Art in Umm el-Fahem

October 25, 2011 by · 2 Comments
Filed under: Art 

Ammar Younis has an exhibit at the Umm el-Fahem Art Gallery

We visited one of Israel’s most unusual museums last week. The Umm el-Fahem Art Gallery, in the Israeli Arab town of the same name, is a small gem, way off the usual museum track, and absolutely worth the visit if you’re traveling between Tel Aviv and the Sea of Galilee…and even if you’re not.

The Gallery houses several rotating exhibitions and a permanent floor exploring the history of Umm el-Fahem and the greater Wadi Ara environs. The Gallery’s aim is to bring contemporary art of all types – not just from Arab and Palestinian artists – to an area that has been mostly devoid of museums of this kind.

To wit, the current exhibitions include a series of striking portraits of men and women from Arab villages, adorned by jewels and beads glued on top of the paintings themselves, by artist Fatma Abu Rumi; impressionistic images of cityscapes from the Former Soviet Union by Nidal Gabarin, who left Israel to train in Russia; a collection of large framed photographs from Ammar Younis, all of which prominently feature donkeys in often amusing settings; and a playful exhibition of ceramic sculptures by Jewish artist Rafi Munz which adorn the Gallery’s rooftop, overlooking the sprawling town with its 50,000 inhabitants.

The Gallery’s biggest claim to fame, perhaps, was the 1999 exhibition of Yoko Ono’s “Open Window.”

We visited the Art Gallery with a group of 30 other Jerusalemites and were hosted by 55-year-old Said Abu-Shakra, the gallery’s founder and director who is an artist himself and a former policeman. He laid out his vision for the future of art in Umm el-Fahem.

The Art Gallery was founded in 1996 in a 100 square meter space. A few years ago, it moved to its current location with 1,500 meters on three floors. Abu-Shakra has commissioned plans that will expand the gallery again in a stunning architectural design that will hang over the Umm el-Fahem’s main street.

Local residents don’t tend to visit art galleries, Abu-Shakra told the group. So the design will force people to pass under the building, coming at least into proximity to the gallery. Abu-Shakra hopes that some of those transversing the town will eventually stop and visit the gallery itself.

“We knew the cultural situation in Umm el-Fahem and most of the Arab sector was close to zero,” Abu-Shakra said in an interview with Arieh O’Sullivan earlier this year. “But I’m not blaming anyone. I’m here to build.”

Abu-Shakra provided an example in an interview with Hadassah Magazine. He invited his neighbor Yousef, a gardener, to the opening, he explained. “The next day I saw him and said ‘Hey Yousef, why didn’t you come?’ And Yousef said: ‘I did come, with my two sons, but we stood in the door and looked in and when I saw all those fancy people inside with suits and ties, I looked at myself and said, this isn’t for me, and I went home.’ Yousef represents 80 percent of the people here. My challenge is how to reach these people and make them feel part of what we are doing.

Building won’t be cheap: the plan for the new museum, which has been allocated a 4-acre plot, requires a not insignificant $40 million to be realized. Abu-Shakra said he’s willing to build in phases.

An art gallery in Umm el-Fahem is all the more surprising given the town’s recent, violent history. In October 2000, three residents were killed by Israeli police during riots that swept through the Wadi Ara region. Then, in March 2009, members of the Israeli right marched through the town (under police protection), resulting in clashes in which 16 were wounded.

The Gallery receives some money from the Israeli Ministry of Culture, as well from donors abroad. It’s hard to raise money from the local population, Abu-Shakra said, which is struggling just to make ends meet amid severe poverty and unemployment. Some 40,000 visitors came in 2010. If Abu-Shakra has his way, that will increase dramatically.

If you like discovering the off-beat or lesser known attractions in Israel, now is the time to visit – before the Umm el-Fahem Art Gallery becomes the next big thing.

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‘Disaster diplomacy’ doesn’t get off the ground for Israel, Turkey

October 25, 2011 by · Leave a Comment
Filed under: A New Reality, coexistence, General, Israeliness, News, Politics, Social Justice 

IDF rescue personnel transport Kenyans injured in a 2006 earthquake.

Israel shouldn’t feel badly that Turkey has turned down its offer to send crack rescue teams and doctors to assist in searching for victims and those injured in the 7.2 magnitude earthquake that hit the southeastern part of the country on Sunday.

They’ve also rejected offers from a lot of other countries, preferring to handle the disaster aftermath which has left over 200 dead by themselves. That’s too bad, because Israel has vast experience in finding survivors of disasters, not only from our own wealth of experience due to terror attacks but also from sending teams in the past to Haiti, Thailand, and yes, to Turkey when another quake hit in 1999.

It’s also too bad, because despite the overtures Israel keeps making to Turkey – whether it be this attempt at ‘disaster diplomacy’ or when Prime Minister Netanyahu and President Peres sent condolences to Turkish leader Erdogan following the death of his mother last month – there hasn’t been much repricocity ever since IDF soldiers killed nine Turkish citizens in May 2010 as it halted a flotilla from breaking the Gaza blockade.

Turkey did send firefighters to help Israel battle the massive Carmel fire in December last year, but it didn’t really change anything on the diplomatic front. Yesterday, Netanyahu called Erdogan according to The Jerusalem Post, this time to personally offer assistance with the earthquake recovery efforts Erdogan thanked Netanyahu for his concern and for the offer of support.
Turkish officials in Ankara rejected charges that they have refused Israeli assistance because of the poor relations between the two governments, and said the decision wasn’t politically motivated. And since they’ve rejected offers of help from other countries, including the US, they’re probably being truthful. But at the same time, it doesn’t look like relations between Israel and Turkey are going to thaw anytime soon.

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Nostalgia Sunday – Tmol Shilshom

October 23, 2011 by · Leave a Comment
Filed under: Art, Food, General, History and Culture, Israeliness, Life, Nostalgia Sunday, Pop Culture, Profiles, Travel 

Some places some are born nostalgic, some achieve nostalgia and some have nostalgia thrust upon them. Bookstore-cafe Tmol Shilshom is all three. Founded in 1994, the location alone — a 130 year-old building on Jerusalem’s winding cobblestone Nahalat Shiva street — would be enough to guarantee a sense of days gone by. And then there’s the name, the phrase “tmol-shilshom” which can be translated as “those were the days”. See? Born nostalgic.

Tmol Shilshom quickly became a fixture on Jerusalem’s literary landscape as a venue for Israel’s best known writers to read from their works. The late Yehuda Amichai, who read from his poetry at the cafe’s opening, was one of its major patrons: his favorite chair still stands in the corner. And so, despite its youth (as compared with other of the city’s older establishments), Tmol Shilshom has acquired a antiqued patina.

In 1996, the cafe expanded to include two separate seating areas, one hall frequently accommodating literary or other events, the other serving regular customers.

Like most public venues in Jerusalem, particularly those in the center of town, Tmol Shilshom was greatly affected by the second Intifada. Frequent terrorist attacks made people afraid to venture out. Many businesses closed but Tmol Shilshom weathered the storm, or, as their website pluckily puts it: “Having survived all that, we’re now one of the veteran and favorite cafes in town. Some people like us for the food, others for the books, and others yet for the atmosphere. There`s always something to do at Tmol Shilshom.”

Despite being classified as a bookstore-cafe, Tmol Shilshom is really more of a bistro if you look at the menu (highly recommended), and their Friday morning breakfast buffet is legendary.

The interior is lined with bookshelves, framed pictures, snapshots of famous patrons and even the menus, covered with images from literary classics, hark back to yesteryear. And then there are the plates — decorated with quotations — and of course, the hot beverage glasses with their metal holders, just like grandma’s.

And the place-mats, which quote both Lewis Carroll’s Alice in Wonderland and The Jefferson Airplane’s Go Ask Alice. (Click on image to view full-sized). Trippy…

Other well-know authors and poets — Amos Oz, A.B. Yehoshua, Batya Gur, David Grossman, Jonathan Safran-Foer and others — have frequented Tmol Shilshom as well; the place prides itself on being an inspiring atmosphere in which writers can park themselves at a table and nurse a cup of coffee for hours upon hours.

Tmol Shilshom also encourages talent by hosting writers groups and classes. Upcoming is The Book of Beginnings: From the first family’s story to your own (26 October – 28 December 2011) is an English-language creative writing workshop with writer Ilene Prusher, who will guide students in writing fiction and/or nonfiction works inspired by the family stories, inter-generational struggles and complicated relationships in the Book of Genesis.

Writer Judy Labensohn has for several years been conducting an English-language “Writing Gym” at Tmol Shilshom, where she promises there will be “No sore muscles, as in other gyms”. Called Loosen Up, the program is scheduled to resume in 2012.

You can check out CultureKey Jerusalem for other upcoming events at Tmol Shilshom.

Tmol Shilshom is located at 5 Yoel Solomon Street. Open Sunday-Thursday, 9 a.m. till 1 a.m. Closes early on Fridays, closed on Shabbat. Click here for 10% discount coupon from Eluna.com.

Photos by Ella Cohen, Ivan Tihienko

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Gilad’s shirt

October 23, 2011 by · 1 Comment
Filed under: coexistence, design, General, Israeliness, Life, News, Politics, tv 

You may have read this already, but it’s too good to miss. Remember that shirt Gilad was wearing when first handed over — and first interviewed on TV — by the Egyptians last week?

It was probably mostly polyester, a blue-and-white collar (any significance to that?), with epaulets and a small blue-red-and-and white check. Not very attractive, and not a great look for the emaciated Gilad, but it seems to have become a fashion trend in Gaza.

Stores in Gaza are offering ‘The Shalit shirt’ in a wide range of colors, for a reasonable NIS 60, which is around $17. And it’s not just Gazans who are fans of the shirt; there are at least two Facebook pages that have been created, devoted to Gilad Shalit’s shirt.

Upon closer perusal, one page appears to be a front for some anti-Israel sentiments. But the other has become a kind of conversation, mostly unpleasant, but a forum of sorts for Arabs and Jews to write both nasty and conciliatory comments toward one another, and not about Palestinian menswear. And they’re on the same page because they’ll both ‘like’ a Gilad Shalit shirt page, but wouldn’t normally look for each other on Facebook.

Coexistence? No, not really. But does it mean anything positive to have Gazans wearing Gilad’s Egyptian shirt?

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Egypt involved in another Israeli prisoner release

October 22, 2011 by · Leave a Comment
Filed under: A New Reality, coexistence, General, Israeliness, Life, News, Politics, Social Justice 

Ilan Grapel.

Egypt is certainly busy these days. Only a few days after Egyptian security officials helped to implement the deal that sent IDF soldier Gilad Schalit home in the lopsided prisoner exchange with Hamas, another unjustly held Israeli is about to be freed, according to Egyptian media reports.

Israel and Egypt are putting the “finishing touches” on a list of prisoners to be freed in exchange for Ilan Grapel. Grapel is a US-Israeli dual citizen that Egypt has charged with spying, sedition and inciting Egyptians to violence during the 18-day revolution that unseated president Hosni Mubarak. The 27-year-old’s release was reportedly worked out as part of the deal that brought home Schalit, but it’s unclear when exactly the exchange is going to take place.

Grapel emigrated to Israel in 2005 from New York and served in the IDF during the 2006 Lebanon War, where he was wounded in action. Currently enrolled as a law student at Emory University in Atlanta, Grapel was at the time of his arrest working for Saint Andrew’s Refugee Services, a non-governmental organization, in Cairo. Friends, family and US and Israeli officials have all dismissed the charges against him as “bizarre” and “ludicrous” and some point to photos Grapel posted on his Facebook page of himself in Cairo as proof that he was no spy.

If Grapel is really released this week, it would be fitting for a Schalt-Grapel meeting to take place. I’m sure they’d have something to talk about. And Israelis would have another reason to cheer.

Maybe we should get Egypt involved in the medical residents’ dispute with the Health Ministry.

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