Summer in the city
Filed under: Business, Entertainment, General, History and Culture, Immigrant Moments, Israeliness, Life, News, Travel
It's even empty on Jaffa Road...
And on another front, it’s the end of August, which means juggling childcare and work, dealing with the August heat, and heading on vacation for others. But the best part about the end of the Israeli summer, is that thousands of Israelis are away. They’re traveling abroad — more than 35% of Israelis travel abroad during the two-month summer, according to the Tourism Ministry — thousands are up north, and many are still down south, where hotels are still full, thanks to the Red Sea Jazz Festival and the Israeli tendency for life to go on.
That means that around here, the place is empty. There’s no traffic, not on streets, roads or major highways (at least in the center). The bank? Empty this morning, even at 9:30 am when you usually have to wait half an hour to speak to someone. No one in the supermarket, or the post office, either. Sure, head to the vacation-y places in Jerusalem or Tel Aviv, such as the zoo, the Chutzot Hayotzer Crafts Festival, the recently christened light rail, the beach or the Tel Aviv port, and you’ll find plenty of people milling around.
But in the environs of home and the local ‘hood, everything is fairly peaceful and quiet. It’s almost like being on vacation.
The Israeli abroad
Filed under: Food, General, History and Culture, Immigrant Moments, Israeliness, Pop Culture
It’s the season of our annual sojourn to the States, and as always, I’m surprised by how Israeli I feel when I’m here, despite this being my native homeland.
It’s often the little things, like meeting other Israelis in unexpected places, or seeing signs of home — this time, it was the Hebrew Coca-Cola sign featured prominently at the Atlanta Coca-Cola Museum — in particular places.
Our location for the next while, Camp Ramah Darom in the hills of Georgia, is a place that includes many Israelis on staff as part of the mishlachat, the Israeli envoy team that comes to bring the taste of Israel to Jewish summer camps. And they do, teaching Hebrew to the kids, as well as running many of the activities at camp. They’re always shocked to find out that I also live in Israel, given my more American appearance and, sigh, American accent in Hebrew that will never disappear.
Still, we’re bonded by where we live, as we spend some weeks in a place that couldn’t be more different than Israel. What we don’t have in common, these native Israelis and I, is the kind of coffee we drink. I feel lucky to be spending time in a place that has true brewed American coffee every morning, and I like to drink lots of it. It’s not that great, honestly, and after 16 years in Israel, I much prefer my hafuchs, hot and strong. But brewed coffee is such an American concept, and I can appreciate my endless cup. Not, however, my fellow country people who are lucky enough to be in a place that imported Elite instant coffee just for them.
Israelis have some kind of crazy love for instant coffee, whether it’s the Elite brand, or Nescafe. That’s what they want to drink in most places, whether at home or far off and abroad.
So that’s what they’re drinking at camp, while I enjoy my most-probably Maxwell House. Still, it’s a sign of home each time I refill my mug, and I welcome it. Finally, to truly understand the Israeli affection for instant coffee, watch this:
Do Israelis care about peace?
Filed under: A New Reality, coexistence, General, Israeliness, Life, Politics
The photo accompanying the TIME cover story (Uriel Sinai/Getty)
Those are some of the questions raised by the current TIME magazine cover story on our little strip of land – entitled “Why Israel Doesn’t Care About Peace.”
The author of the story – the magazine’s new bureau chief, Karl Vick, bases his thesis on talking to a bunch of us and on a March poll that showed that only 8% of the population considered the conflict with the Palestinians to be “the most urgent problem” facing the country, placing below education, crime, national security and poverty.
I’m pretty sure Vick is relatively new to the country, since TIME’s most recent bureau chief Tim McGirk, left this year, and wasn’t replaced for a while. That shouldn’t have any bearing on the validity of the story though, if Vick was thorough in his research.
The article actually is much more reasonable than the headline, which probably resorted to sensationalism to boost flagging newstand sales. Vick was primarily stating that Israelis are obsessed about reaching a peace agreement with the Palestinians, an assessment that as much as any generalization can be, largely accurate. Then again, neither are the Palestinians. Wasn’t it PA President Mahmoud Abbas who was quoted last year as saying that the Palestinians have it pretty good right now and can continue in this manner indefinitely until they achieve statehood?
I think that what Vick was trying to say, and what his editors distorted with the title and the photo of young Israelis smoking something out of a nargilla on the beach, is that Israelis are realistic about the chances of achieving peace. And if the Palestinians aren’t serious about being partners, then yes, we can focus on the other aspects of our society that need fixing, and on our own well being and the pursuit of happiness, which is part of of our const… oops, forgot which country I was talking about.
However, the backlash against the story in chats and blogs has been over the top – even the Anti Defamation League came out with a press release calling on TIME to apologize for the article which it said was “predicated on the “insidious subtext” of Jews being obsessed with money.
“The outcry from the Jewish community and others over Time’s Israel cover story has been overwhelming,” said Abraham H. Foxman, ADL National Director. “We have received calls and e-mails from around the country expressing outrage at the implication that Israelis care more about money than a future of peace and security. After reading the story, we understand why so many people were offended.”
“The insidious subtext of Israeli Jews being obsessed with
money echoes the age-old anti-Semitic falsehood that Jews care about
money above any other interest, in this case achieving piece with the
Palestinians,” wrote Mr. Foxman. “At the same time, Time ignores the
very real sacrifices made by Israel and its people in the pursuit of
peace and the efforts by successive Israeli governments of
reconciliation.”
Vick and his editors at TIME are wrong – Israelis care very deeply about peace. But while we’re waiting for the peace train to leave the station from Ramallah, from Damascus and from Arab capitals around the Middle East, there’s plenty of time to smoke some nargillas and make some money. And if that’s perceived as callous by the liberal establishment, then so be it.
Foto Friday – Yuval Nadel takes to the air
It’s Passover week. And that means the entire nation of Israel is sitting sweltering in traffic jams as the entire north of the country goes south and the entire south of the country heads north — all in the name of family fun. While they do that, let’s for a moment, take to the air with photographer Yuval Nadel.
Kinneret – Photo by Yuval Nadel
Wadi Ara – Photo by Yuval Nadel
Ramon Crater – Photo by Yuval Nadel
Hefer Valley – Photo by Yuval Nadel
Ramon Crater – Photo by Yuval Nadel
Dead Sea – Photo by Yuval Nadel
And so, we land…
Kilometer 101, Arava – Photo by Yuval Nadel
More photos are available at Yuval Nadel’s website.
A green Purim (not what you think)
The holiday of Purim for me was once synonymous with debauchery, chaos and wilding. Obviously as I matured in the thirtysomething adult that I am today getting rip roaring drunk until I was unable to distinguish between good and evil became a less of a priority. I was thinking last night about my previous Purim celebrations and experiences.
Back in the spring of 2005 (right on Purim) roughly 3000 thousand of Irish football fans (that’s soccer to you Americans) fell in one big swoop on Tel Aviv. The Israel-Ireland World Cup qualifying match was held in Tel Aviv. The Irish football fans are known for their undying dedication to their team and will follow them anywhere to support them. Tel Aviv, to their credit, welcomed the Irish with open arms. I recall the weather being beautiful and the beach and promenade was packed with Israelis and Irishmen alike (way too easy telling them apart). The cultural differences were apparent though. The Israelis were enjoying coffee in the cafes that line the beach while the pubs across the treat were filled to the brim with the Irish with glasses…well..for a lack of better expression…filled to the brim. But it wasn’t a completely segregated scene. I saw many Israelis reveling and shmoozing with the Irish folk in the bars and one too many pasty Irishman soaking in the sun’s rays on the beach. I also witnessed random Israelis approaching green-clad Irishmen and striking up conversations. The vibes and the atmosphere were terrific.
The Irish in Tel Aviv seemed to really be enjoying Purim. Purim celebrates the foiling of a plot against the Jews by the wicked Haman. Most Jewish holidays have the same theme. They tried to kill us all, let’s eat. The Irish are equally consistent. It’s a holiday, let’s drink.
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