End of Year Syndrom

It is the end of the school year here. Two more weeks of school followed by three weeks of exams and we’ll be on holiday. Even though the end is near, it is a trying period.
The objects around me tell me the year is nearly over:
- My bag is broken (see previous post).
- My [...]

My Bag (a More Trivial Post)

This is what happened (spot the broken handle).

This is what I’d like instead.
But I might settle for something less glamourous like this, in any case I want something light and convenient.

The French High School System

As the project on the Holocaust which I mentioned in another post was accepted on Tuesday, the next step is now to prepare for next year.
Before I go on and blog about what I plan to do, I’ll try to explain a bit more about the French education system so that the rest makes sense.
I [...]

Cauliflower and Green Pea Curry

I tested this dish during my stay in Hong Kong in October but I think that the original recipe comes from an Australian cookbook.
Cauliflower and Green Pea Curry (dairy) (serves 4 people)
600g cauliflower florets
1 medium onion chopped finely
2 cloves garlic crushed
2 cm fresh ginger (10g), grated
2tbsp hot curry paste
¾ cup (180ml) cream
2 large tomatoes (440g) [...]

Teaching about the Shoah: Project

A colleague, who teaches history and geography, asked me yesterday if I was willing to work on a Holocaust project with her.
We would share the same class (a group of 30 or so juniors). She’d teach them history and I English. In addition, once a week, and for half the school year, we’d be together [...]

Kosher Cooking Festival

This month’s Kosher Cooking Festival is at Batya’s. You’ll find it here.

Megillat Ruth

The Hebrew Bible or Tanakh falls into three parts: Torah, Neviim (Prophets) and Ketuvim (writings) hence the acronym TaNaKh. The Book of Ruth belongs to the third part. The Book of Ruth is part of Ketuvim; it is also one of the five Megillot, the five scrolls, a subcategory of Ketuvim.
Each scroll is associated with [...]

Mother’s Day in France

It’s Mother’s Day in France today. Yes, we do have Mother’s Day too. It has in fact been an official day in the regular calendar since 1941, that is to say since Pétain instituted it. Eventhough he is considered a traitor and is part of a past France is not too proud of, the relevance [...]

Getting Ready for Shavuot?

Ask anyone what the most important Jewish Holy Day is and you’ll probably get two different answers: Yom Kippur and Pesach.
Lots of people will actually mention Yom Kippur because of the many Jews for whom it is the only day they re-connect with their Jewish roots. In France we have a term for them, Kippur [...]

Any Ideas?

One of my closest friends wil be 37 next week and, as I’ll be staying with them for Shabbat next weekend, I’ll be there to celebrate her birthday.
Joëlle lives in Paris, teaches Classics and French, is married and the proud mother of two great girls. We met two years ago during a six-day seminar on [...]