a moshav or a small city), open for a weekend so that artists can sell their goods to eager locals.
Last weekend, I had the pleasure of visiting the open houses in Tel Mond, a moshava just east of Netanya. I began my day in a nearby kibbutz, enjoying a fresh breakfast from ‘Hanan ha’Gaban’ (Hanan the cheese maker). We sat at a picnic table under the shade of the trees, surrounded by flowers and the sounds of the moshav (mostly chickens), enjoying a platter of fresh cheeses and vegetables. Every day should begin this way!
We looked through the map and plotted our day, driving around Tel Mond and popping in and out of houses. It was hard not to buy everything but we were good and I walked away from the day with gifts for my family. Birthday shopping done early!
Click here for more information of the open houses in Tel Mond. This year is over but there’s always next year. So save the date!