Give & Ye Shall Receive

February 27, 2007 by · Leave a Comment
Filed under: Art, History and Culture, Life 

World-class violinist Hagai Shaham has performed solo with the English Chamber Orchestra, Orchestre Symphonique Francais, SWF Baden-Baden Symphony Orchestra and he was invited to play Carnegie Hall with Isaac Stern and Pinchas Zukerman.

He chooses to make his mark back home in Israel, though, by giving back. A story in today’s (Hebrew) Maariv says Shaham is very involved in bringing quality music instruction to children living in Israel’s “periphery areas”.

The initiative probably stems from Shaham’s childhood experience of traveling 3 hours to and from his periphery neighborhood to violin lessons.

Whatever the reason, goodonya.

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Batta Batta Batta Batta….Swing!

February 26, 2007 by · Leave a Comment
Filed under: A New Reality, History and Culture, Immigrant Moments, Life, Sports 

If this article proves accurate, then get the beer a chillin’ and throw those ballpark franks onto the grill.

Ex-Yankee turned manager Ron Blomberg is headed this way to see about making a dent in Israeli society: He’s bringing baseball (or the closest thing to it) with. Although the article is filled to the brim with Blomberg quotes, aside from saying he’s bringing over baseball and that he’ll manage Beit Shemesh’s Blue Sox team, it’s hard to decipher exactly what his plan of action is…

And isn’t there a fast pitch league already in full swing? Yes there is. My friend Goose Gillette is one of the founders.

But in the interim, have a quote:
“All of the Americans that are over in Israel miss the game of baseball. I think they will support it,” Blomberg affirmed.

I think, Mr. B., you are right.

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RIP, Anna Honey

February 25, 2007 by · 1 Comment
Filed under: A New Reality, History and Culture, Israeliness, Pop Culture 

Rinat over at Balagan has captured the essence of Israeli humor with this posting about the very Israeli take on the recent Anna Nicole Smith death.

En route home from a friend’s place in Tel Aviv, Rinat captured this image on her cellphone camera

It’s a typical mourning notice posted outside Israeli homes when a family member or friend has passed on. However, this one is for Anna Nicole Smith. Last time I checked, Ms. Anna had NOT taken up residence on Tel Aviv’s Rothschild Boulevard prior to her demise. The announcement reads:

“We’re shocked by the premature death of the …playmate Anna Nicole Smith. Following a 30-day mourning period, a rememberance ceremony will be held at the Cliff Disco in Jaffa… Sincerely, The Bereaved Family: PAG, My Space, Notorious Gay and Electro Panics“*

*popular Tel Aviv party venues/sponsors

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Jesus’ Burial Site?

February 24, 2007 by · 3 Comments
Filed under: History and Culture, Life, Pop Culture 

Documentary filmmakers are saying Jesus’ final resting spot has been discovered in Jerusalem; if it’s true, it’s gonna set the religious and archeological worlds ‘a spinnin’.

According to this story, Oscar winning director James Cameron along with Emmy winning filmmaker Simcha Jacobovici will hold a press conference in New York on Monday explaining their theory and the premise for the film.

The story starts in 1980 in Jerusalem’s Talpiyot neighborhood, with the discovery of a 2,000 year old cave containing ten coffins. Six of the ten coffins were carved with inscriptions reading the names: Jesua son of Joseph, Mary, Mary, Matthew, Jofa (Joseph, identified as Jesus’ brother), Judah son of Jesua (Jesus’ son – the filmmakers claim).

The film took three years to complete and is slated (when, the article doesn’t say) to air on The Discovery Channel, England’s Channel 4 and Israel’s Channel 8. Wah Wah Wee Wah

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What to Think?

February 23, 2007 by · Leave a Comment
Filed under: A New Reality, History and Culture, Immigrant Moments, Israeliness, Politics 

After years of not living in Israel, I moved back to Tel Aviv in 2005. For numerous reasons.

Since returning, I routinely run into old friends or acquaintances from the past and I re-visit old haunts.

Last week I stopped into my old fruit and vegetable vendors’. Their avocados were on sale so I figured it was a good excuse for stopping by to say “hey”.

I remember you…said one of the owners
You do? Likewise. You haven’t changed much. This is my son
Where were you all this time?
In San Francisco
Well…Welcome back!

A few seconds later, one of the vendor partners who had been listening to our exchange asked: “Why’d you come back? This country won’t be here much longer.”

Generally, or in the past, that statement would have been really funny. Because, you know, things are touch and go in this region and have been since….a very very very loooong time.

But because things are so tenuous or maybe because Iran is digging in on nuclear development or because Lebanon is a ticking bomb or because I have a child or because I’m older and humorless OR because the vendors live in Bakka Al Gharbiyah I took offense.

What? I thought. Do you have some kind of inside information I’m not privvy to?

Suddenly I was paranoid and suspicious and angry because the guy hit a nerve that is raw for many of us over here yonder. And I wish it weren’t so. And in fact I wasn’t even aware of the raw nerve until he hit it. And he probably didn’t mean it the way I understood it. And, and and…Merde.

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