More photos from Israel

1) the father of Gilad Shalit in the protest booth not to long ago.

2) a group of adorable senior citizens folk dancing in the Mamilla promenade

3) has Iran attacked? Hezbollah? Hamas? Syria? name-your-terrorist-group? No, no. That's just a group of Israeli officers having a shluffie in the middle of an arduous day of study at Yad Vashem

4) yours truly

5) even the soda machines here go k4p (kosher for Passover)

New address and new title

In the Land of Wilk and Honey...how can I not have picked that originally?

Thanks Em!






Not bad, says Ehud!

Induction of Golani Soldiers at the Kotel (Western Wall)

Either Iran is launching, or...

It's Yom Yerushalayim (Jerusalem Day).

Chinese food (apparently) in Israel

So I noticed an article on Haaretz about Israeli performer Ivri Lider (the #1 singer in the country). He's had really great songs out for more than 10 years, notably: Zeh tamid ahava (It's always love), Yoter tov klum (Better than nothing), Chultzat Pasim (A striped shirt), and many others.

The article said that Ivri (revealed he was gay about 8 years ago) was going to be singing at the Logo Awards in the US, with a cover of the Katy Perry song "I kissed a girl" (click photo on left to watch video). So - he was going to perform this song in English for an American audience. Ok.

So - can you tell the difference between the Katy Perry version and the Ivri Lider version (besides a few word changes for orientation's sake) (click photo below):



















Yep - that's right. Ivri likes Chinese food, apparently!

What the heck...there's no doubt...he likes her cherry chopstick!!

Their hearts are in the right place, but they're not

To start off, this entry may arouse a bit of consternation, but i still want to write it and get it off my chest.

When I studied at The Hebrew University of Jerusalem in 1998, there was a strike of the student union against increased tuition fees. The union barred any student from entering the campus. They used violence, but police rarely stepped in. All overseas students, though, were to be permitted in, as they were not Israeli students or subject to Israeli tuition. Well, somehow, that message from the Student Union president did not trickle down to the minions, as they assaulted overseas students, including me. Nothing serious, just some pushing and shoving.

I went to the student union president and beyond threatening documentation of the incidents with video cameras and submitting the video to both the Israeli police and to the American Embassy, I asked the President: "Why, on G-d's green earth, are you protesting increased tuition by barring students from entering the university??? Why are you protesting in front of your own university, when the Ministry of Education is across town? Why would you not protest there? Why would you not protest in the middle of Jerusalem, where you can gain visibility? Your actions aren't affecting anyone but yourselves!"

The answer I received is an all-too-typical one here, namely "That's the way it is".

Which brings us to 2009. 2006, actually. Hamas launches an attack on soldiers on the Israeli side of the Israel-Gaza border, killing all save one, whom they take back to Gaza. That soldier's name is Gilad Shalit. He has been held there ever since. What his family has gone through is an absolute nightmare.

Now - I have a Gilad Shalit sticker on the wall in my apartment. For a time, I had Bring Gilad Shalit Home as my Facebook status. While working at the JCRC, I worked with lay leaders to galvanize mass petitions and postcards calling on the UN, US, and Congress to do all in their power to bring about the release of Gilad Shalit, and the two captives held by Hezbollah (who were, after a war and years of waiting, returned to Israel in bodybags).

What I cannot get past is the tactic of those here in Jerusalem who are pushing for the release of Gilad Shalit. They are protetsting in front of the Prime Minister's office, and have been there for years. As I am speaking, there are hundreds gathered there, calling for the Israeli Government to release Palestinian prisoners in exchange for Shalit. Some of the prisoners that Hamas is demanding in exchange are those with 'blood on their hands'. I am not going to get into the issue of whether it is better to release convicted terrorists in exchange for a captured soldier or not...that's a horror that has reared its head here too often. I am a new Israeli citizen, but I have not served in the Israeli armed forces, and so my point of view is not that of a veter

What I will say - why on G-d's green Earth are they protesting in front of the Prime Minister's residence? Logic would dictate the following:

• Hamas has been rearming and resupplying through tunnels dug from the Sinai (Egypt) side of the border. Except for minor and sporadic shows of force, the Egyptian authorities have not acted against Hamas.Egypt has been acting as a negotiator between Israel and Hamas, but has not taken a stance against Hamas' terrorist activities, including the attack in which Shalit was captured.
  
• Therefore, protest and bring all leverage to bear against Egypt!
• There should be regular protests in front of all Egyptian trade offices in Israel.
• There should be regular protests in front of the Israeli Ministry of Tourism and on the Israeli-Egyptian border
• There should be calls to stop the thousands of Israeli tourists who vacation in Sinai from doing so.
• There should be regular protests in front of the Ministry of Trade in order to sanction all trade with Egypt.

Perhaps these efforts could bring about some effect. One thing is sure - protesting in front of the Prime Minister's residence is a ridiculously ineffective method to bring about the freedom of Gilad Shalit.

The Middleman

I studied Hebrew at the Hebrew Day School with Morah Genya and Morah Maya, Temple Sinai with Cantor Shapiro, and the University of Florida under Dora Friedman (pictured, left. The greatest Hebrew instructor to walk the Earth...I can still here her calling "Ar-yeh!")

I lived, studied, and worked in Israel for three years. I go back to the Miami and work at the Israeli Consulate, then at the Jewish Community Relations Council of the Greater Miami Jewish Federation, and focus a lot of my efforts there on Israel advocacy.

Needless to say, I am enjoy living here. I love the country. I love the culture. Yes, this place can drive you crazy, but - it's dynamic, and when you feel like you have a personal stake in something, it makes you care about each detail.

Which brings me to making aliyah this past July. El Al had recently upgraded its entertainment options, with swivel tvs installed on each seat, with a huge library of options of movies and tv shows to choose from. One of the main options was an Israeli action-drama tv series called "HaBorer" or "The Middle Man".

Unbelievable...it was great! In essence, it's an Israeli version of The Sopranos. It has a great intro song/opening sequence: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cOdRZjAXA6w, and stars Moshe Igvi, Yehuda Levi, and Hanna Azoulay-Hasfari.

So there I am, with hundreds of other new olim, embarking on my journey to be a part of the Jewish state, to contribute to the unfolding history of the Jewish people...and I'm watching a show about the Israeli mafia.

And not a kosher connoli in sight.

Ha Borer is now entering its second season - for those of you who can understand Hebrew, you can find most of the episodes on youtube. Just do a search for "הבורר".

Beat this caption

1) Oh Shimmy...nibble on my other ear too and the West Bank is yours...
2) Hmm...you taste kosher!
3) Finally, Hilary gets some lovin from a President.

Graduating 37 years late

------I noticed that these news stories were no longer on the web and were now archvied, so I wanted to make sure to post the stories on my blog------

To explain to you why in 2006 I went with my father to West Lafayette, Indiana, I have to go back almost 37 years.

While on shore leave at Pearl Harbor, he was in the back seat of a friend's jeep, and when an oncoming car lost control and crashed into the jeep head-on, my Uncle Eugene was killed instantly.

All this happened a week before my father's college graduation in 1969. He left the university immediately to get back to New York for the funeral. He assumed that he would graduate with the spring class in May, but his father (my grandfather) passed away of cancer just before that graduation ceremony. 

While on shore leave at Pearl Harbor, he was in the back seat of a friend's jeep, and when an oncoming car lost control and crashed into the jeep head-on, my Uncle Eugene was killed instantly.

All this happened a week before my father's college graduation in 1969. He left the university immediately to get back to New York for the funeral. He assumed that he would graduate with the spring class in May, but his father (my grandfather) passed away of cancer just before that graduation ceremony. 

Man finds it's never too late to graduate

60-year-old alumnus will walk in Purdue ceremony

By Staci Hupp

staci.hupp@indystar.com

May 13, 2006

Elliot Wilk has checked off much on life's to-do list: Marriage. Children. Retirement.

The one that got away 37 years ago was college graduation.

At 60, Wilk's career as an engineer is over, his days now filled with golf and bridge games. Yet the Florida man is back at Purdue University, his alma mater, today to reclaim a lost rite of passage.

Wilk will stand, in cap and gown, with hundreds of men and women young enough to be his children. His own son will sit in the sea of weepy parents and digital cameras.

Wilk grew up as a triplet in New York City, headed to Indiana for college but left the West Lafayette campus during final exams in January 1969. His brother Eugene, a Navy sailor, had been killed in a head-on Jeep crash.

"I look back now and I say that I was a boy up until that point in my life," Elliot said. "It was like knocking the pins out from under you. "

Purdue officials mailed his degree, which he later framed along with a slide rule he used in calculus class.

Wilk assumed he'd go back to West Lafayette that May and graduate with the class of 1969. And then his father died of cancer.

By then, Purdue was a memory, as faded as the photographs of Wilk's fraternity brothers.

Hints of Purdue trickled down to Wilk's children over time: The beer can with a Boilermaker logo on their father's desk.

"He's an engineer, and they're not emotional people," Lonny said. "But he got a little emotional. I had no idea that he had never gone through graduation."

That moment stayed with Lonny. Last fall, he called Purdue University and arranged a spot for his father.

"I just buckled up my knees when he told me," Elliot Wilk said.

Purdue alumni often show up for graduation a semester late, but "we've never had this type of request before," said Christine Leasure, an assistant registrar. "We're excited to have him."

Wilk's name will appear on the program today. He will be handed a diploma cover as he walks across the stage.

And he will stand with a generation of electrical engineers who learned with laptop computers rather than slide rules. As Wilk sees it, they might as well be the same age.

"It's no different from the Marines charging a hill," he said. " 'Hey, we all got here.' " Graduation will allow Elliot Wilk to bring his life full circle.

In his pocket he plans to carry the yellowed telegram that brought the news of his brother's death 37 years ago.

"That was the point in time that the road diverged so strongly," Wilk said. "That was the start of it. And now I seek the closure."

More great photos from Israel

1) Unintentional inappropiateness. Apparently, the Israeli version of photoshop is a program with a fox for a mascot. Yep, that's right, the fox is named 'gimp'.

2) I saw this woman riding the bus. I'm not one to critique other immigrants to this country, but wow.

3) An ad for a Shabbat Goy. You wouldn't find that on Miami-Craigslist!

4 and 5) Yesterday was horrifically cold and stormy, and - apparently Mordor's forces were marching on Yad Vashem.

6) A vending machine in the Jerusalem central bus station that sells religious books, kipot, and other items for your convenient observance of Judaism. Question - is it appropriate to bang on the glass and scream like a maniac when your siddur (item b7) gets stuck?

There are indeed stairs and elevators in Israel...

My cousin Sarah from New Jersey asked a very important question of me: are there stairs and elevators in Israel? Sarah, that's an awesome super-duper question. There are definitely stairs and elevators in Israel! My apartment building has both. It's a good thing too - I live on the fifth floor! But - some buildings here also have special elevators. They're called Shabbat elevators! Why do some buildings have them? Here's why:

So, there are all different kinds of Jewish people.Thousands of years ago, we all lived in the same place - here in Israel, where I live now! Then, some mean people kicked us out, and we had to leave Israel and live all over the world. Some Jewish people lived in countries like Poland and Austria (like our family)









Some Jewish people lived in Morrocco

Some Jewish people lived in Russia







Some Jewish people lived in Ethiopia








And some Jewish people - to this day - live in New Jersey!











Some Jewish people follow lots of traditions, other Jewish people learn about all the traditions but choose to follow only some of them, and some decide to follow only a few









One of those traditions is about Shabbat. Some people choose not to use electricity on Shabbat...some people do. For me, at this point in my life, electricity is ok on Shabbat, but I do everything I can to rest, have a good time, and be with family and friends. Maybe someday I'll decide not to use electricity. My views change over time - and that's ok!

But - those people that don't want to use electricity on Shabbat...what do they do if they live high high up in a building? It's too hard to walk up and down the stairs all the time. What they did was to make a 'Shabbat elevator' - it stops automatically on each floor, but just on Shabbat. So - they don't have to press the elevator buttons and use electricity! Not all buildings have Shabbat elevators. My apartment building doesn't, but a lot of them here in Jerusalem do.

The cool thing is, no matter where our families lived or what traditions we all follow, we're all Jewish!

Anyhow - I have got to get to work, but I hope this answers your question.

Miss you,

Cousin Lonny

PS - ask Daddy if he can send me my 1st season of Lost dvds. Also - can he send them with some good ol' Jersey chicken parmesean and cannoli?

Election Results from Israel Channel 2

Livni Boy

Many of you may have seen Obama Girl...well - here, we have Livni Boy. You can see the video here - translated lyrics below.

Until you arrived, I chose to be cut off

But now I’m always glued to the screen
When you say you’ll be different from what was…

That you’ll decisively fix the situation
I always knew it was a woman that would bring the change

And not simply just throw out slogans

I’m sick of Generals who try instill fear

I want you, and Tzipi, baby, I’m not the only one

Chorus

For you I will go far,
I will complete the journey
In the end you’ll take the Premiership

Oh oh Tzipi

You are what I wanted
Everything I expected

From a political leader
(We) don’t want Ehud (Barak)

(We) don’t trust Bibi (Netanyahu)
Tzipi if you let me
I’ll Be Your Man
Just tell me yes

In the Mossad you knew times when it was dangerous in (this) country
Barak and Bibi just left us lots of organized chaos
Together we will destroy any attack from Qassams to Iran
We will complete this, not like in Durban

I want you to give me peace and security
In my dream you are (standing) at the podium for singing of the national anthem
At the end of the day we’ll drink coffee together
And if the recession is over, maybe we’ll even get something to eat

Chorus

Voice of Tzipi Livni:

We won’t bat an eye for something we don’t believe in because it might benefit us politically…I know that is what the Israeli public wants to see from its leadership - any leader.

And don’t promise me any job
I don’t want anything in return
I only dream that everything will be all right here
And that you’ll be the Prime Minister

Not Golda, not Condoleezza,
Not Palin, not Michelle Obama,
because no one can beat you, Momma

Chorus

It’s not a crime to be young!

Tzipi Livni – February 2009

Elections 2009 - Bumper Stickers and flyers

Hey everyone,

Below are some bumper stickers, flyers, and signs for today's national elections here in Israel. These stickers, etc. represent both parties and issues. Bumper stickers and other political chazarei are very popular here. In fact, the most popular song in 2006 was the "Sticker Song", made famous by "Hadag Nachash", which essentially just rhymes together dozens of bumper stickers. You can find a whole educational curriculum about it here.

In English from top to bottom:

• Strong Israel Party, the new left-wing party formed by Ephraim Sneh
• Israel Is Our Home Party (though this is a flyer from the municipal election) led by Avigdor Lieberman...right-wing religious party, mostly (but not exclusively) comprised of immigrants from the Former Soviet Union/FSU (note: not Florida State)
• Na...Nach...Nachma....Nachman from Uman - a play on the name of Rabbi Nachman of Bratslav. This slogan is tagged, etc everywhere, as the thought is that the more you see the name of the Rabbi, the more you'll think of his good deeds and religious scholarship, and the more mitzvot you'll do.
• Gilad Still Lives: Calling attention to the plight of captured soldier Gilad Shalit is a crucial issue in these elections.
• Meretz: The Socialist Party of Israel. I loved this party and its platform in the 90s, and though I still believe in their liberal domestic platform, I have been completely disillusioned by their tactics of outright trying to influence U.S. Jews against Israeli government policy, their near-complete lack of empathy with Israel while showing total empathy with Palestinians (would balance be so horrible?), and most significantly, by their complete and total lack of understanding of world affairs - i.e. all their supporters passing out literature while wearing Che Gueverra shirts...do they not understand that Cuba is a totalitarian state which, among other things like ignoring human rights, repressing freedoms, and arresting most dissidents, has an extreme anti-Israel policy. Ok...off my soap box.
  
• Likud: The Zionist Religious Likud - A Partner for Victory!
  
• National Unity (see above) I'm Also Orange: Orange was the color of protest against the disengagement from Gaza. There is a play on spelling here from Taf to Tet (the letter representing the party on the ballot)
• It's Time To Choose! Yes To A Peace Agreement
• Today, Explanations Are Not Given. Votes Are! - Meretz (see above)
• A Different Kind of Prime Minister - Tzipi Livni/Kadima
• Mafdal/National Unity: Fighting For Our Rights! - The Religious (mostly) Ashkenazi Parties (composed of National Union, Moledet, Mafdal, and Tkuma)
• Whoever is For G-d Is For Me - Shas (in the photo is controversial Rabbi Ovadia Yosef). Shas is the religious party for Jews from Muslim countries. It is a bit of an enigma, ultra-conservative on some issues, but liberal on others (that you would never expect them to be). Their supporters, like those of each religious party, vote as the Rabbis instruct them to.