The Summer You Don’t See

August 23, 2005 by · Leave a Comment
Filed under: General, Israeliness, Life 

At times this summer it seemed that only one thing was happening here. The fact that the one thing was hotly-debated, much-protested, potentially violent and generally unpleasant guaranteed plenty of international news coverage. But what about the Israeli summer you don’t see on television? Because for most Israelis, many of whom are not personally involved in the withdrawal from Gaza and parts of the West Bank, life goes on.

That’s not to say people aren’t paying attention. With live coverage of the actual evacuations, plus nightly in-depth analyses of the situation and it’s potential impact on Israeli society and security, it’s awfully hard to be unaware of the disengagement, even if you’re a teenager. Yesterday I had the opportunity to talk with several teenagers I know, to get their impressions, and to find out what was really on their minds.

The thing that strikes me again and again when talking about political matters with Israelis of all ages is that, unless the person is, for whatever reason, 100 percent committed to believing his is the only valid opinion, people have remarkably open and flexible minds. They are able to see the pros and cons of most situations, and not just all one or the other. Given the driven, impatient nature of so many Israelis, I am always surprised by this ability to remain open to the possibility of looking at something from a different perspective.

For example, Ran, age 13, told me yesterday that at the beginning of the summer, his sympathies lay almost completely with the settler families, who were going to be forced to leave their homes. After watching events unfold in recent days, he has come to appreciate the difficulty of the task facing the army and police forces carrying out the evacuations. Ran told me he has alot of respect for the soldiers, and the way in which they have carried out their onerous duty. He feels that the settlers and their supporters who have used verbal abuse and physical violence against the soldiers and police officers have gone too far, and to no purpose. Ran and I discussed several aspects of the disengagement, and I was impressed by how much thought he has given to each of them.

Still, Ran and the other teens at our house yesterday are, quite naturally, also concerned with issues that will affect their own lives directly. We were joined by several more people, and the conversation turned to such vital matters as who will be the math teacher this year, and how the students think they will do on the standardized tests that are a part of every eighth grader’s academic experience. The start of the school year in a matter of days was bemoaned. A late arrival to the party was greeted with shouts and hugs, and asked about her trip to France. Plans were made for a bowling get-together later in the week. Pizza and ice tea were consumed with great enthusiasm, and the in-pool volleyball game was resumed with renewed energy.

Such is the stuff that summers, even Israeli ones, are made of.

This entry is also posted on my website Postcards from Israel.

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Petel is Hebrew for “what else you got?”

August 12, 2005 by · 3 Comments
Filed under: Food 

The fact that Israeli children grow up with a different set of cultural markers – amongst which are gastronomical components unimaginable to the average non-Israeli consumer – should come as no surprise.

I present to you Petel, which actually means raspberry. In this case, a sugary syrup that, when mixed with water (about one part syrup, eight parts H2O) becomes a horrible beverage. However, it is important to point out, that the word petel has become the generic name for all syrups of this sort – in the same manner as Q-tip, Kleenex, Vaseline and various other homosexual paraphernalia. I imagine that this is because when god first made this crap, raspberry was the only flavor available. Now that god has taken on an extensive support staff of rabbis and “children lovers” the line has expanded to include grape, apple, lemon, grapefruit and people.

Oddly enough, albeit often enough, something (most often music and the bible) is deemed worthy for nothing more than the fact that people remember it. Such is petel – Israelis continue to drink and torture each successive generation, as children and soldiers, with this vile swill.

Please allow me to describe the experience of making and drinking ‘the stuff of heebs.” As you might notice, the product I will be using is the original raspberry flavor (also available in diet). This bottle is produced by the Assis brand – not a popular brand.

picture A

With all your ingredients properly laid out, it is best to start with the syrup, add balance water, then stir.

picture B1Picture B2picture B3

Now that the preparations are complete it is time to enjoy – a catch-22, since enjoying petel is as elusive as a secular Anglo in Jerusalem. Drink!

picture C

When it first crosses your lips there is an immediate sense of euphoria. And, one thought circles in your head, “I’m gonna drink the whole thing. Oh boy!” Unfortunately, as soon as it takes the taste to kick in, combined with the nauseating effect of a singular thought circling in your head, sickness sets in. For this reason, the drinker often chugs the potent petel potion as it is a race to finish before the queasiness has time to really settle in. Upon finishing that last drop, the drinker immediately questions his actions, swears off the stuff for good, recalls that money’s too tight for real juice, then quickly mixes up another cup.

picture D

A toast, to idiocy!

picture E1picture E2

I don’t cross-post, so there’s some completely different shit to read at Ari Lives in Israel.

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Packing Up

August 12, 2005 by · Leave a Comment
Filed under: General, Immigrant Moments 

If you want to vicariously live through the hectic experience of packing up your belongings and moving to Israel, Katie-Yael’s blog Oleh Girl is a must-read these days.

You can feel the stress coming through the computer screen….

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