Exciting News for Booklovers

October 12, 2006 by · Leave a Comment
Filed under: Business, Immigrant Moments 

Welcome news for those of us who desperately miss Barnes & Noble:

Marking a change in strategy from its smaller, walk-in stores, Steimatzky is preparing to open its first cafe-style bookstore in Jerusalem by Pessah next year.

“The new store will be bigger, will have a sit down caf area and will offer DVDs and music, but the main theme will, of course, be books,” said Roee Freibach, newly appointed vice president marketing and sales at Steimatzky.

The store will cover about 750 square meters, compared to the average 60-100 square meter stores the chain currently operates and will be located in the new Mamilla development opposite the Old City’s Jaffa Gate. Freibach said the store’s opening was pending completion of the development, which has been plagued by delays and legal complications. Freibach added that he has been told the section where Steimatzky will be located will be ready by April 2007.

Rather than comparing the new store to the popular Barnes & Noble stores in the US, Freibach said it would be on a smaller scale and more be in the mould of the French chain “Fnac,” which combines the book theme with sales of electronic and music products and gives customers the opportunity to buy coffee and sit in the store viewing the products.

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Free Hugs II . . . coming soon to a roadblock near you?

October 12, 2006 by · Leave a Comment
Filed under: A New Reality, Israeliness, Politics, Pop Culture 

The Free Hugs movement in Israel (video posted on Israelity here) is gaining momentum, and Yohay is thinking about taking it to the West Bank:

Contrary to my previous experience, this time I wasn’t cynical. It was quite fun. At the end, I also raised a Free Hug sign and offered hugs. I had to work hard to convince someone to come out of the car and hug me, but it was nice. I missed out on the media celebration (working late). Well, like this I got to speak to the people behind this campaign. Maybe knowing the people helps you get closer to the whole campaign. I also got to know a few other nice people that joined in like myself. Everybody was very nice. I guess that when you hug a stranger, you instantly feel like you can open up to them.

The main guy behind it set a goal of 10,000 hugs. Well, after the push from the media, I’m sure that he and his companions will get lots of help from people who were exposed to this great campaign. I heard that other groups in Israel consider opening “branches” in other places across the country.

Except reporting, where am I in all this story? Well, I came from curiosity, and then was asked for pictures, which of course I gave. Now I’m sure that they have lots of material. Tonight I spent an hour with these good people, participated shortly, and talked to them. I can now say that I am a supporter.

And what’s next? My political mind threw a joke at the end of my previous post, about trying this thing in West Bank blockades. Meanwhile I found out that I wasn’t the sole person thinking about this issue. So, there is some chance that this joke I popped will turn into something that I’ll do. I’m sure that this is far from the intentions of the initiators of the campaign. They just want to hug, be hugged and create warmth between people, not sexual and not political. Going with such a sign to hug Israeli soldiers and Palestinians will have a political left wing stamp. When you are hugging passers by in Tel Aviv, it is different from stepping out and hugging people who you usually hate. Well, l still have to think it over, and see if and how to do it.

Anyway, I had lots of fun with the good people handing out free hugs for everyone. A Hebrew post will shortly follow.

And I hope to report from the next free hugs!

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Younger, but not as spry

October 12, 2006 by · Leave a Comment
Filed under: General, Holidays, Immigrant Moments, Life, Travel 

On a sukkot-festival hike on Mount Carmel, Jerusalem Gypsy discovers where she sits on the fitness spectrum:

It was organized by an English speaking group called ESRA (English Speaking Residents Association). The hike was classified as being “moderate” but I’m always nervous about heights and those extremely narrow and seemingly dangerous hiking paths that one slip off can land you down a cliff. And there are no railings to hang onto. What is moderate for some people can be awfully difficult for others. As the bus picked up more passengers from Raanana, Hadera, Netanya, I noticed most were older than me – in their 50′s and 60′s – and some even in their early 70s. I no longer felt frightened of the “moderacy” of the hike and figured it HAS to be on the easy side for these people.

I was quite wrong. These people outpaced me for most of the hike, as I lagged behind among the 1/3 lagging behind. We continuously climbed over rocks to get up the mountain in Wadi Bustan, dodging branches overhead and thorns on our sides. I felt the Fall season as I tread on brown leaves beneath my feet. The Fall season was something I always missed (however briefly) from Canada. I missed walking on these giant fallen multicolored maple leaves. These leaves weren’t maple leaves – I think they were mostly acorn leaves, as there were an abundance of acorn and carob trees on our paths. At the end the path was steep and narrow I quipped that only an anti-semite could have drawn up these JNF (Jerusalem National Forest) trails. Three hours later we were on top of the mountain, having our lunch, me looking longingly at the luxurious Carmel Forest Spa across from us. Man – what would I give for a nice dip in a jacuzzi. It was hot and we were all sweaty. The view of the sea was magnificent from the summit and I felt my feet giving way, but fortunately for me others did too. The guide wanted to go another two hours. We had already hiked five. We asked him for a shorter route. That would take an hour. The way down the mountain was more pleasant and I was jealous at these sixty-something men whizzing by me effortlessly.

A photo from her hike:
carmel hike

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‘Mike’s Place,’ Tel Aviv keeps rockin’ the blues

October 12, 2006 by · Leave a Comment
Filed under: Art, General, Israeliness, Life, Pop Culture, War 
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Blues jammers extrordinaire, Dov and Assaf put on a great show for the crowd at Mike’s Place bar, on the Tel Aviv shore Wednesday night, Oct, 11.

The nationally famous pub was the scene of a suicide bombing on 30.4.2003 that killed three and wounded over 50, perpetrated by two Hamas – dispatched British Muslims.

Despite the lethal attack, Mike’s Place reopened on Israel’s Independence Day, and continues hosting a full house most nights and is a blues and classic rock-and-roll magnet in Israel.

More about Mike’s Place: here, here, and a feature-length film, “Blues By The Beach.“

More about Dov and Assaf is here.

(Cross-posted at Israel At Level Ground)

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Bring Back the Noise

October 12, 2006 by · Leave a Comment
Filed under: Holidays 

In a post about “memories of Sukkot-holidays past,” StillRuleAll touches on one of the more annoying aspects of the holiday, for those of us who go to sleep early: The noise from the many festive parties in people’s sukkahs, some of which run well into the night. StillRuleAll was part of the party in Bet Shemesh, where Americans flock every Sukkot for the annual music concert there, but got his own back soon enough:

We went to the Bet Shemesh concert tonight. It was fun, although definitely a different feeling then when I went there drunk as a single guy. I called a friend of mine who lives in Bet Shemesh and he met me there. He lives opposite the field where the concert was, and I laughed as he told me how every year all the Americans pile into their area and blast music until late. All the neighbors are Israeli, and he only came to the concert to meet me. I laughed at him some more and reminded him that not only does he have to deal with the noise, but his tax dollars help pay for it. Then I went home, and Mercaz HaRav is having a simchat Bet Hashuava, with music blaring into our house from across the street. It’s around 12:30 AM, and they have cut to quieter songs, but we still feel it.

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