A very merry Christmas

December 27, 2011 - 1:47 PM by · Leave a Comment
Filed under: A New Reality, coexistence, General, Holidays, Immigrant Moments, Israeliness, Life, Religion 

It’s always a little shocking how Christmas can just come and go around here with little awareness that it’s been and gone. Sure, there are the Christmas decorations on the southern end of Hebron Road, heading toward Bethlehem. And there are the occasional articles or public service announcements about where to pick up one’s KKL Christmas trees, or storefronts decorated with Christmas-like ornaments. There’s also my upstairs neighbor who decorated his window box plants with Christmas lights that twinkle from 6 pm to 10 pm most nights. I’m not sure where he got the idea — he’s a fairly born-and-bred Israeli — but the awareness is out there.

I had an interesting conversation with a local minister about Christmas in Israel, and how it characterizes itself in this land of many Jews, whether identified or not. Reverend David Neuhaus, the Latin Patriarchal Vicar at the Saint James Vicariate for Hebrew Speaking Catholics in Israel, said the following in Expeditions:

“It’s really more meaningful in Israel,” says Neuhaus. “Christmas is ultimately religious here because there’s nothing commercial or social going on, and there’s so much of that elsewhere. And then you’re celebrating it here, where everything happened.”

These days, it’s a diverse crowd celebrating Jesus’ birth. You’ve got foreign workers from all over the world, Christian Arabs, missionary types, pilgrims, and the smattering of Israelis who just like to attend Christmas Mass, which smacks of ‘chul‘ — the world out there — for them. Indu, a Sri Lankan woman I know, lit up when I asked her today about her Christmas. While it was bittersweet because she wasn’t with her four kids and family, she got to go to Bethlehem twice, on a van chartered by her and her friends.

“It was mobbed,” she told me. “So many people celebrating together.”

A different kind of Christmas, which is hopefully a good thing.

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Israel becomes Perez Hilton’s oyster

December 27, 2010 - 9:21 AM by · 1 Comment
Filed under: A New Reality, Blogging, Entertainment, General, Pop Culture 

Local celebrities shouldn’t have anything to worry about – they’re not big enough for notorious US gossip columnist Perez Hilton to care about.

Hilton is spending the week vacationing in Israel and tweeting about it, as well as writing about it on his website.

According to a Twitter posting, Hilton arrived to spend Christmas here after vacationing in Egypt.

The post read: “Dancing in my hotel room in Tel Aviv to this! Hot!!!! On Christmas day I just landed in the birth land of Christ. #Israel, I have arrived! Shalom!”

Hilton, born Mario Armando Lavandeira, Jr. has emerged as the preeminent gossip blogger, known for posts covering juicy items about musicians, actors and celebrities. Controversy surrounds him over the posting of tabloid photos over which he has added his own captions and his ‘outing’ of alleged closeted celebrities.

So far in Israel, though, Hilton seems to content to bask in the rich culture of Tel Aviv. He’s posted a bunch of photos like the one above and some entertaining accompanying text like this:

Okay, so maybe we got a little too excited, but this hideously ugly pants are beyond amazing and we had to buy them.
Score!!!
Our first full day in Tel Aviv was a wonderful mix of going to museums and learning about the complicated history of Israel, as well as just walking around various neighborhoods and parts of town and truly exploring the city.
Tel Aviv is so beautiful! And, in many ways, it reminds us of Buenos Aires.
We are thrilled that we’re in Israel through next weekend and that we’re going to get to see the entire country.
Lots more to do!!!

So, keep your eyes open for Perez, and if you see him, tell him Israelity is looking for him.

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Was it Christmas?

December 26, 2010 - 12:58 AM by · 2 Comments
Filed under: A New Reality, coexistence, General, History and Culture, Holidays, Immigrant Moments, Israeliness, Life, Religion 

Christmas in Israel is always a bit strange – mainly because it’s so easy to forget that it’s Christmas!

Unless you shlep to the Christian quarter of the Old City or to Bethlehem, where services and festivities are taking place, there’s virtually no sign of the holiday.

My friend Barry Leff, a rabbi and businessman, nicely articulated the conundrum of transplanted Americans, used to the clues at every street corner that the holiday has arrived, suddenly living in a Christmas-less society. On his blog at the Neshama Center, he states:

I actually think Christmas is TOO low profile in Israel. It should be a little more visible. There are some over the top religious people who can’t tolerate any other religions, who protest anything that even looks like Christmas lights. I’m not kidding, click here to see an article titled “Haredim threaten to boycott Mamilla Mall.” Why? Christmas lights. The management of the mall tried to quickly claim it was Hanukkah lights left up late.

Why should they do that? Not only do Christians make up 2% of the population in Israel, we get a LOT of Christian tourists this time of year, for obvious reasons. Why shouldn’t we do something to make them feel at home? Most major cities in the US do a Chanukah menorah lighting in a public place, why can’t we in Israel reciprocate and give Christians some acknowledgement of their holiday in our public space?

Read the rest of his entry here

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Foto Friday – Church Gates of Jerusalem

December 24, 2010 - 5:46 PM by · Leave a Comment
Filed under: Art, coexistence, Foto Friday, General, History and Culture, Holidays, Life, Picture of the Week, Religion, Travel 

Today’s weather was sunny, crisp and clear — not your classic Christmas Eve weather but prefect for pilgrims to wander through Jerusalem’s Christian Quarter. As in all other parts of the Old City, the Quarter takes travelers on a winding trail from site to site to holy site. For those living far away, here is a virtual tour of the city’s church gates — all will be open tonight for worshipers to celebrate the Midnight Mass.

Entrance to the Christian Quarter

© RomKri

Church of the Holy Sepulcher
This historic church shelters the holiest site in the Christian faith: the tomb where Christ was buried and rose from the dead. It is shared by several denominations.

© Gennadi Zimmerman

Church of the Redeemer
The Lutheran Church of the Redeemer is the only Protestant church in the Old City of Jerusalem. It was commissioned by Prussian Crown Prince Friedrich Wilhelm, who was given the site by the Turkish Sultan upon his visit to Jerusalem.in 1869.

© RomKri

Notre Dame Pilgrim Center of Jerusalem
Dating back to 1885 when its cornerstone was first laid, the building was heavily damaged during Israel’s War of Independence in 1948, rendering it partially uninhabitable. For years it served as an Israeli guard post but in 1972 was restored to its original status and the chapel rededicated to public worship in 1978. The mission entrusted to it by Pope John Paul II: “Dedicated to Our Lady of Jerusalem, Queen of Peace… as a place of fruitful spiritual development.”

© RomKri

Church of the Pater Noster
Built on the place where tradition says Jesus instructed his disciples in prayer. The walls of this convent church are inscribed with the Lord’s Prayer in 44 languages.

© RomKri

Church of All Nations
Built in 1924 and funded by several nations, this church stands over the site where tradition has it that Jesus prayed on the night of his betrayal.

© pmos_nmos

Information about Jerusalem’s churches comes mainly from the Sacred Destinations website. All photos courtesy of Jerusalem Shots where there are hundreds more to enjoy.

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An Israeli shout out from Glee

December 9, 2010 - 9:52 AM by · 1 Comment
Filed under: A New Reality, Entertainment, General, Israeliness, Medical Breakthroughs, Pop Culture, Technology, tv 

The Christmas episode of the popular American TV series Glee that aired in the US Wednesday night also featured a gift to Israel on the last night of Hanukka.

Artie, a character confined to a wheelchair, took a few halting steps with the help of a machine called the ReWalk.

“It was invented by some guy in Israel,” he said, before using the ReWalk and crutches to move across the floor.

And, indeed, as ISRAEL21c reported in 2008, the ReWalk isnt’ some television fantasy. It’s made by a Haifa-based company, Argo Medical Technologies, that, according to its website, “develops and markets walk restoration devices for people with lower limb disabilities. The company’s flagship ReWalk product offers an ambulation alternative to wheelchair users, enabling paralyzed people to stand, walk and even climb stairs.”

Argo’s ReWalk system enables wheelchair users to stand and walk upright. The device was developed by Dr. Amit Goffer, an electrical engineer who was paralyzed in an auto accident. He developed the prototype at home, and then set up the company to take it commercial.

The 21c article about the ReWalk shot the company to worldwide attention, and since then, has been filmed by 12 TV networks around the world, including CNN. It has also featured in dozens of newspapers, from The Washington Post, to The Teheran Times.

The ReWalk was recently approved in the US for institutional use by the Food and Drug Administration which means that hospitals and rehab centers will be able to purchase the device, starting early next year.

When comedian Paul Reiser visited Israel last year, he and his family went to see the company. “A friend showed me the article and it looked like such a cool technology,” he said. “It looks like some cool Robocop mechanism. It’s a tremendous innovation and a remarkable piece of technology. It’s amazing to see such a cool innovation with fabulous commercial potential coming out of this tiny little office with just a handful of guys.”

Now, that’s something to sing about.

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