A scoop in the family
Elinor Joseph with my daughter (not shown). Photo: Ma'ariv
My daughter, who’s currently in basic training in Karkal – one of the few mixed men-women combat units – was home for Shabbat. In passing, I mentioned that a photographer friend thought it would be interesting to come down and do a story on the unit.
“Yes, Ma’ariv was here this week talking to Elinor,” she said matter-of-factly, referring to one of the Hebrew tabloid daily papers. “I guess she’s the first Arab girl to join a combat unit.”
“What? You have an Arab girl in your unit?” I squeaked. “And you never told me? That’s a great story.”
“I guess it is – it’s in Ma’ariv today,” she told me, as we went online and saw the huge photo of Elinor Joseph in battle gear and camouflage.
The story described how Joseph, a Christian Arab living outside of Haifa, has excelled in the unit. She labels herself “Arab, Christian and Israeli” in that order, and received special permission from the IDF to take her uniform off and put on civilian clothes before reaching home, in case any of her neighbors don’t share her allegiance to the state.
My daughter said that she’s ‘one of the guys’ and is ‘hamoodi’ (cute), and aside from a slight accent in Hebrew, nobody would ever know that she wasn’t one of the other Jewish Israelis in the unit.
That’s great, I told her, but next time let me know before I read about it in Ma’ariv.
Marquis de Sand
I know, I’ve been writing about my various nieces and nephews a lot, but hey, they’re doing interesting things in their twentysomething-year-old lives of seeking and searching their future selves.
Today’s pick is nephew Adin, brother of Noa of storm chasing and army officer fame. Adin is something of an iconoclast, a lover of anything geographical, a traveler, happily living at home post-army and recent Africa travels, trying to figure out what his future holds.
And during this in-between period of his life, he and his friend, Shai, have become expert sand castle builders. You see, even in the rainy Israeli winter you can expect warm days, days that are warm enough for hanging out on the beach, just a short 45-minute drive from Jerusalem. So Shai the university student and Adin the soon-to-be student, have been spending a lot of time honing their sand-building skills on the Israeli shores, building fantastical structures that pay attention to the smallest details.
We, the family, got wind of this the other night while watching a video of Adin’s trip to Africa last summer. Of course, being his aunt, uncle, parents and grandmother, our reaction was, “Adin, you could use these skills to become an architect or an engineer!” I wouldn’t say our comments fell on deaf ears, but Adin kept his counsel to himself.
In the meantime, I’m sharing some of his creations with you, dear readers, and if you have any ideas about where Adin can share his sandcastle creations, or what he could do with such skills, pass ‘em on. I’ll be discreet.
Nostalgia Sunday – Stitching in the Seventies
Israelis are a crafty lot – and not in the way you think I mean. Israelis – particularly women – have always liked their handicrafts. These days, every neighborhood boasts a hobby store. Decoupage seems to be the most popular craft of the moment, putting pretty flowered napkins at a premium and shooting gilt paint prices through the roof.
But in every generation there will be needlepoint. Back in the Seventies, gobelin or tapestry needlework, was all the rage. There was far less television to watch and so an afternoon coffee could be quietly — or noisily — passed with good women friends, all of whom came equipped with a plastic bag filled with thick needles, French embroidery thread and canvas printed with the most horrifically sentimental romantic prints, also imported from France.
During our summer visits to see family, my Israeli mother refused to fall prey to the fad though she did help me as I (inspired by those books about young American frontier girls who walked 5 miles to school each day and then embroidered samplers by candlelight) made my own childhood attempts at needlework. We would sit around her cousin’s Rivka’s living room as Doda Dvora, Doda Tzila and cousin Rivkale all stitched away.
Doda Tzila — who was by far the most prolific — bestowed upon our family a version of the lady seen above left, in a heavy gold frame. I absolutely loved it and was quite disappointed to discover that it was a very common and popular print that hung in many an Israeli household, as were the fruit bowl and the cute kittens gobelins that we later received.
There was definitely an Eastern European aspect to the whole needlework thing as Israelis of Russian and Polish origin looked to all things French as the height of culture, while others hearkened back to the Austro-Hungarian Empire (it turns out that Hungary is also a big producer of horrifically sentimental romantic gobelin canvases). Despite the fact that everyone’s flats were furnished in Danish modern-style furniture, you never knew when a tapestry-covered chair or ottoman was suddenly going to turn up.
But it’s very likely that the local Bedouin and Palestinian embroidery was also a big influence. For instance, my Israeli mother was definitely an embroidery groupie, and spent hours and days scouring the Old City shuk for just the right black velvet embroidered jacket and long black dress. She also patronized the Bethlehem Arab Women’s Union (BAWU), which has been running an embroidery cooperative since 1968. More about BAWU and 16 other local artisan projects can be found at the Sunbula fair trade organization website.
There are some young Israeli designers who also resonate to the nostalgia vibe, such as bag designer Shiri Hyman of boutique Fabrica in Tel Aviv’s trendy Gan HaHashmal, whose gobelin-inspired pieces are sold in London boutiques as well as close to home.
Listen to the music
(Photo: Ariel Jerozolimski/The Jerusalem Post)
But at the Ron Shulamit Music Conservatory in the Har Nof neighborhood of Jerusalem, haredi women of all ages (from age 7 through adulthood) are not only learning the classical canon on their instruments of choice, but many are going on to graduate from a BA program and enter the work force as music teachers.
The 15-year-old institution is slowly changing perceptions – that of the girls and their families toward the outside secular world of culture, and also of society’s accepted but tainted view of the haredi world as a backwards society where culture is disdained and scorned.
Maybe somewhere, a middle ground exists where the truth lies. And if the Ron Shulamit conservatory is involved, then surely there’s music playing.
I recently visited the conservatory and sat in on some classes. These girls are serious – and very talented. They tackle the music with the same tenacity as they would Torah studies. And, according to the staff, the fact that they’re coming to the field with zero knowledge (since most of them don’t have stereos or TVs at home), it provides a freshness to their approach to music.
“When they hear a piece of music, this is the first time they’re hearing it – and their reaction is ‘wow!’ It’s a discovery,” Rina Shieffer, the conductor of the conservatory’s student orchestra, told me. “Everyone’s heard Beethoven’s 5th a million times, but for these girls, it’s all new. They play in an exciting manner and are interested in all the details.”
Non-haredi Israelis still have plenty problems with the haredi population here – issues of welfare for big families, refusal of most of them to serve in the army, Shabbat road closures, etc..
But there shouldn’t be anyone to argue against adding this element of culture into their lives, and enabling haredi young women to find their voices and learn a skill that will enable their families to perhaps leave the welfare line. More power to the Ron Shulamit Conservatory.
Foto Friday – Israel Weathering the Storms
Israel has quite a lot of weather these days – which is pretty amazing considering that only less than a generation ago, we had no weather at all.
Photo by Zohar Shachar
More accurately put, we had no weather report. Before the advent of Channel 2 and cute-as-a-button weatherman Dani Rupp, each evening we were treated to the following day’s temperatures, but were given no indication as to where the winds were blowing in from. There were no maps, no Arab countries to blame for making sandstorms or Russians and Europeans to accuse for sending in cold fronts. Not like today, when any Israeli can access a weather satellite view online — or just watch the evening news — and be treated to sights like this one. Here’s what the weather is like today… and it’s not getting any better. Look at what’s sweeping in from Europe. Thanks a whole lot, Europe!
Source: Sat24.com
Today, Israel’s amateur weather buffs (like Jessica’s niece) brave rain, thunder, lightening, hurricanes and flash floods — all in the hope of getting a snap of that perfect storm…
Photo by Prof. Haim Kutiel
They then upload them to sites like IsraelWeather.co.il, run by forecaster Boaz Dayan. The site has shots of unusual weather phenomena, like this squared-off lightening bolt…
Photo by The Chessmaster
…and this water spout.
Photo by Noam Halfon, Nahariya.
It’s worth checking out, especially as Israel is finally getting a good watering. Now we can look forward to a bright green spring.
Photo by Revital BA, Kiryat Shemona
Snow patrol
From the last big snowstorm
With Jerusalem on the verge of its bi-annual one-day snowstorm, I was reminded of the last time the white stuff blanketed the Judean Hills.
I’ll be the first to admit it. I’m not a big snow fan. It’s not that I don’t appreciate the beauty of a snowy day, I do. It’s very pleasant to look at…from a distance. But up close, it’s just so darn inconvenient. Especially in Jerusalem where everything shuts down. Completely.
In other locations around the world, a little snow means you might have to drive a little slower or put chains on your car tires. In Jerusalem, the city is paralyzed. Schools are closed. Supermarkets don’t receive deliveries. Bus service is canceled. Last time it snowed, even the trendy new Waffle Bar in our neighborhood was shut tight. I mean, what more could you want than a hot caramel and whip cream covered waffle on a cold snowy night, but no…
People who live outside of Israel don’t expect snow in Jerusalem. With our baking hot summers and close proximity to the Dead Sea, it’s easy to forget the city is perched on the top of a mountain, at an elevation of 2500 feet.
My worst snow experience in Israel by far was several years ago. It was during the time I was working in Tel Aviv. I needed to get back home but as I set out from my office, the news was reporting that the main highway to Jerusalem was closed. But Highway 443, which I’ve written about before, was still flowing, albeit slowly.
As I approached the summit near Givat Ze’ev, the snow became thicker and visibility dropped to just a few inches. Cars were skidding off the road, the sides of which were lined with people who’d gotten out of their non-functional vehicles and were actually walking in the meter high snow drifts, where to I don’t know. There was a bus turned over on its side.
I got on the cell phone with my wife and she talked me through three hours of the most treacherous driving I’ve ever experienced. There were times when other drivers whose vehicles had already skidded into oblivion physically guided my car when I could neither see nor steer. I was so traumatized I didn’t go back to work for the rest of the week. And don’t ask me about the phone bill (fortunately the company was paying).
These days, I work from home. That doesn’t entirely ameliorate my distaste for the Jerusalem version of the proverbial winter wonderland. But with everything I need just a 30 second commute away, I say: bring it on snow, I’m ready for you this time.
Super group jams in Jerusalem
Pat Boone the day after his jam session
Imagine being a guest at the luxury David Citadel Hotel and coming back after a long day of touring around. In the lobby, you hear some strains of music and clapping coming from the grand ballroom downstairs, so you head on down to check it out.
Opening the doors, you, indeed, see some musicians gathered having a grand old time playing some early rock & roll, some blues and some country to an appreciative crowd of 150 or so American guests of the hotel.
Only on closer inspection do you realize that among the players are:
1- Former presidential candidate Mike Huckabee on bass
2- Legendary ’50s and beyond entertainer Pat Boone on vocals
3 – FOX News Jerusalem correspondent Mike Tobin on guitar.
Well, this lineup really did get together this week – Huckabee has been here with two busloads of mostly Christian American supporters, among them Boone, and his wife and granddaughter. Tobin, who regularly plays in a local band with standout guitarist Bradley Fish, asked his FOX colleague Huckabee, who’s an accomplished bassist, if he wanted to sit in with them. And Huckabee upped the ante by inviting Tobin and Fish to the hotel to jam with him and with Boone, who’s sold millions of records and was Elvis Presely’s nice guy alter ego in the 1950s.
“How could I pass up the opportunity to play with Pat Boone?” asked Tobin, recounting the evening to me.
The result was an eclectic session featuring impromptu renditions of “Ain’t That A Shame” (a hit for both Fats Domino and Boone), Roger Miller’s “King of the Road,” and a stirring rendition of the “Theme to Exodus, lyrics which were written in the early 1960s by Boone.
According to witnesses, many of the Christian supporters of Israel in the room were left with teary eyes. Boone called the song the “second Jewish national anthem” after Hatikva, and apparently, from the crowd’s reaction, he may be right.
From paradise to a parking lot to a high rise
The gates are closed at the Mahane Yehuda parking lot.
I’m not sure if Joni Mitchell meant that for the continuation of her lyrics to “Big Yellow Taxi” but it seems to be the modus operandi in Jerusalem, at least for the parking lot next to the Mahane Yehuda fruit and vegetable shuk.
The huge area, on the corner of the capital’s Jaffa Road and Shmuel Hanavi St. has been the one saving grace of going downtown in recent years – it’s the only outside, spacious parking lot around and has serviced the shuk shoppers as well as anyone else brave enough to dare to tread downtown during the construction of the light rail tracks.
So imagine my surprise today, when walking past it, I noticed that the lot was closed, the exits gated off, the pavement boasting huge holes in it, and one of those gigantor signs announcing yet another luxury high rise to be built on the premises.
Just what we need in Jerusalem – less convenient parking and more outrageously priced apartments that will be bought by foreigners who will leave them empty 50 weeks a year. Way to go, city hall. And Joni, if you want to do a new version of “Big Yellow Taxi,” you can use my idea without credit.
Homeward bound
Well, my niece Elisheva is finally back from her six months of post-army travel, the last four of which were in South America. We’re all breathing a sigh of relief that she’s back, safe and sound, even though she was in pretty steady touch through Facebook, Skype and all the other usual communication methods of the 21st century.
Still, it was great to finally set eyes on her today, and witness the changes in this now better-traveled twentysomething. I wouldn’t have necessarily pegged her for the adventurous type prior to her trip, but after hearing the tales of her treks and trips through South America, it’s obvious that the bug has bitten our Shev-Shev, and she’ll be heading off again to North America, Central America and god knows where else before she buckles down for some university studies.
For now, though, I’m enjoying the small, but pertinent details of her travel lifestyle. The small stud in her nose, her browned skin, her habit of saying Salut instead of Labriut or God bless you, when someone sneezes. That’s clearly courtesy of her travel friends, which included Israelis, Germans and Belgians. And they’re all threatening to come to Israel in the near future, so we may get to meet Carl, Hans and the other members of the crew.
Finally, and maybe surprisingly, she’s been settling back into Israeli life pretty easily, greeting friends and family who are coming ’round to see her, and enjoying the simple pleasures of home life, from a full fridge to hot water whenever you shower. Shev shev, we’re very happy to have you home, for as long as that lasts.
Fit for a King (David)
We’re used to heads of state coming to Jerusalem, with the flags of the visitor’s country unfurled throughout the city, and their motorcades causing traffic jams wherever they go.
But what about the hotels where they stay and the accomodations and special needs required to host VIPs during their visits here?
With Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi and his huge entourage enroute to Israel on Monday, The Jerusalem Post focused on what the King David Hotel – the traditional resting hole for heads of state – is doing to prepare for the visit.
The King David’s Old World lobby is full of photos and signatures of the leaders and celebrities who have stayed there over the years, and in recent time, the person in charge of making sure they’re comfortable and pampered in their hours spent at the hotel has been Sheldon Ritz, the deputy general manager.
We’ve share a couple meals together over the years at mutual friends, and Sheldon, originally from England, is a charming, calm fellow. But all bets are off when he’s preparing for a state visit.
The Italian delegation has booked 200 rooms for their two-and-a-half day stay, and Ritz told the Post that he has had ‘thousands’ of phone calls between the Italian Embassy in Tel Aviv, the Italian Foreign Ministry and the Prime Minister’s Office in Rome, as well as the Israel Foreign Ministry, the Prime Minister’s Office and the Shin Bet (Israel Security Agency) in Jerusalem to make sure everything is set up as required.
The biggest headache for Ritz and his staff is blocking off the rooms, so that the ministers are in one section, the journalists in another, security people in another and other members of the entourage in yet another.
“It’s like trying to seat people at a wedding,” said Ritz. “There are a lot of things to take into consideration.
Among Berlusconi’s likes and dislikes that Ritz has to worry about? he dislikes goats cheese and sheep cheese. He doesn’t eat animal fats, he doesn’t want perfumed flowers in his room and he likes his bed to be made French style – meaning that the covers are tucked in at the base.
The King David will also host a state dinner for Berlusconi, which will feature entrecote steak and lamb cutlets with four seasons pepper sauce.
While the Italian premier hasn’t asked for any special exercise equipment to be at his disposal, he can always partake of the hotel’s one outdoor tennis court. I played there on Friday, and can attest that it’s in tiptop shape.
It would be interesting to find out if Berlusconi, who’s just as well known for his prediliction for beautiful women as he his for his diplomatic achievements, has requested the company of any Israeli beauties. However that’s the precise reason so many important people stay at the King David – it’s far too discreet to disclose anything like that.
Subscribe
Subscribe to Israelity via email:
Social Media
Categories
- A New Reality
- Art
- Blogging
- Business
- coexistence
- Crime
- design
- Environment
- Food
- Foto Friday
- General
- health
- History and Culture
- Holidays
- Immigrant Moments
- Israeliness
- Life
- Medical Breakthroughs
- Movies
- Music
- Nostalgia Sunday
- Picture of the Week
- Politics
- Pop Culture
- Profiles
- Religion
- Social Justice
- Sports
- Technology
- Travel
- tv
- War
The Face of Israel Today
-
About Israelity
Free newsletter
Stories from ISRAEL21c.orgPopular Posts