In the Land of Wilk and Honey

More photos from Israel

2009-06-29T20:42:00.003+03:00

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

2009-06-29T20:35:00.003+03:00

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)

2009-05-28T11:48:00.002+03:00

Either Iran is launching, or...

2009-05-28T11:29:00.003+03:00

It's Yom Yerushalayim (Jerusalem Day).

Chinese food (apparently) in Israel

2009-04-02T06:56:00.006+03:00

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

2009-03-13T13:18:00.003+02:00

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

2009-03-12T07:38:00.005+02:00

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

2009-03-11T21:05:00.002+02:00

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

2009-03-02T18:12:00.019+02:00

------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------

Above: my Grandmother and my Uncle Eugene in uniform, 1968; my Grandparents, my uncles, aunt, and father shortly after the birth of the triplets.

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

My father has two older brothers, and himself is a triplet, with his triplet sister Eleanor (Lolly) and his triplet brother Eugene. Eugene studied for two years at the University of Oklahoma, and then, decided to join the U.S. Navy as the war in Vietnam was raging. He had served aboard a couple of submarines over a period of 3 years, and then began serving on the submarine U.S.S. Tecumseh.

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.

I graduated from the University of Florida in 1999. My Dad was extremely emotional about seeing me graduate, and he gets emotional probably once a decade, so when I asked him about it, he told me that he never got to graduate, and then told me the story. I knew about my Uncle and my Grandfather, I just never knew that it impeded his graduation. I decided then and there to one day find a way for him to graduate. So his 60th birthday was January of 2006, so that's what I gave him as his present.

So - I contacted Purdue and arranged for my father to graduate! I took him back to West Lafayette, Indiana. The President of the University shook his hand and congratulated him by name as he walked across the stage. There's two stories below that we were both interviewed for by the Indianapolis Star and the West Lafayette Journal and Courier.

One thing my Dad says in the second article that I think is very poigniant - "Just because you lose someone doesn't mean you've lost the opportunity to make them proud of you."

Elliot Wilk: 'Make them proud'

By Tanya Brown
tbrown@journalandcourier.com

Elliot Wilk with a certificate of which he is particularly proud. It's a certificate of participation from the space program for his work while employed at Pan Am Aerospace. He was one of the Pan Am workers who worked on contract for downrange tracking on the Apollo mission to the moon launch.

Elliot Wilk

Age: 60 Current Residence: Boca Raton, Fla.

Education: B.S. from Purdue University, 1969. Master's of science from C.W. Post campus of Long Island University, 1979.

Family: Three children, Lonny, Jeffrey, and Julie

Profession: Retired electrical engineer technical salesman.

Florida resident Elliot Wilk has waited 37 years to turn the last page of the chapter that was his undergraduate career at Purdue University.

The events that kept him from commencement are still fresh to him, still tragic in the way that losing a sibling and a father will always be.

Wilk, one of a set of triplets, recalls being told that his triplet brother, Eugene, had been killed in a car accident while on military duty in Pearl Harbor in 1969. The tragedy came days before the trio's birthday.

"I didn't know about it. My family didn't want me to know because I had to take my finals and graduate."

When the body was returned from the Pacific, Wilk's family had to tell him. Purdue waived the rest of his finals and sent him home to New York. His diploma followed in the mail.

"I thought maybe it would be nice if I went to graduation in May," Wilk said. "But my father was sick with cancer and he died in May. And that was that. I went on with my life."

His life included a distinguished career as an engineer for the likes of Pan Am Aerospace and Motorola and, later, raising his three children alone after his ex-wife succumbed to brain cancer in the early 1990s.

Youngest son, Lonny, now 28, helped orchestrate his father's belated graduation at Purdue today.

"He doesn't set his mind on despair," he said of his dad. "In profession and mind, he always looks for logic and how to make things work."

Wilk said commencement will be as much for Eugene and Benjamin Wilk as for himself.

"Just because you lose someone doesn't mean you've lost the opportunity to make them proud of you."

Preparing for pomp: Retired engineer Elliot Wilk tried on his cap and gown Friday at Follett Bookstore, West Lafayette. His son arranged for him to participate in today's graduation ceremony. - Rob Goebel / The Star

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.

After that, a new phase of life beckoned Wilk.

He went to work for the space program at Cape Kennedy in Florida. The same year, Purdue graduate Neil Armstrong walked on the moon.

The space program marked the start of a fulfilling career that included work on nuclear submarines and semiconductor sales for Motorola.

Wilk's personal life also fell into place when he got married and started a family.

He was the type of father who decorated the walls of the family home in maps. His children watched network news instead of MTV. "He would always try to challenge us intellectually," said Wilk's oldest son, Lonny.

And he did so alone, after the mother of his children died of brain cancer in 1991.

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.

The framed slide rule. Their father's stories, including the time he drove to California to watch Purdue win the 1967 Rose Bowl.

It wasn't until Lonny Wilk graduated from the University of Florida in 1999 that he felt his father's void.

"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

2009-03-02T07:31:00.006+02:00

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...

2009-02-16T06:36:00.024+02:00

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

2009-02-10T22:09:00.003+02:00

Livni Boy

2009-02-10T16:18:00.006+02:00

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

2009-02-03T23:31:00.011+02:00

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.

An Amazing Thing Happened In The Office Today...

2009-02-03T22:14:00.001+02:00

Back in 2001, in the middle of the Intifada, I was sitting in my apartment in Old Katamon (a neighborhood in Jerusalem) one Saturday evening doing some reading for a class on Sunday morning.

The news was light that evening - almost nothing had happened, which was very rare for an Israeli news anchor to admit.

I turned off the tv, and resumed my reading. A few minutes later, I started hearing sirens screaming out of the nearby hospital...one, then two, a few more, and a few more. I groaned to myself, knowing that I would turn on the tv and see image after image of Israeli terror victims screaming in agony. I braced myself.

And I did see Israelis screaming in agony. But - it was no terror attack. It was shoddy architecture and planning.

Originally, reports indicated that the collapse was at a club called "HaOman 17", one of the best clubs in Jerusalem. If that was the case, there would have been many many students from my university there.

I called a friend of mine, Masha, who was both a tour guide (and still is, and is an exceptional one at that!) and a field/search and recovery medic. She happened to be close to the Versailles Hall at the time of the collapse. I asked her, since I was blood type O+ (universal donor) if I should get there asap. She said to just get in a cab and head straight to Magen David Adom on the other side of town.

When I got there, an amazing site awaited me...this was within about 20 minutes of news breaking about the collapse of the wedding hall. At the Magen David Station at the entrance to Jerusalem, there were nearly 1000 people waiting in line (an amazing fete in this part of the world) - all universal donors! They were all waiting to be able to give blood for the victims. I had to wait til nearly 5:00am in order to donate blood, and there were hundreds behind me.

This would happen almost anywhere in the world, yes, but - it happened here and with a complete sense of כל יהודי ערבים זה לזה - each Jew is responsible one for the other. There is a huge amount of internal debate and discord in this country, but when the occassion calls for it, the people of this country unite.

Today, I donated blood again. The professor who oversaw much of my work at The Hebrew University also works at Yad Vashem. I won't delve into detail, but he could be doing much better health-wise.

Enough employees gave blood today so that my Professor will be able to have a blood bank for at least a year. Everyone turned out. Jewish and Arab, Israeli and foreign, white collar (if there is such a thing in Israel) and blue. There is something stregnthening and envigorating knowing that you are no longer part of a minority but rather part of a collective.

I am my father's son and neither of us are able to deal well with needles or the sight of blood. It's a pity...I think I would have liked to have been a physician. My colleagues told me that while I was giving blood, I turned a white shade of pale. But - this is what was called for, and this is what we do.

I am a Zionist - Yair Lapid takes the words right out of my mouth

2009-02-02T00:03:00.000+02:00

I am a Zionist

Yair Lapid says he belongs to tiny minority that influenced world more than any other nation
Yair Lapid

Yediot Aharonot - 1/30/09

I am a Zionist.

I believe that the Jewish people established itself in the Land of Israel, albeit somewhat late. Had it listened to the alarm clock, there would have been no Holocaust, and my dead grandfather – the one I was named after – would have been able to dance a last waltz with grandma on the shores of the Yarkon River.

I am a Zionist.

Hebrew is the language I use to thank the Creator, and also to swear on the road. The Bible does not only contain my history, but also my geography. King Saul went to look for mules on what is today Highway 443, Jonah the Prophet boarded his ship not too far from what is today a Jaffa restaurant, and the balcony where David peeped on Bathsheba must have been bought by some oligarch by now.

I am a Zionist.

The first time I saw my son wearing an IDF uniform I burst into tears, I haven't missed the Independence Day torch-lighting ceremony for 20 years now, and my television was made in Korea, but I taught it to cheer for our national soccer team.

I am a Zionist.

I believe in our right for this land. The people who were persecuted for no reason throughout history have a right to a state of their own plus a free F-16 from the manufacturer. Every display of anti-Semitism from London to Mumbai hurts me, yet deep inside I'm thinking that Jews who choose to live abroad fail to understand something very basic about this world. The State of Israel was not established so that the anti-Semites will disappear, but rather, so we can tell them to get lost.

I am a Zionist.

I was fired at in Lebanon, a Katyusha rockets missed me by a few feet in Kiryat Shmona, missiles landed near my home during the first Gulf War, I was in Sderot when the Color Red anti-rocket alert system was activated, terrorists blew themselves up not too far from my parents' house, and my children stayed in a bomb shelter before they even knew how to pronounce their own name, clinging to a grandmother who arrived here from Poland to escape death. Yet nonetheless, I always felt fortunate to be living here, and I don't really feel good anywhere else.

I am a Zionist.

I think that anyone who lives here should serve in the army, pay taxes, vote in the elections, and be familiar with the lyrics of at least one Shalom Hanoch song. I think that the State of Israel is not only a place, it is also an idea, and I wholeheartedly believe in the three extra commandments engraved on the wall of the Holocaust museum in Washington: "Thou shalt not be a victim, thou shalt not be a perpetrator, but above all, thou shalt not be a bystander."

I am a Zionist.

I already laid down on my back to admire the Sistine Chapel, I bought a postcard at the Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris, and I was deeply impressed by the emerald Buddha at the king's palace in Bangkok. Yet I still believe that Tel Aviv is more entertaining, the Red Sea is greener, and the Western Wall Tunnels provide for a much more powerful spiritual experience. It is true that I'm not objective, but I'm also not objective in respect to my wife and children.

I am a Zionist.

I am a man of tomorrow but I also live my past. My dynasty includes Moses, Jesus, Maimonides, Sigmund Freud, Karl Marx, Albert Einstein, Woody Allen, Bobby Fischer, Bob Dylan, Franz Kafka, Herzl, and Ben-Gurion. I am part of a tiny persecuted minority that influenced the world more than any other nation. While others invested their energies in war, we had the sense to invest in our minds.

I am a Zionist.

I sometimes look around me and become filled with pride, because I live better than a billion Indians, 1.3 billion Chinese, the entire African continent, more than 250 million Indonesians, and also better than the Thais, the Filipinos, the Russians, the Ukrainians, and the entire Muslim world, with the exception of the Sultan of Brunei. I live in a country under siege that has no natural resources, yet nonetheless the traffic lights always work and we have high-speed connection to the Internet.

I am a Zionist.

My Zionism is natural, just like it is natural for me to be a father, a husband, and a son. People who claim that they, and only they, represent the "real Zionism" are ridiculous in my view. My Zionism is not measured by the size of my kippa, by the neighborhood where I live, or by the party I will be voting for. It was born a long time before me, on a snowy street in the ghetto in Budapest where my father stood and attempted, in vain, to understand why the entire world is trying to kill him.

I am a Zionist.

Every time an innocent victim dies, I bow my head because once upon a time I was an innocent victim. I have no desire or intention to adopt the moral standards of my enemies. I do not want to be like them. I do not live on my sword; I merely keep it under my pillow.

I am a Zionist.

I do not only hold on to the rights of our forefathers, but also to the duty of the sons. The people who established this state lived and worked under much worse conditions than I have to face, yet nonetheless they did not make do with mere survival. They also attempted to establish a better, wiser, more humane, and more moral state here. They were willing to die for this cause, and I try to live for its sake.

What I love about Israel

2009-02-01T23:46:00.000+02:00

My building here is attached to another, with separate entrances to each. In the other building, the Womens' International Zionist Organization (WIZO) runs a center for the elderly, which includes care facilties. A woman with alzheimers disease recently wandered away from the center, and has not been seen since.

Back in the U.S., this happens, of course. Alzheimers disease is a horror that no one should have to face, but too many do. However, what I have noticed is that when you hear about an instance like this in the states, you shake your head and say, what a shame.

Here there is a sense of community and communal responsibility. I have received dozens upon dozens of emails from friends and colleagues with a notice about the missing woman. There have even been massive search efforts that have pulled in thousands of people over the past week. This morning, I took some time to join the effort before going to work...and I was joined by hundreds. I don't by any means think this is unique to Israel, but I love that it's common in Israel.

"To Touch The Face of G-d"

2009-01-30T11:51:00.000+02:00

So, a couple of days ago was the anniversary of the Challenger disaster. Jan 28, 1986. It was a day that I let pass by, until I read my friend Gabe's blog and a very personal story he shared about "The Day The Spacemen Died" (I encourage everyone to click the link and read). I am indebted to Gabe for writing about this, and causing me to explore my memories of that day.

For me, the Challenger disaster was that day in my life whereas I'll remember exactly where I was and what I was doing. I was in Mrs. Rosenhouse's 3rd grade class at the Hebrew Day School in Sunrise, Fl. We normally went outside to watch the space shuttle launches - as Gabe mentions, you can see shuttle launches with the naked eye from most of Florida. It was widely covered in the months leading up to the launch, most especially because of the inclusion of teacher Christa McAuliffe in the crew.

I was brought up on sci-fi (which did wonders for my popularity in high school). My father - who did some work as a contractor with NASA on the Apollo missions - brought me up on everthing that had to do with space and technology. I remember sitting on my Dad's lap and watching weekend Star Trek marathons on Channel 6 from Miami. I remember him expounding on every different facet of how every piece of equipment worked on the show. He was fascinated (and still is) by efficiency...how do you make things work more effectively and efficiently...his license plate for years was '6 Sigma', a mathematical representation of the concept of approaching perfect efficiency.

One of my favorite memories as a child - my Dad took me to McDonald's and we picked up a Happy Meal for me. We walked a few blocks over to the circus - at the time, for those Ft. Lauderdalers reading this, it was off of Sunset Strip and University. We saw the circus, and I even remember getting one of those facachta circus tiger-lights that crashes out once you use it for more than 5 minutes (basically, it was the carnival-goldfish of flashlights).

Anyway, once the circus was done - as if that was not enough for a 5 year old - he took me to the Broward Mall movie theater to see "Return of the Jedi". I had seen Star Wars and Empire on my friend Jonathan's vcr (he was the first one on the block to get one...we were number 2). I remember being amazed by it from the first time I saw Princess Lea's Consular Ship fly across the screen of Jonathan's 25" Zenith (and confused why the villain was called Darth and not Dark Vader, since he was draped in black).

With a tummy full of McDonald's goodness and after seeing about 20 clowns jump out of a car ("Dad - you're an engineer, so how do they get them all in there?), I sat in awe of this movie. Retrospectively, it has been bashed (see Clerks) as a bunch of muppets running around, but - hey, you know what? It was the most amazing thing I had seen...I would never reduce Yoda to a mere muppet (I distinctly recall trying to figure out why his voice was so similar to Grover). Plus - Wicket ended up becoming Willow Ufgood.

In any case, I was hooked. I was amazed by anything that had to do with space, whether it was an inter-ethnic exploration of space on the Enterprise or fighting the Empire. When I would play with all my toys - Transformers, He-Man, G.I. Joe, Thundercats, Silverhawks - it was usually me creating some kind of a space adventure for them.

Which brings me back to January 28, 1986. It was one of the few launches we did not go out and see (I don't know why, but I assume because it was so cold that day) but I really wanted to. I knew the time that the Challenger was going to launch, so I got permission to go to the bathroom. I walked outside and saw the smoke column ascending skyward. Then, it stopped, and what I can only describe as a 'poof' of smoke became visible, and then what looked like tentacles streaming downward. I remember running back to class, and I must have looked stunned. I sat down, speechless. A couple of minutes later, the Principal came in, spoke briefly to my teacher, who then told us what had happened, and let us know that our parents were coming to pick us up from school.

I don't know if I can adequately express what it was like for me as a child feeling his first sense of loss. I was glued to the tv, much in the same way that people would be following 9/11. I remember Ronald Reagan's prolific words "We will never forget them, nor the last time we saw them, this morning, as they prepared for their journey and waved goodbye and "slipped the surly bonds of Earth" to "touch the face of God."

Not long after the explosion, the tv show "Punky Brewster" (the first time I remember having a crush was on Soleil Moon Frye. I still boycott the Emmys for failing to acknowledge her contribution) had a special episode dedicated to the tragedy. As it turned out, it was the last show of the series, as NBC cancelled it shortly after. In the episode, Punky and her friends watched the launch in Mike Fulton's class. Punky and her friends - Sherry, Alan, and Margot (how's that for a strong memory) are traumatized. Punky had wanted to be an astronaut, but her dream was devastated with the Challenger explosion...until she gets a special visit from Buzz Aldrin. Although the episode received high ratings, NBC would, in the following weeks, decide cancel the show. I don't know what Soleil Moon Frye is doing nowadays, but I hope she knows how important that episode was to a generation of kids who still recall it twenty years later.

While a student at The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, I took a course on the historiography of the Holocaust, i.e. how the Holocaust is reflected through the historical and social narrative. My professor one day posed a question - what was the "JFK" moment for us, as young Americans...how did we remember tragedies? She later admitted to thinking we would recall either superficial pop-culture moments, or we would answer with individual memories of personal tragedies. She was taken aback when each and everyone of us said "Challenger".

Years later, another tragedy. I was a new employee with the Consulate General of Israel in Miami, in charge of 'Hasbarah' - pr, in a sense. I was scheduled to speak at a students seminar in Aventura, and instead of focusing on the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, I broke news to the assembled students of the tragedy that had unfolded as I was driving to the conference - the loss of the Columbia, with Israeli Astronaut and hero of the Israeli 'Osirak Mission' - Ilan Ramon.

Although our economy is worse than it ever has been and people are suffering financially like never before, I have to say that one thing that should absolutely not be cut from government funding is the space program. Beyond the philosophical musings of this blogger, space exploration is vital for human continuity. One of my favorite sayings from the Star Trek:TNG series (indulge my sci-finess for just another moment) was Q speaking to Picard in the series finale: For that one fraction of a second, you were open to options you had never considered. *That* is the exploration that awaits you. Not mapping stars and studying nebula, but charting the unknown possibilities of existence.

Z"l - May their memories be for blessing:

Rick Husband

Willie McCool

Michael P. Anderson

Laurel B. Clark

David M. Brown

Ilan Ramon

Kalpana Chawla

Francis "Dick" Scobee

Michael J. Smith

Judith Resnik

Ellison Onizuka

Ronald McNair

Gregory Jarvis

Christa McAuliffe

More funny photos from Israel

2008-12-05T22:01:00.000+02:00

Who's pu?

That's a heck of a blend!

Not sure if this should be in the detergent aisle or the pharmacy!!

And for those who remember my blog which included Dudu HaGadol...
we now have - Son of Dudu!

Reminds me of home...what do Ehud Barak and Katherine Harris have in common?

2008-12-04T12:26:00.000+02:00

So - around a month ago, Tzipi Livni was elected head of the Kadima Party (beating her opponent by the skin of her teeth). Since Kadima is the current ruling party in the Israeli Government, she would essentially become the Prime Minister, replacing Ehud Olmert who resigned amid debilitating scandals. Livni only had to form a coalition in order to maintain the government. Shas, the Orthodox-Mizrachi party, held out in joining her coalition reportedly over three key terms: 1) billions of shekels for their school (yeshiva) system, 2) control of the Education Ministry in the next cabinet, and 3) a commitment from Livni not to relinquish control over any part of Jerusalem in future peace talks. Mostly on 1 & 2, Livni did not budge. She refused to "give in to bribery".

Since she was unable to form a government, President Shimon Peres officially announced new national elections, which will be held in February. Livni is using the "anti-bribery" case as a prime example of why she should be the one to lead the country. Shas's spiritual leader, the fiery/offensive Rabbi Ovadia Yosef, yesterday proclaimed that Shas would double its seats in the Knesset from 9 to 18.

Likud, under former Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu, is expected to fare quite well in this election. It is still early, but many of the early polls have Likud and Kadima in a dead heat (however, some polls are skewed across the spectrum). Since all parties are going to be contending for seats in the Knesset (the party with the most seats then can work to form a coalition), parties are holding primaries.

Well, wouldn't you know it - Labor's (under former Prime Minister Ehud Barak) 50,000 voting members were scheduled to vote in party primaries a couple of days ago. And lo and behold - the electronic voting machines failed!! So, they are being held today. However, Labor is having a big prooblem - most of their election volunteers had taken days off work, etc. in order to work the election a couple of days ago. Many are unable to volunteer this time around. Plus, voter turnout is expected to be very adversely affected. How do you say 'debacle' in Hebrew? We may have had a crazy time with the 2000 butterfly (or as they say, 'parpar'), but it gives me a great feeling to know that Florida is not alone in bungling ballots. Onwards and upwards!

Good medicine

2008-12-04T11:49:00.000+02:00

So, I have been sick for the last couple of weeks. It has been a lot of coughing, congestion, post-nasal drip, fever, and all kinds of other fun things I won't write about...

However - my spirits were raised when I went to seek medical care. This is the first time since coming to Israel that I have had the need to see a doctor. I had a little difficulty with the health provider, just in terms of locating a physician in my area. Once I got over that hurdle, everything was smooth sailing. I saw the doctor three times, had some tests done, and even a chest x-ray. Total cost (how do you say drum roll b'ivrit?): 6 shekels. About $1.50. In all fairness I do pay a certain amount each month for national health insurance (about $20), but - I am so impressed with the level of care in terms of cost. Heck - my prescriptions were relatively inexpensive, and they're not even from Canada!

A couple more funny photos from Jerusalem

2008-11-30T22:42:00.000+02:00

As my friend Benji pointed out in his blog (www.whatwarzone.com), there's an Israeli florist company called 'zer 4 u' - zer being Hebrew for bouquet. Yet - everytime I pass it, I can't help but think of Bon Jovi circa 1988..."I'll be zer4u, zees five words I sver to you..."

So - for those who read Hebrew...what does this sign say? When I first saw it, I read 'haggis' - and was really excited that there might be Scottish Jews in Jerusalem! Til I figured out this was a sign on the front window of a Superfarm (aka Walgreens) and it really reads 'huggies'. This is why we need vowels, people!

Admitting a mistake

2008-11-30T21:52:00.000+02:00

Hello all - well, I have been gone for a little while. Work was pretty intense - I was assisting the JDC in coordinating their meetings for the United Jewish Communities General Assembly, which was being held here in Jerusalem. I have been under the weather for a while now, but am hopefully back on the mend.

In any case, since my last blog, a new President of the United States was elected...as well as a new mayor of Jerusalem! Regarding the former, I have to say that it was amazing watching the coverage from here in Israel. There was a great deal of emotion displayed here around the concept of an African-American being elected. I was greatly dismayed, however, at the horrificly inadequate lack of understanding of the black narrative in the United States. It is difficult to explain the significance of overcoming racism (at least making a dent in it) to a culture that has not been witness to it.

They have the emotional empathy, but do not know the details: the post-election coverage included a great number of stories of the struggle for racial equality in the United States, and there were many things taken out of context, glossed over, or not referred to at all. There was one instance of blatant disregard for cultural norms and sensitivities, when an Israel Channel 2 reporter used the 'n' word during a feature story in describing "white teenagers getting into black culture." That story also included coverage of succesful modern black entertainers - a clip of Oprah Winfrey jumping up and down, and a few seconds of Bill Cosby. That was all they could come up with.

I remember as a teenager in my high school newspaper getting into an argument with a colleague in my class. It was a girl I had a crush on, which made it all the worse. I was proposing to write a story on the fact that our school - Santaluces High, named after a now-extinct local Indian tribe - had a 'Chief' as a mascot. Part of my 'modest proposal' was that we should change our names to represent other ethnicities and see if those mascots would be universally accepted...the Santaluces Blacks, the Fighting Jews, the Thundering Latinos...Caucasians, Asians...you name it. I was a minority in my school, and really felt it. I had an instinctive need to stand up for those who were being discriminated against, even if it was an extinct Indian tribe. The above mentioned girl was questioning my need to stand up for the victim...the story ran, and in the end my car was keyed. Twice. The school's mascot is still the Chief. However - I got hundreds of kids in the school to at least think about the matter.

So, I called Channel 2 to complain about their lack of cultural awareness and sensitivities in using the 'n' word, and was given the runaround for more than an hour. In the end, I was referred to Channel 2's lawyer and instructed to write a letter. I am doing so, but am also going to go ahead and start an online petition against Channel 2 for not only committing this error, but failing to properly acknowledge and correct it. I will post that link in this blog shortly. This is too great of a country to have such an inept news channel. And this is too important a time to get this remarkable story wrong.

Monsoon Shuking

2008-11-03T07:21:00.000+02:00

So, I went to the shuk (market) here in Jerusalem last week after work. I stopped off to pick up some fresh vegetables, pita, hummus, some rugelach, cheeses, and spices. Well, about five minutes after I got there, the skies opened up a la Hurricane Frances. It poured for about two hours straight...I'm a South Florida boy, I'm used to the rain, but I'm also used to it letting up every 45 minutes or so. This was a heck of a downpour.

So, I went to Azura (a Middle Eastern restaurant in the old Iraqi part of the market; Ehud Banai once wrote a song about it) and had some kube soup to warm up. Then I ran over to Aroma (for anyone who knows the shuk, it's sacrilige that there is a modern coffee shop like Aroma there, but - when you can't beat em...have a hafuch).

So, even though the rain caused massive traffic congestion, minor flooding, I found the proverbial silver lining.

Signs, signs, everywhere are signs...

2008-10-24T17:24:00.000+02:00

So - here's my first installment of funny Israeli signs. I got my inspiration from a friend and fellow blogger, Benji (www.whatwarzone.com). For the king of all funny Israeli signs, see my previous blog which includes 'Dudu HaGadol'

This burger joint is called 'Eewo'. However, because of the way that Hebrew vowels work, Eewo can also be read as 'Eewww'. All that, and the burgers aren't that great.

The Hebrew U/Idelson crowd will definitely recognize the sign for Dr. Mazen Abu Leil, Dentist and surgeon. Only thing is - his place also doubles as a falafel restaurant!

Dorking in Tel Aviv. Didn't realize it was an active verb, but alas...

Last, but not least - Superlas fiber supplement. With tp on the label, just in case you weren't sure.

Eeenn-Deeceeezhan 5769

2008-10-07T23:36:00.000+02:00

So, as some of you know, I have been quite pensive - and perplexed - about the political scene as of late. Who will I vote for? Who best represents the issues that are dear to me? Who can I trust in office? No - I'm not talking about Obama and Biden or McCain and Palin. I'm talking about these folks:

Arkady Gaydamak, Nir Barkat, and Meir Porush

Meet the candidates for the Mayor of Jerusalem. The election is to take place on November 11, and has serious implications for this city. It represents a real struggle in this city between the Chasidic community and the secular community. *Note - in most of the world, secular means non-religious, or perhaps agnostic. Here in the Holy Land, secular means any Jew who does not wear black wool and doesn't sport a ginormous beard. This is very much a pivotal election for the city and people of Jerusalem. The city is thriving once again, but is in desperate need of infrastructure upgrades. Nir Barkat is the front-runner who promises not to let the 'Chasidization' of Jerusalem to continue. Meir Porush is publically talking much of the same talk as Porat, but I assume that's just to garner more votes.

Municipal elections around the country will be held on November 11. There is no early or absentee voting, to the chagrin of many many people. But, as they say here, 'zeh mah sh'yesh' - that's the way it is.

Barkat is a young high-tech entrepreneur, very dynamic. Porush is an ultra-Orthodox councilman who has gone out of his way to push his campaign in non-ultra-Orthodox forums. Many feel that there would be little change between the way Jerusalem is run now under Mayor Lupoliansky and Porush (both ultra-Orthodox). Arkady Gaydamak is a Russian-Israeli billionaire tycoon who owns some sports clubs, has donated millions upon millions to help Israel's most vulnerable populations (most notably stepping up and donating millions to the beleaguered people of Sderot during the 2006 Lebanon War). His campaign is very well-funded an wide-spread, but he is well behind in the polls.

For more on the candidates, see this great article in the Los Angeles Times: http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/babylonbeyond/2008/10/israel-the-next.html

Saying what needs to be said...

2008-10-07T22:12:00.000+02:00

Well, hello everyone - sorry to all my fans, friends, and family, but as many of you know, I have begun working, and so haven't been blogging as much. In just a few moments, I'll add another blog entry about life here in Israel. But first, I want to let you know about my cousin Max. He is the son of my first-cousin, Barbara, and was born in October 2005.

Barbara and her family live up north in New Jersey (even though I live in Israel now, I still typed in 'north'...I guess - now Jersey is out west!), and so I did not get to see them these past few years as much as I would have wanted to, but I followed Max's story from a distance. Shortly after he was born, Max became extremely ill. I said my share of mi-sh'berach's for him, including a couple at the Kotel (Western Wall). In my life, I have unfortunately seen a number of friends and loved ones face serious illnesses, and even have lost a few in terror attacks. The thing about Max's illness that makes it quite unique - it turns out that it was preventable...

Take a look at this video, Max's story. For any of you who are parents or about-to-be parents, please take this message seriously: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SL2mRJMnqKI

Addicted to Noise

2008-09-07T16:06:00.000+03:00

Last Friday, Israeli columnist Yair Lapid, son of Tommy Lapid z"l (founder of the Shinui - Change - political party, wrote a column responding to an article that his father wrote years ago about the wonder of life in a place like New Zealand, as opposed to the life in Israel. Tommy Lapid's article was required reading in my ulpan (intesive Hebrew).

I very much agree with Yair Lapid's point of view - life here can be frustrating...people are so committed and invested in every aspect of life, that they sometimes (scratch that...many times) get carried away. I forget which Israeli Prime Minister said this, but one of them lamented to an American President (I think) "You have a nation with one President and millions of voters...I come from a nation of millions of Prime Ministers". Maybe it's more than that...I remember reading the story of the Coalition forces liberating Afghanistan finding the two remaining Jews in the country running their own Synagogues...why? To borrow the punchline - because I wouldn't be caught dead in that Synagogue!

Yet, no matter what...there is no place I'd rather be, frustrations and disagreements and all...here's the article by Yair Lapid:

Addicted to noise
When Israelis have no reason for panic, they go ahead and invent one

Many years ago, my father, who may have passed away but hasn't left my world, published an article about quiet that elicited quite loud reactions. The article was titled "Living in New Zealand" and a local band even turned it into a song.

As there's a slight chance that the person who produced me will sue me for copyright infringement, I will quote parts of this article here. It started as follows:

"Sometimes I think to myself, what would it be like to live in New Zealand? To be born on an island in the ocean, in a country that is difficult to spot on the map. To grow up in a sleepy town with red tile roofs…to grow up in the house that grandpa built, and to be the grandson of a grandfather who died a natural death…to live in New Zealand and confidently make plans for the next five years. To anxiously follow the local soccer team…to believe that human beings are brothers and that it's possible to resolve any problem with a little good will…"

My father ended the article as follows:

"God! You who chose us from all the nations, I do not have any complaints to you. I accept Your decision with compliance, love, and pride, and I wouldn't replace Jerusalem with Washington or the tough life in Israel with a much easier life anywhere else on earth.

This is my country, my children's homeland, this is our destiny, and we'll face it. But don't be angry, Master of the Universe, if sometimes I think to myself: Is it indeed fair that people in New Zealand die of boredom?"

My father wrote a nice piece, yet he was wrong - because even if we lived in New Zealand, we wouldn't have quiet. The mountains and red tile roofs would be the same, but we would somehow create some kind of mess. We would either declare a war on sheep, or perhaps establish an alternate state, "Old New Zealand," which would be premised on the opposite views. It doesn't matter the opposite of what, as long as it would be the opposite.
Anyone can travel halfway across the world, yet he would still take himself along for the ride. After all those years on the wrong side of the globe, perhaps it's time to admit that our problem isn't our location, but rather, the way we are.

These days, for example, we could theoretically be rather relaxed. We're not New Zealand maybe, but the school year started without the regular strike, the lull in the south is calmer than expected, the unemployment rate has never been lower, the shekel is strong, and the prime minister already announced that he's resigning.

I know it won't continue like this. We are dealing with a highly fragile time-out, as always, but for a moment we could – had we really wanted to – take a short break from ourselves, close our eyes, and pretend that all is well.

Constant threats
However, we just can't do it. If we have no reason for panic, we invent one. For a whole week we've been searching for missing child Rose in the Yarkon River. Every two days we're informed that Ahmadinejad will soon be building a really large bomb in his basement and drop it on us. If we can't find an Arab to shoot at, we have Jews shooting at Jews in Naalin or in Yitzhar or in Tapuach.

We are constantly being threatened: The demographic threat, the Iranian threat, and the threat of the new missiles to be acquired by Hizbullah. Even Yigal Amir threatened his wife's neighbor. In what other country in the world can a man in solitary confinement get into a dispute with the neighbors?

Some of us are still trying to fight back. Every two days someone comes up to me and festively announces that he stopped reading papers and watching television and has signed up for a Buddhist plants' workshop. Those are of course the worst addicts. They know that the moment they inhale the first paper, they will start injecting news websites. We have become addicted to the noise.

If the noise doesn't happen on its own, we produce it. The headlines are always huge and bleeding, the tone is always dramatic, and the end is always near. God, You who chose us from amongst all the nations, I too am not complaining, but I'm asking: Why are we doing this to ourselves? What prompts us to be on the brink of an explosion all the time? Why are we so angry?

I do not envy the people of New Zealand for a moment. Israel gives meaning to my life. It fascinates me, its history enriches my world, and I feel a little pity for every Jew who moves to another country and becomes a foreigner there. Yet still, Master of the Universe, I want us to allow ourselves once in a while to say that it's been boring around here for the past week. Only one week. Am I asking for too much?

This place cracks me up...

2008-09-01T20:33:00.000+03:00

Photographed: (For those who read Hebrew) A shwarma-stand sign. How do they not get this??? Dudu HaGadol? With the symbol above the name? Wow.

Photographed: Israel introduced a 2-shekel coin. In Hebrew, one would refer to it as 'shney shekel'. Hence, it has become the shnekel. Priceless.

The Streets of Israel

2008-09-01T19:22:00.000+03:00

One thing I have rediscovered in my time so far here in Israel, which I find absolutely tantalizing: the fact that there is no 125th Street here. Nearly each and every street is named for someone significant...a prophet from the Torah...a tragic event...a national hero, or concept. You can get a great education here just by walking around.

To get to my apartment from Emek Refaim, make a right on Our Mother Rachel Street, up to The Conquerors of Katamon Street (make sure not to make a right on (Convoy of) 35 Street). Continue straight up to Palmach Street.

Other streets in my neighborhood: Trumpeldor Street (no, he's not the head wizard in Harry Potter), November 29 Street, The Memorial of Mordechai Street (named after Warsaw Ghetto Fighter Mordechai Anielewicz), Bilu Street, and so on.

One of the small ironies of life here is when streets/highways intersect...wouldn't you know it: Golda Meir runs smack into Menachem Begin!

Another irony is when you hear the traffic report: "'The Ingathering of the Exiles' is moving slowly..."

Here in Jerusalem, I used to live on Joshua Son of Nun Street, and "Those Who Went Down with the Ship Street" (23 Palmach fighters lost on a mission to Lebanon in 1941). And back in Miami, I lived on 34th Street.

Post #2

2008-08-05T18:05:00.000+03:00

Shalom everyone...well, it has been a bit since my last blog entry. I've been very busy with the job search, but wanted to make sure to keep everyone in the loop. I am in a beautiful cafe in Tel Aviv sipping a lattee and having a chocolate croissant...life is good.

Batman Begins - I went and saw it at the Malkha Mall in Jerusalem. I forgot what a crazy and amazing experience it can be to see a movie here! The entire crowd talks as loudly as possible during the previews...I don't know why, but - as they say, kacha zeh. The movie goes for about an hour, and then, right in the middle: hafsakah (intermission)! It is a great concept for theater owners, but horrible for movie fans. Basically, it gives an opportunity to go out and: go smoke, go to the restroom, go smoke, go buy more nishnushim from the concession stand, go smoke. In any case, on the print I watched, there were a few problems with the dialogue volume, so I ended up reading the transliterations (Israel is one of the few countries that does not dub, which helps new immigrants learn Hebrew, and lets Israelis learn other languages).

Knaffeh in the Old City

I went with an old friend to the Old City in Jerusalem, and promptly made a beeline for a restaurant called Abu Shukri, for the second best hummus in the city (Pinati holds pole position). We had some great food, and then went to Jaf'ar for knaffeh. For those not familiar, knaffeh is the simply the best reason to indulge in what is essentially a heart-attack-waiting-to-happen-on-a-plate. It is sweetened goat cheese, baked with honey and rose water, and a bit of whole wheat and pistachios on top. Note to the Israeli Government, the PA, and other international parties: serve this at all future negotiations, because everything is better after knaffeh.

Tmol Shilshom

One of the things I truly love about Israel is the coffee culture. I read about the mix of coffee culture and zeitgeist in fin-de-siecle Austria and Germany, and I can't help but feel that much of that has made its way to the streets of Tel Aviv and Jerusalem. I went out with some friends for my birthday to one of my favorites: Tmol Shilshom (http://www.tmol-shilshom.co.il/), or 'Yesterday Two Days Ago', which is a book store/cafe/hangout that I used to frequent. Israeli writers also frequent the place, including: Yehuda Amichai, who read from his poetry at the opening of Tmol-Shilshom in June 1994. Amos Oz, A.B. Yehoshua, David Grossman, and Batya Gur. I had a delectible piece of cheesecake with strawberries, blueberries, and lychee nuts, a cappuccino, and a great time. While I didn't see any famous authors, it's just one of those things about being here that makes you stop and love this place.

Politics

While I have been focusing on job searches (anyone know of open positions?), I am really enjoying being back in the thick of Israeli politics. Shortly after I arrived, Prime Minister Olmert announced that he was stepping down as head of the Kadima Party, and as such stepping down as Prime Minister. Due to some complications, there is a chance he could remain in his post for some time, but - most expect that the Kadima party election will bring either Shaul Mofaz (Minister of Transportation/Deputy PM) or Tzipi Livni (Foreign Minister) to the leadership of the party. I am watching this election with a little more intrigue than the U.S. election, though I am following that one closely as well. I am a little uncertain about Shaul Mofaz, since his public statements vis-a-vis Iran have been extremely problematic, have contributed to a rise in oil prices worldwide, and in essence have seemingly been made without care as to international perception. I have full confidence in Tzipi Livni as a Foreign Minister. I am not sure how I would feel about her in the position of Prime Minister...tbd. Overall, I think this country needs a leader who is a Churchill on the foreign policy level and is someone who has no skeletons in her/his closet (this country has seen countless leaders fall in corruption scandals...not necessarily in greater quantity than other countries, but there is a definite sense that people here are tired of scandals.)

That's all for now folks! Time for me to get some dinner. I'll write again soon...

The first steps

2008-07-29T21:23:00.001+03:00

Well, it has been a little while since I wrote in this blog. Thanks to all my fans (you know who you are!) for being patient. I feel that for me to make aliyah has been a process, one that has definitely depended on pragmatic circumstances, but required a great deal of contemplation, introspection, and maturity.

My journey started at JFK airport on Monday morning, July 21. I made aliyah under the auspices of the Jewish Agency for Israel and Nefesh b'Nefesh. When I got to the airport, I had a small bite to eat (thanks Michelle, for packing the cannoli - I love Jersey...).

All this time that I have been thinking about aliyah, I had imagined this moment at the airport...I was thinking about how intense it would be, and the emotions it would bring...pull...out of me. But - when push came to shove, I was surprisingly calm...part of it was a knowledge of what I was going to, as I lived in Israel for three years in college and grad school...part of it was a serenity that comes when all the logistical nightmares of moving overseas are behind you...but overall, I was just thrilled to be on the precipice of the next stage of my life.

The flight seemed to go very quickly. I had a great seat - not an emergency exit seat, but one without a seat in front of me. When we went wheels-up, reality started to sink in...yalla, bye!

I drifted in and out, but a few hours into the flight I started watching episodes (on El-Al's new personalized digital touch-screen entertainment systems - nice touch!) a relatively new Israeli tv show called 'HaBorer' (The Middle Man). It's a great Sopranos-like show, ala-Israel, with a number of famous Israeli actors. I was thrilled that after all these years, I didn't have to read subtitles...I've really made an effort to keep practicing Hebrew, and it is paying off.

Landing in Israel

We landed at about 7:00am Israel time on Tuesday, July 22. There was a huge crowd there to greet us, and a large ceremony was held in the old main terminal. Although I could have invited people to the ceremony, I chose not to...I wanted to see my friends in the Israel that I know...cafes, restaurants, beaches, basically - in the shchunah!

I did really enjoy the ceremony, though. The most inspiring point of the whole experience came when Frances Greenberg was brought up on stage. She and her family tried to escape from Poland to pre-state Israel in the mid 1930s, but were denied. Her entire family was killed in the Holocaust. After a few years in displaced persons camps, she boarded the ship Exodus for the Holy Land. The ship was turned away, and she was sent back to camps in Europe, but the Exodus inspired worldwide criticism of Britain's policies to Jewish refugees, not to mention a book by Leon Uris, and a phenomenal Paul Newman flick (I was actually considering changing my name to Ari ben-Canaan). Frances met her husband in the camps, and they decided to move to the U.S., and settled in Philadelphia. After his passing earlier this year, she decided to fulfill her ambition to live in Israel. She sat a few rows in front of me, and I talked to her briefly about the Dolphins versus the Eagles...she hadn't talked about her story, and I was walking down the stairs not far from her when we landed. She was so very moved by all the attention she recieved. You can read more about her story by clicking here.

After I landed, I headed to my friend's apartment in the Katamon neighborhood in Jerusalem. It is a beatiful and extremely quiet and peaceful part of the city. She lives on a main street in the area called HaPalmach, after the battalion that fought in the area in the War of Independence. Oh - forgot to mention - I traveled to Jerusalem from the airport in a taxi with three other Olim. The cab driver strapped most of our luggage on the roof! I was a bit concerned as he sped down the Tel Aviv-Jerusalem highway, but - the most important thing to know about Israel - roll with the punches.

So, I got dropped off in front of my friend's apartment, and quickly realized that she was on the top floor. So began the shlepping - three very full overweight suitcases and two bags up to five flights of stairs! After I got settled, I went out with my friend and some new ones to a great sushi lunch (you were expecting falafel, weren't you?).

While we were sitting and eating, a number of ambulances passed by. After having convinced my family and friends of how safe Israel is now, as opposed to when I lived here between 1998 and 2002, I was hoping that it was just a string of slip-and-falls, car accidents, or other 'normal' emergencies. However, an Arab resident of East Jerusalem who was a construction worker copied the bulldozer (why does the media refer to it as a tractor???) attack from a few weeks ago. For me, it was surrealistic to be back in this city, and to hear sirens again. Having to call my family within a few hours of landing and saying that I was ok...that wasn't how my aliyah was supposed to go...but - I just had to repeat my mantra to myself...roll with the punches. Israel is a much better, safer, and more advanced country than when I left it in 2002. It saddens me that most people won't get to see on tv or in their papers how beautiful and dynamic this country truly is.

Over the past week, I've opened my bank account, gotten my cell phone, my Israeli identity card, and have begun the job search. Everything so far has gone remarkably smooth. A friend of mine back in Miami recommended to me to bring a book with me everywhere, and to be as personal as possible with the workers at offices I need to go to. That advice has served me very well.

There is an old Israeli song, that personfies a prevelant attitude about this country - it is called "Ein li Eretz Acheret - I have no other Homeland". How fortunate I am that I have two homelands. I am so proud to be an American, and so fortunate to be able to live in a time when I can be Israeli as well.

Before I go, thank you to everyone who helped make my aliyah possible...there are too many to list, but you know who you are.

I've got to head to sleep, but I'll blog some more soon...coming up: Batman Begins, Knaffeh in the Old City, "What do you mean, there's no Tivo?", Tmol Shilshom, Dizengoff, and Shabbat on the Beach.

Heading to the airport!

2008-07-21T13:02:00.001+03:00

Well, that's it folks! I am heading to the airport. Make sure to check out the welcome ceremony at 12:40 am eastern by clicking:
www.nbn.org.il/2008arrival.

Photos and blogs will be coming soon!

The countdown is on - 36 Hours to go!!!

2008-07-20T08:28:00.000+03:00