Negative Income Tax Update

Update: the deadline for applying for Negative income tax (for the 2012 tax year) has been extended again!
The new deadline is Dec 27, 2013.
If you haven't yet applied for it and think you qualify, please take a few moments to get this taken care of!
I'm reposting my original post about this below, so you can find all the  information you need!

Tuesday, August 20, 2013

Negative Income Tax (Israel)

--- Retrieved from http://www.kosherfrugal.com/2013/08/negative-income-tax-israel.html ---

--- Retrieved from http://www.kosherfrugal.com/2013/08/negative-income-tax-israel.html ---

Just a friendly reminder about the negative income tax for 2012. This is basically a tax refund for working families. There are various qualifications to meet - basically someone who works and is age 23+ with children under the age of 18, or age 55+, even without children. The deadline to file based upon your 2012 earnings is September 30, 2013.

--- Retrieved from http://www.kosherfrugal.com/2013/08/negative-income-tax-israel.html ---
It's easy. Just go into the post office (not all post offices do all tasks, please verify which branch to use), with your Teudat Zehut and your bank account information (take a check, everything they need is on there, or get a letter from your bank, the banker will have a form to fill out and stamp if you don't have a check. Just knowing your account # and branch # isn't enough, it needs to be "official".). Let the clerk know that you want to apply for "mas shleelee". Answer a few questions, and then go home. Your approval may take a few weeks, and you'll be given instructions for checking the status online.
This program is open to people who earned, on average, no less than 2041 shekels per month and no more than 6645 shekels per month (the exact amount that will qualify you depends upon various factors). Even if some months you earned more, if you were unemployed or under-employed for part of the time, you may qualify. In some cases, people who are (legally) self-employed qualify as well... If you were employed by a relative, you are not allowed to claim this benefit.

If you have questions about this program, please call the tax authority at *4954.
Check it out and see if you qualify! Some people will get a nice big "refund" and others will just get a token amount. Still many others will not qualify, because they are decently employed.

B'hatzlacha. 

UPDATE: The deadline for the 2012 tax year has been extended to November 30, 2013!

--- Retrieved from http://www.kosherfrugal.com/2013/08/negative-income-tax-israel.html ---

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Sukkot Menu

I'm sick. My airways have closed up in response to a regular ol' cold I caught from my daughter. She had this cold - fever, stuffy nose, sore throat for a few days last week (started Thursday) but she was all better by Sunday. 

On Tuesday it hit me. I woke up at 3 a.m. with fever and a sore throat. I was hoping that it wouldn't progress, but it has set off my asthma... so I'm trying to rest up, take lots of asthma meds and stay optimistic.

a corner of our sukkah. (a problematic corner)

 

So this chag menu will be more of the same. EASY foods.

Here goes:

Whole Wheat Honey Challot (from the freezer)
Super Garlicky (forgive me, please, kids!) vegetable soup for healing
Oven fried chicken
Corn on the Cob (got our hands on some super sweet organic corn and I haven't found a ton of bugs)
Apple crisp (my girls will make that)
Roasted Summer Squash
Roasted Red Peppers
Lentils with sauteed onions
Brown Rice
Salad with honey-cinnamon oranges (the oranges we were able to get are still quite tart) for some extra vitamin C
Dessert: grapes, and a chocolate chip cake from the freezer
Snacks: popcorn, watermelon and these honey cinnamon roasted chickpeas I've been wanting to try...

Chag Sameyach to all of you!
What are making for chag?

Science Night - Free events!

 

This year's Science Night is Thursday, Sept 12, 2013, and there will be free events all over the country! These events are designed to make science fun for all, so it's sure to be a night of somewhat geeky fun. PERFECT.

So here's the info you need:

Events will take place at 14 different locations around the country, and all are free.




MadaTech in Haifa will have special programs from 5pm - 10pm

The Technion will have programs for age 9 + (advance registration required)from 4pm - 10pm

Haifa University will have programs from 5pm - 10pm for ages 4+ (advance registration required for some programs

Migal (in Kiryat Shmona) will have free events from 5pm - 9pm

Tel Aviv University will have events from 4pm - 11pm. Advance registration is required.

The Hebrew University in Jerusalem will have events from 5pm - midnight. They will also run programs in Maaleh Adumim at 5:30 pm

The Bloomfield Science Museum in Jerusalem will have events from 4pm- midnight

The Open University will have events at the Raanana campus, from 4pm - midnight. Advance registration is required

The Weizmann Institute will have events from 5pm - 10pm

Ben Gurion University will have events from 5pm - 11pm. Advance registration is required for some events.

Bar Ilan University will have events from 5pm - 9pm

SCE will have events in Be'er Sheva and Ashdod from 4pm - 9pm

The Israel Oceanographic and Limnological Research Institute (Eilat) will have events from 5:30pm - 10pm

Moona (in Sakhnin) will have events from 5pm - 9pm

Hope you can find your way to one of these events!
Let me know if you went, I'd love to hear about it!


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More Printable Coupons (Israel)

Tnuva regularly makes coupons available to the public both via their Facebook page and their website.

Right now, they have coupons for Emek cheese (good thru the end of the year), Chocolate milk (good thru the end of August), Yoplait yogurts (good thru the end of August), "Karlo" chocolate pudding (good thru the end of August), Pireus goat's milk yogurt (good thru the end of July), "Shtuzim" children's yogurt products (good thru the end of the year).

So print 'em out before you buy these products!
  

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Food Recall (Israel)

This time it's not smoked salmon!

Mif'alei Irina is recalling their Meat Blintzes and Stuffed Cabbage, both of which are being recalled for food safety reasons (unspecified unusual microorganisms).

The affected products are those which had production dates through 25/06/2013.

Consumers who have purchased these products are asked to return them to the store where purchased.

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Free museums around the country today!

I did not find out about this early enough to actually translate the list of free museums today. I really don't know how I missed out on this, but I did.

So next time, if any of you catch wind of something like this, I would appreciate it if you could send me a quick note, and then I'll happily translate the list!

So this time, please check out the Hebrew list.


Since a lot of my readers are in the Jerusalem area, here is a quick synopsis of the free museums there:


Jerusalem

The Underground Prisoners' Museum in Jerusalem, 02-6233167  www.mod.gov.il

The Bible Lands Museum, 02-5611066     www.blmj.org 

Agnon House Museum, 02-6716498   www.agnonhouse.org.il

The Nature Museum,  02-5631116  http://www.muzteva.org

The Wolfson Museum of Jewish Art (Heichal Shlomo), 02-5889010  www.hechalshlomo.org.il

The Bloomfield Science Museum, 02-6544888  http://www.mada.org.il

The Herzl Museum, 02-6321515  www.herzl.org.il

The Old Yishuv Court Museum, 02-6276319  http://oymuseum.datinet.co.il

Yad VaShem, 02-6443266  http://www.yadvashem.org/hp_he.htm

The Nachon Museum of Italian Jewry,  02-6241610  http://m-italy.datinet.co.il

The Israel Museum, 02-6708811   www.imj.org.il

The Islamic Art Museum, 02-5661291/2  www.islamicart.co.il

The Tower of David Museum, 02-6265333  www.towerofdavid.org.il


Enjoy some free culture today!

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Recall - Mislabeled Product (Israel)

 

Tempo and the Ministry of Health announced a recall of 1.5 liter bottles of Jump Diet Grapefruit flavor soft drink, with production code L3107, and expiration date of 17.8.2013.

The product contains aspartame, but the label does not mention aspartame.

The incorrectly labeled bottles are being recalled from store shelves.

Consumers who have purchased this product are asked to call Tempo's customer service hotline at 1-800-300-370 to arrange for a replacement.

Olive Oil Scandal

Last night, Kolbotech on Channel 10 was finally able to air their olive oil investigation. Apparently, the segment had been blocked by the courts, but the ban was lifted yesterday.

And they have caused an uproar. We all know that olive oil has made it into the news nearly as much as honey - fake olive oil abounds, the world over.

Kolbotech revealed that not only are we being sold fake olive oil here in Israel, but we are being sold olive oil that contains toxic substances. Yes, some of those pricey, fancy olive oils claiming to be pure are low quality oils, unfit for human consumption. Quality testing for the show was done in Spain.

The show focused on two importers: איבו and חוסן, who were found to be selling olive oil that is unfit for human consumption as premium olive oil. Among the brands that are rebottling EVO oils are "Gaya" and "Adama". The problematic oils include some that are sold as Extra Virgin Olive Oil, as well as Cooking oil. 


There is a way to avoid the fake and unsafe oils: Purchase the brands that they tested that appear to meet quality standards - Zeita, Etz Zayit, Shufersal, Yad Mordechai, and Meshek Ahiya. And if you can't get those, the bright light at the end of the tunnel is the Olive Leaf seal of quality. It is only given to domestic oils, so if you buy imported olive oil, you will have to do additional research to be sure you are not buying a fake or dangerous product.

Interesting fact: projected domestic olive oil production for this year is 19,000 tons - which producers are claiming should suffice for the entire population. Perhaps it's time to support local producers! (My problem with that is it is sometimes MUCH more expensive than imported versions, but now, it seems, we know why...)

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Egg Recall (Israel)!

New testing shows that eggs from at least 4 major egg suppliers in Israel are tainted with Dioxin. 10 egg suppliers were tested, but there are other egg suppliers that were not tested this time around.

Dioxin is no joke, it is a known carcinogenic material, and can also cause reproductive damage, immune system damage, and more. It is a known toxin, that is a member of the "Dirty Dozen" persistant environmental pollutants.

Despite the fact that news outlets are saying this information is coming from the Ministry of Health, I cannot find a word about it on their website.

Eggs from the 4 suppliers that tested positive for dioxin are being removed from the marketplace, and efforts are underway to determine the source of the pollutant.

I will update as I get more information, but it is usually slow in coming. 

I do not have further directives. Some people are asking me to post a "don't panic" line. But I really don't know what to do. The testing was done on conventional eggs. I have been using organic eggs almost exclusively for a decade now, but since I do not know if organic eggs are tainted, I cannot recommend that as a way to deal with this problem. 

The best thing I can say for now is DO NOT BUY EGGS right now. It will take stores and suppliers some time to weed out the tainted eggs. They will have to check for codes on the eggs (they are not labeled with a brand for each farm) to figure out which ones are tainted. It will not be an instant process.

Personally I will be cooking without eggs until I know more. 

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Recall! (Israel)

Shkediah-Geva Industries and the Ministry of Health have announced a recall of the following product:

Chocolate Cranberry Granola Bars - 25g, sold in boxes of 5.

They are manufactured in Macedonia, by "Vitalia Nicola".

The product is marked PAREVE, but lab tests have shown they contain milk protein.

Consumers are asked to call 08-915-8888 to arrange for a replacement product.

The product is being removed from store shelves.

image from pricez.co.il

Free attractions on Yom Ha'atzmaut 2013

65 Historical sites will be open and FREE on the 65th Yom Ha'Atzmaut, next week!
These are sponsored by Misrad HaTarbut V'HaSport and the Mo'etza L'Shimur Atarey Moreshet.
That is April 16, 2013, just so there is no confusion.

I'm sure there are other places that are offering free programs or free admission.
Please add information for other places in the comments, or send a note to ester@kosherfrugal.com and I'll add it in! Thank you.

I have tried, wherever possible, to link to websites in English. There were some museums/historical sites that only had Hebrew websites, though. My apologies in advance.

Have a wonderful Yom Ha'atzmaut. May it bring us closer to the Geulah Sh'laymah! 

p.s. I just stayed up way too late researching and translating this list, so please share it with all your friends, so it will have been time REALLY well spent! :-) Thanks! 

South:

Yad LaIsha HaLochemet in Nitzanim - guided tours 9 am - 1 pm. 08-6727895
The Open Museum in Negba -  050-55605540
From Holocaust to Revival Museum in Yad Mordechai - 08-6720599 , 052-3923104 
The Water and Security Museum in Nir Am - 050-5709042
Mitzpe Gvulot - Kibbutz Gvulot - 054-7919000
Ben Gurion's Desert Home (Sde Boker) - open 10 am to 4 pm. Last admission at 3 pm 08-6560469
The Joe Alon Center for Bedouin Culture at Kibbutz Lahav 08-9913322
The Museum Revivim Museum named for Yosef Weitz. 10 am - 2 pm  08-6562570 \ 08-656263
Metzudat Yoav, The Givati Museum  08-6611316

Jerusalem Area

The Old Yishuv Court Museum, 10 am - 3 pm. Guided tours available 02-6276319, 052-4002478
Ammunition Hill Memorial Site - 02-5829392/3, ext 115, 
The Yellin House - in Motza -  052-4257345
The Gush Etzion Visitors' Center - in Kfar Etzion. 02-9935160
The Tower of David Museum - 02-626533
The Underground Prisoners Museum in Jerusalem - interactive programs 11 am - 4 pm, open from 9 am - 6pm. For more info:   02-6233166 
 Rav Kook's House -  02-6232560, 02-6251517
The Shai Agnon House - open 9 am - 4 pm -02-6716498
The Bank of Israel Visitor's Center - with advance reservations 02-6552828,0 2-6552520, 02-6552718
Alone on the Walls of Jerusalem - open 9 am - 5 pm - for more info: 02-6265906
Menachem Begin Heritage Center - free tours, fee for the movie. 02-5652020 02-5652011
Yad LaShiryon at Latrun - for more info: 08-9784321

Tel Aviv and the Center

Independence Hall -03-5106426,  03-5173942 
The Israeli Museum at the Rabin Center - with advance reservations only.*4585 
Ben-Gurion House - 03-5221010
The Jabotinsky Museum - open 8 am - 4 pm. 03-5287320
The Joseph Bau House - 054-4301499
Rokach House - for more info: 03-5168042 or email  info@rokach-house.co.il 
IDF Historical Collection Museum - (Toldot Tzahal) -03-5172913 , 03-5161346
Etzel Museum - 03-5253307
The Hagana Museum -  03-560862
The Lechi Museum - guided tours at 10:30, 12:00. 1:30. 3:00. Trivia contest at 1 pm. Reservations required. For more info: 03-6820288 or email lehi_museum@mod.gov.il
The Etzel 1948 Museum - open 8:30am - 4pm. 03-5177180 , 03-5172044
The Nachum Gutman Museum of Art - 03-5161970
The Hosmasa Museum - Holon -  03-5050425
The Mikveh Israel Visitors Center - with advance reservations.  03-5030489
The Rishon L'Tzion Museum - open 10 am - 3 pm. 03-9598862,  03-9598890
The Eran Shamir Moshava Museum in Mazkeret Batya. Open 10 am - 4 pm. 08-9349525
Ayalon Institute, Rechovot. Open 9 am - 4 pm. Last guided tour at 3 pm. 08-9406552
The Minkov Orchard Center - open 10 am - 4 pm, with advance reservations. 08-9469197

The North and Northern Coast

The Sliqim at  Kfar Giladi - Guided Tours every hour from 9 am - 3 pm. 052-2512915
HaShomer House Museum - Kfar Giladi. open 8 am - 4 pm.  04-6941565
Tel Hai Courtyard - 10 am - 2 pm -  04-6951333
 The Birya Fortress - open 9 am - 4 pm. 04-6922433
The Restored Pioneer Village at Rosh Pinah, open 10 am - 2 pm. 04-6936913 
The Kinneret Courtyard - guided tours at 10, 12, and 2.  04-6709117
 Naharayim Experience in Gesher. Guided tours at 12:30 and 1:30. Open 9 am - 4 pm.  04-6752685
 The Palmach Cave - guided tours on the hour between 9 and 5.  04-9898946 ,052-4471109
The Historic Nahalal Police Station - guided tours every hour from 10 am to 1 pm.  04-6415073
The Nahalal "Sliq" - guided tours every hour from 9 am to 3 pm.  052-3347194
 The Pioneer Settlers Museum - Kibbutz Yifat. Open 11 am - 4 pm. 04-6548974
The Chaim Shturman House - at Kibbutz Ein Harud.  04-6486337 |  04-6486328
The Clandestine Immigration and Naval Museum in Haifa - 04-8536249 
The Tower and Stockade Museum at Hanita.  04-9859677
 The Jezreel Valley Train Museum - Kfar Yehoshua. 04-9534226  
Clandestine Immigration Boat Tour, Atlit. For more info and reservations: 04-9841980
The Goara Museum of the Hagana. 04-9597402
The Treasures in the Walls Museum, Akko. Open 10 am - 4 pm.  04-9911004
The Underground Prisoners Museum, Akko.  04-9911375
The Fisher House, Kiryat Ata. Open 11 am - 6 pm.  04-8440207
The Museum of the First Aliyah in Zichron. Open 10 am - 4 pm. 04-6294777
The Chanah Senesh House, Kibbutz Sdot Yam.  04-6364366   052-8795366 
The Gdudim House Museum. Open 9 am - 4 pm. 09-8822212  
The Khan Museum, Hadera. Open 9 am - 3 pm.  04-6322330 , 04-6324562
The Haifa City Museum. 04-9115888  
The National Maritime Museum. 04-853662


 Other FREE attractions and activities:

The Gush Etzion Chenyon Tzahal is free, it's in Nokdim this year, from 9:00-16:00. (Exhibit of all sorts of Army vehicles. technology, supplies, etc)
The Israel Museum, free admission. Herod Exhibition will cost 20 shekels 

Future Train, with advance reservations. *UPDATE* I am told they are "sold out"

Neve Tzuf Forest - family celebration, 10 am - 4 pm - 02-9977101

 

 

 
 

 

 

Free flags!

Get your free car-mirror flags from Shufersal!

Just in time for Yom Ha'atzmaut!

(Can't wait to get mine. I missed out last time!)

Be sure to print out your coupon and redeem by April 15!

Free Attractions for Pesach 2013

NOTE: The updated list for Pesach 2014 can be found here!

Bank Hapoalim does this wonderful service for the country:  They sponsor free days at attractions all around the country for Chol Hamoed.

Here's the info for this year: Full days free are March 27 & 28. March 29 and 31 (erev Shabbat and erev Chag) are most likely shorter days, and you will need to check with the attractions regarding their individual hours of operation.

Here's the list of free attractions for this year. I have linked to websites in English, whenever possible. I hope you find this list helpful, and that you get to have some super-frugal fun over Pesach!

Please leave a comment with your favorite place to visit (from this list)!

If you haven't already, please follow this blog (link on the right!), and like my Facebook page so you don't miss out!

North:

The Ghetto Fighters' House Museum 04-9958052
The Galilee Sculpture Festival in Maalot 04-9578871
The Deer Forest  0508723920
The Golan Antiquities Museum  04-6961350
Park Qatzrin 04-6962412
The Umm el-Fahem Art Gallery  04-6315257
The Wilfrid Museum of Israeli Art  04-9899566
The Robotic Dairy 054-4962656
The Museum of Art at Ein Harod    04-6485701
The Treasures in The Walls Museum (of Acco) 04-9911004
The Museum of Pioneer Settlement in the Jezreel Valley 04-6548974

Haifa and the Northern Valleys:

Ein-Dor Museum of Archaeology 04-6770488
The Museum of the First Aliyah (in Zichron Yaakov) 04-6294777
The Janco-Dada Museum (Ein Hod) 04-9842350
The Haifa Zoo - 04-8372886 (open 10am - 3pm)
The Tikotin Museum of Japanese Art 04-8383554
The Haifa Museum of Art 04-9115997
The National Maritime Museum in Haifa 04-8536622
The Haifa City Museum 04-9115888
The Mane Katz Museum 04-9119372
Derech Ha'Etz 04-6620606
Gan-Garoo 04-6488060

Central Israel:

Tel Aviv Museum of Art 03-6077000
The Nachum Gutman Museum of Art 03-5161970
The Museum of Israeli Art in Ramat Gan 03-7521876
The Herzilya Museum of Contemporary Art 09-9551011
The Rishon L'Tzion Museum 03-9598862
The Design Museum - Holon 073-2151500
The Igudan Visitors Center 03-9555222
The Petach Tikvah Museum of Art 03-9286300
The Rabin Center Israeli Museum *4585
The Rubin Museum 03-5255961
The Babylonian Jewry Heritage Center 03-5339278
Massuah 09-8999563

Jerusalem:

Yad LaShiryon at Latrun 08-9784302
The Bible Lands Museum 02-5611066
Hasmonean Aqueduct Tour *6033
The Temple Mount Sifting Project *6033
The Jerusalem Botanical Gardens 02-6794012
The Old Yishuv Court Museum 02-6281266
The Menachem Begin Heritage Center 02-5652018
The Ariel Center -Historic Jerusalem (First Temple Period) 02-6286288

South:

The Ashdod Art Museum Monart Center 08-8545180
The Museum of Water and Security at Kibbutz Nir Am 050-9672874
The Joe Alon Center for Bedouin Culture  08-9913322
The Air Force Museum at Kibbutz Chatzerim 08-9906853
The Negev Museum of Art  08-6993535
Ben-Gurion's Desert Home 08-6560469
Chai Negev - Ecological Village 08-6562688

Cottage Cheese Recall (Israel)

Strauss is recalling tubs of 5% cottage cheese, with a sell-by date of March 21.

They report there was a quality control issue and the cottage cheese is spoiling.

Consumers who have purchased this cottage cheese are requested to call Strauss' customer service hotline at 1-800-777-777 to arrange a refund.

image from www.strauss-group.com