Nostalgia Sunday – Take a Hike, Alte Zachen!
Filed under: A New Reality, General, History and Culture, Israeliness, Life, Nostalgia Sunday, Pop Culture
It’s the end of an era. Ynet News reported today that following six-year struggle, Tel Aviv has become the first city in Israel to prohibit the entry of horse-drawn carriages into its territory.” That phrase, “horse-drawn carriages” is a pretty euphemism for the age-old Jewish profession of dealing in rags, bones and bottles. In other words, alte zachen. (The phrase is used universally even though for most Israelis in the trade it is about the only Yiddish word they will ever know).
According to Ynet, “The Tel Aviv Municipality and the Ministry of Transportation recently completed the posting of 23 road signs across the city’s southern entry routes which ban the entry of horses. The step completes a six-year long struggle to remove metal traders and junk peddlers from the city, who do their business using horse-drawn carriages.” So, no more surrealistic traffic jams like this:
“Attorney Reuven Ladiansky, who was elected as a Tel Aviv Municipality representative a year ago together with his Latet Lihyot (Let Live) movement, led the campaign against horse labor in the city. He was joined by Councilman Dr. Moshe Tiomkin, who acts as head of the municipality’s Transport & Parking Authority.”
Kindness to animals is a value in which I believe – and trust me, legislation of this sort was necessary as the horses working in the service of the local rag n’ bone men never seemed to be the happiest of creatures. Nonetheless, part of me will miss the clash of images that was so emblematic of this country: modern 20th and 21st century electronics being transported by ancient means.
It’s also unclear how the Tel Aviv ban can possibly affect animal-drawn carriage use everywhere else in Israel and the Palestinian Authority, where beasts of burden have traditionally been, well… just that. It looks like organizations like Latet Lihyot, Hakol Chai and Safe Haven for Donkeys in the Holyland will still have plenty of work to do.
Foto Friday – Summer at the Safari
Filed under: Art, Environment, Foto Friday, General, Life, Travel
It’s hot!
I’m so warm, I don’t know whether I’m coming or going!
How about stepping over to the watering hole for a bit of refreshment…
Though it’s a bit crowded…
Probably best just to stay put.
Maybe have a light snack.
And wearing that heavy fur coat is certainly out of the question!
All of the above photos were taken at the Ramat Gan Safari and come courtesy of Sharpest Pictures.com, a unique collection of high-quality pictures about nature, animals, ancient and urban environments. The site’s founders are happy for educational institutions to make use of the photos, which are available free-of-charge. Individuals may also download, for personal use only. Enjoy and spread the word.
IDF recruits antelope to guard northern border
It seems that every week that the Israeli army is recruiting another member of the animal kingdom. The first was of course, Oketz, the combat canine unit, actually predates the IDF and founded in 1939 as part of the Haganah, the paramilitary organization that was a precursor to the Jewish State’s current army. During the last Lebanon war, the IDF used Llamas to schlep heavy loads. Success? Depends are who you want to believe. Back in 2006 the World Tribune reported that they were becoming an integral part of special forces.
After extensive tests, the uncomplaining work-horse animals were found to easily out-perform donkeys. What’s more, they need refueling only every other day. Military sources said the Israel Army plans to use llamas for reconnaissance and combat missions in enemy territory, Middle East Newsline reported. They described the llama as ideal for special operations missions in Lebanon against the Iranian-sponsored Hizbullah. “The llama is a quiet and disciplined animal that can carry huge loads,” a military source said. “Vehicles make noise and need roads and fuel. We’ve tried donkeys and they are not suitable for such missions.”
Though this piece in Salon from 2008 tells a different, albeit somewhat funny (and kind of sad) story.
The commander, Tal, tells me that during the last Lebanon war the Israeli army tried using llamas to carry the heavy loads needed for combat. But the experiment failed. “They ran right off to the Hezbollah fighters with our stuff,” Tal says. “We had to shoot them to keep our things from falling into the hands of Hezbollah.”
The latest recruit is the antelope – Eland antelope to be exact. No, they won’t be spending their time escorting elite commandos but rather do what they do best – grazing. Military bases have been using them for years to clear away shrubbery efficiently. Now a group of them have been placed in between the security fence and the international border to clear foliage so that the IDF will have a better view of the Lebanese side of the border reports Ha’aretz.
“They eat huge quantities of weeds, they are the D9 of weeds,” Ilan said, referring to the massive bulldozers the IDF uses to clear enemy territory. “They clean problematic areas, open trails and a view and prevent fires.”
I think the Navy should recruit sharks with laser beams attached to their heads.
Foto Friday – Hedgehogs in Tel Aviv
Israelis love hedgehogs. So much so that instead of Big Bird, the Israeli version of Sesame Street featured a large hedgehog named Kipi Kipod. This affinity makes sense because the hedgehog, like your typical Israeli sabra, is prickly on the outside, but cute and cuddly underneath. Well, at least, your typical sabra male would have you think so.
Anyway, back to the small spiny nocturnal insectivorous mammal of the subfamily Erinaceinae. Photographer Yuval Chen’s exhibition Hedgehog (Kipod) opened last week at the Artists’ House in Tel Aviv. Chen spent almost two years snapping shots of hedgehogs in the urban landscape. “I was looking for them in the middle of the night, several times in a week – I found them many times on the grass in the yards of the buildings.”
Chen spends his days working as a photojournalist at daily newspaper Yedihot Aharonot. The exhibition, he says, examines nature and man, and asks whether these are opposing or collaborative forces. Chen notes that the images anthropomorphize the lives of hedgehogs dwelling in the city by contrasting them with human life, but that all of his subjects are Tel Aviv residents.
Here are a few images from the Hedgehog exhibition; more can be found at Chen’s Facebook page or at the Artists’ House where, if you’re lucky and it’s dark enough, a real hedgehog may greet you at the entrance.
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