by Reb Akiva @ Mystical Paths

I’m one of those kind of people that usually goes around with a camera handy.  This way if a site or scene strikes me as photo worthy, I’m ready with a reasonable ability to capture it.

For the past few weeks I’ve been home sick and only getting out for doctor visits and similar events, so when I’ve caught a sight all I’ve had available has been my cell phone.  I’ve been pleasantly surprised at the quality – though it’s still no comparison to a decent pocket camera.

Winter Moonrise and Sunset in Beitar Illit and Little Boy – West Bank (Yehuda), Israel

This one came out a bit blurry due to the fading light versus a cell phone lens size, but the bright color contrasts are cool.

Supermarket with Chassidic Shopper – Beitar Illit, West Bank (Yehuda), Israel

Between Lod and Tel Aviv and next to Ben Gurion Airport is Kfar Chabad (Chabad Village).  It’s a farming and chassidic enclave between two cities. 

Neighborhood Field Greens Up with Donkey – Kfar Chabad, Central Israel

This one’s a bit blurry and requires some explanation.  Beitar Illit is an ultra-orthodox town in the West Bank – Yehuda section of Israel.  We can assume normally the women of the family do the grocery shopping while the men are working or learning Torah, and this grocery store is a bit narrow and crowded.  So they’ve instituted a “Men’s Only Check out Line” to prevent men who need to shop from getting squeezed into a crowd of women.

Protect The Men at the Grocery Store – Rami Levi Supermarket Checkout Line, Beitar Illit, West Bank (Yehuda), Israel

The sign says, “Checkout 1 – Men Only, Please Observe This (Community) Regulation”.  Note the chassidic man (black hat, beard) in the line has his wife standing next to him, so much for that.