These are sabras (prickly pears) that grow in Israel. People born in Israel are called sabras because they are prickly on the outside but sweet on the inside.I took this picture in Jerusalem today. I went on a walking tour of the Har Hazeitim (Mt. of Olives) cemetery where I have an ancestor buried. It was a beautiful day. I hope to be posting more about that trip soon.
For now, it seems appropriate to post this in honor of Ruby Tuesday which I learned about from Ilana-Davita and Here in HP.
Thanks ladies!
24 comments:
'Prickly' sounds like many Americans as well! The fruit in this picture is subtle when compared to all the green around the pears. However, any thing red often tastes far better and sweeter than green. In my opinion, anyway!
I found this timely essay on a different site - I think it is a must-read:
I just watched a video of a Grad missile slamming into a beautiful residential area in Ashkelon.
People, WAKE UP!
Watch the VIDEO
Do you realize how nuts this is? Can you imagine sitting in your house, wanting nothing more than to eat a piece of cake, or vacuum the floor, or read the newspaper, and suddenly BOOM! There are people, haters, terrorists, shooting things at you that can knock your house down, smash the piece of cake, destroy the vacuum cleaner, shatter the TV screen, end your life??!!!
And can you imagine how the U.S. would react if the backyard you see in the video would be a backyard in Austin Texas, or in Scarsdale, New York??!!!
Would there be talk in the U.S. of restraint or would the B-52 bombers be in the air within 5 minutes? Would the U.S. Air Force worry about collateral damage, or would there be civilian blood in the streets of whatever country it was from whence the perpetrators hailed?
And would anyone in the international community have the nerve to say to the U.S. "Well, nobody in Austin or Scarsdale died, it was just some buildings that got hit, why are you overreacting like this?"
Or would the whole world understand that you do not mess with a sovereign country with such might unless you want to suffer the consequences. And that the only way to make sure that no one messes is by making sure that offenders suffer the consequences.
Don't you see what Israel has done? Agreeing to some bizarre set of rules under which she must suffer the blood of her sons and daughters before being allowed to do the natural thing, the right thing?
Watch the video again - From ancient times until today, is there a nation in the world possessing Israel's capabilities for massive retaliation that would allow that incident to go unpunished? Let alone to allow that incident to be repeated again and again day after day and have it go unpunished?
Watch the video again - For what does Israel have an army, an airforce, a navy? For what does she possess tanks, warplanes, submarines? For what does she demand of every young citizen that he or she give up days and weeks and months and years of his or her life serving in the armed forces?
Watch the video again - Think of the resistance fighters in the Warsaw ghetto, fighting with their bare knuckles against Nazi guns, fighting with little home-made bottle bombs against German tanks. Think of the last few resistance fighters in the Warsaw ghetto, huddled in the stinking Polish sewers, thinking "If only we had a few automatic rifles, a couple of tanks - we would show the world that Jewish blood is not cheap".
Watch the video again - Imagine the last of the resistance fighters charging out of the sewers to attack, in a last suicidal attempt to inflict a broken bone, a cut, a bruise, willing to exchange his life for that little bit of vengeance or justice. Think of the smile on his dying lips as he imagined a time when Jews would have big guns, and tanks, and airplanes. "Aahh", he thinks to himself, "That day will come. And then the world will know that Jews will not be stepped upon."
Watch the video again - and shed a tear - for the resistance fighter, for every Jew, for what Israel has become.
Because it does not seem like there is anything else to do. But to watch. And to weep.
Wow, another Ruby Tuesday player! I'm doing My World this week. Yet another meme. I love "meeting" people from around the world.
That's really neat, that you have someone buried at Har HaZeitim. Nice sabras!
Is that a cactus specie?
My Ruby Tuesday posts are here and here. Happy Tuesday!
Very nice shot!
I know a lot of prickly outside, sweet inside people :)
nice photo
I love learning something new. I never knew the origin of Sabra.... and I never saw a prickly pear before either.
I could never figure out how to peel those, without getting m hands loaded with thorns....
Ralph - 'prickly' probably sounds like a lot of people in a lot of countries. The fruit is very sweet and juicy, quite refreshing when it is served cold. It's really difficult to pick them. Nowadays they have been tamed and grown commercially without the spikes and are sold in supermarkets.
Justiceandpeace - all that from one little photo? I agree but this was just meant to be a photo.
Leora - It's because of you and Ilana-Davita that I got into this. It's fun, when I have time.
Thank you ALL for coming around and looking!
I'm glad you're enjoying this. Nice photo. Thanks for the link.
I love learning new things and these prickly pears are new to me. Happy Ruby Tuesday!
Welcome to Ruby Tuesday Risa, love your photo, it's always interesting to see something different and although I had seen and heard of prickly pear before I've never seen them fruiting. Great idea and thanks for sharing :-)
Dear Risa,
I am just an ignorant from Norway, and did not know the origin of the word Sabra.
Or I have forgotten.
Your Ruby flowers were good way to be remembered.
In the sixties I cried myself through all Leon Uris' books.
At least that way I don't forget what Israel is all about.
I fear time, our common feeling of guilt and media's tendentious covering of the news make people forget how and where it all started.
In Norway the rocket attack was not even mentioned in the news. Only when Israel stopped supplies, the TV cameras were there.
Information and more information must be the answer, I'm afraid.
From Felisol
I didn't know that..My 84 year old mother-in-law made her first trip to Israel last year. It was a long time in coming from her escape from Nazi Germany and her coming to American at 13 and only her siblings escaping. It was a very, very emotional trip for her. It makes me teary to think of it...
New Rambling Woods Site
The house across the street from me has these growing outside the front door. I was never really sure what they were.
I used to know a woman named Sabra... but not well enough to know if she was prickly on the outside. She never seemed so to me, but then... I never got close enough to get stuck!
Prickly pears : I learned something new.
They taste great, but your photo looks even better!
Ruby Tuesday is fun, looking forward to see you there more often!
Nice post! I have never eaten a prickly pear but have always wanted to. Happy Ruby Tuesday!
I've never seen these before. Looks interesting for sure :)
Risa great post. I think though that you missed a nasty comment. Didn't get caught by the thorns.
Interesting Ruby Tuesday post Risa.
I learned about sabras. I had never heard of them before.
Yes, I also have known people who can be prickly on the outside but sweet on the inside.
I see my husband was your first commenter. ;-)
thanks for visiting me
Goodbye Ruby Tuesday (it had to be said)
KT
amerbro
Somehow I missed this last week and found my way here via JPix instead. Personally I'm not crazy about the taste of sabras (the fruit), but the nickname for the people certainly fits ;-).
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