An Israeli Halloween
Filed under: A New Reality, Art, Business, Entertainment, Environment, Food, General, History and Culture, Holidays, Immigrant Moments, Israeliness, Life, Movies, Pop Culture
Halloween cookies from the Cupcake Caterers
Not having celebrated myself growing up — rabbi’s kid, although we did hand out candy to all the neighborhood kids — I don’t have any strong connections to the holiday. And because we were the rabbi’s family, our house did not usually get pelted by raw eggs and such — neighborhood protection. So it was the best of all worlds; appreciating someone else’s ‘chag‘, despite the anti-Semitic associations (we lived in a fairly non-Jewish neighborhood) but not having to take it on ourselves.
Living in Israel, I haven’t really given it much thought, except for cruising through various online store catalogs for Halloween costumes that could work well for Purim. But something’s happening this year, at least through my lens. Halloween has always been different for me than Thanksgiving, which I’ve always celebrated here in Israel, and have continued to do so, despite light censure from Israeli-born nieces, nephews and stepdaughters who think that the American-born adults in their lives are crazy to continue with such a blatantly chulnik (Israeli slangish for ‘foreigner’) celebration.\
Maybe it’s Facebook, and the exposure offered to what other people are doing and celebrating. Or perhaps it’s that global village thing, in which we adapt and adopt others’ trends and rituals because they seem worthwhile. All I know is, Halloween is out there, now translated to ליל כל הקדושים, All Hallows Eve.
There are parties advertised online, mostly hosted by Americans, exhorting invitees to “Do it the same in Israel as we would at home!!” There’s also the potential for doubling up on costumes, wearing what you wore for Purim on Halloween, and vice versa. And there are the comments from many, missing that easy availability of candy corn, half off Halloween candy the day after.
Halloween isn’t the American version of Purim, as Senator John McCain once mistakenly noted, despite the similarities. But it does have its appeal, particularly to those of us who hail from the land of the U.S.A. Check out the cookies made by Sidra Collins Muoio, owner of Cupcake Caterers, for her co-workers.
And, finally, there’s Rabies, Israel’s first horror film, which had its premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival last May and played in Toronto in honor of Halloween.
If it’s a celebration of candy, costumes and good times, I’m actually all for it. And I can never argue with an Israeli film that succeeds on North American terms.
The pause that refreshes
Tastes better in a glass
Purim in Jerusalem…and all the restaurants are booked solid. That didn’t stop our party of 11 from joining the merrymaking mosaic of Israeli society out to celebrate the defeat of the evil Haman some 2,000 years ago.
My wife Jody had the foresight to reserve a table at the uber-popular Caffit café far in advance. There was already a line out the door for the more spontaneous in spirit. With every seat taken, the poor waiters were overtaxed and, despite the faux-hula skirt costumes and the promise of big tips, their smiles were strained.
Our waiter did his best to take all 11 orders, including multiple shared meals, amid repeated requests for ice and extra napkins.
It was as the drinks came out that it happened. I didn’t see it coming – no one did. Suddenly there was a crash and a cascade of cold sticky liquid onto my hair, face, shirt and pants. Or maybe it was the other way around. Somehow, the waiter had dropped a ceramic tray with a glass of Coke Zero onto my head.
It took me a few seconds to take in my new wet reality. Every face at the table was staring at me in shock. The waiter behind me was quickly joined by another and then the manager, all instantly offering apologies and protestations that nothing like this had ever happened before. They were probably right.
As the wait staff mopped up around me, I checked for glass – miraculously I had been spared. Had the glass cracked over my head, I could have been sitting there in my own blood not just a mess of highly caffeinated (but no calorie) chemicals and syrup.
I was remarkably sanguine about the entire incident. My daughter took me to the bathroom but the Coke was already drying. As I walked back to the table, I felt like a mini-celebrity, as the restaurant staff appeared unusually deferential – perhaps they feared a lawsuit were I to pull a glass shard out of my favorite polo shirt.
The rest of the meal went off as well as could be expected given the overcapacity crowd – slow service, a couple of mixed up orders, but a truly extraordinary fried halumi cheese and mushroom medley over a bed of caramelized onions and mashed potatoes. The restaurant brought us dessert on the house.
When it came time to pay, Jody made sure that the bill didn’t include a charge for the smashed Coke. Not that I didn’t drink it – I’m sure I imbibed a considerable amount through my pores. But next time, I’ll take a straw, please.
Raise your mask
Filed under: A New Reality, education, General, History and Culture, Holidays, Israeliness, Life, Music, Pop Culture, Religion
Purim is right around the corner, and to get everyone in the mood, here’s an astoundingly good musical performance by the Ein Prat Fountainheads, a pre-army mechina (Academy for Leadership) located in Kfar Adumim near Jerusalem.
According to the academy’s website, it “was established in order to breathe new life into ancient values – to encourage high motivation for a significant military service in the IDF through reviving the Zionist heritage from its ruins.”
The students already cut their teeth a few months ago with their first video in honor of Hannukah – based on the Black Eyed Peas’ song “I Gotta Feeling.”
This one – based on Pink’s “Raise Your Glass” may even be better. Enjoy and let your inner Mordechai out.
There’s a worm in my myrtle
Nuclear power plant in Iran
Did Israel create the Stuxnet virus that has reportedly infected a significant number of computers related to Iran’s nuclear program and may be behind a significant drop in the country’s ability to produce the centrifuges needed to enrich uranium at the main Natanz plant? The security community is abuzz with speculation.
The virus – known more specifically as “malware” – apparently targets a specific type of industrial control computer made by the manufacturer Siemens that is used to manage oil pipelines, electrical power grids and many types of nuclear power plants, according to a report in The New York Times.
The virus is so sophisticated that it’s widely agreed it couldn’t be the creation of a rogue hacker working alone in a basement but must be a government-sponsored computer-coding endeavor.
Israel has long been known to be engaged in cyber warfare – the intelligence division’s 8200 unit is the largest in the IDF. The thinking is that, rather than rely solely on threats to bomb the Islamic Republic’s nuclear facilities, infecting the computer systems that run those plants might be just as effective.
But is Israel really behind the bug? The latest evidence seems to indicate so…or not. The New York Times is reporting that a file name in the virus is called “Myrtus” which in Hebrew is “Hadass.” The original name of Esther, the heroine of the Purim story, was “Hadassah.” Tellingly, Haman’s plot against the Jews took place in Persia – or modern-day Iran.
But the insertion of “Myrtus” into the malware might also be disinformation – a red herring – added into the code by a particularly literary programmer to point at Israel when the real creator resides elsewhere.
Many Israelis – myself included – would like to believe Stuxnet is a blue and white made-in-Israel product. Especially this week, with the Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad once again abusing the podium at the annual United Nations General Assembly, repeating his distorted insinuations and against the Jewish State and the West in general – a sophisticated means of keeping Israel safe that doesn’t involve an outright military attack would be a welcome and fresh approach – and one that would make us proud of our ingenuity and prowess.
There’s an even more recent parallel with Myrtus. We just finished the Sukkot holiday when Jews ritually shake the “four species.” One of the shakees is myrtle (or “hadass”). Did the creators of the code intend to digitally “shake things up” in Iran?
Nostalgia Sunday – Purim Parties Past
Filed under: General, History and Culture, Holidays, Nostalgia Sunday, Pop Culture
One of the hard truths of life in Israel is that it always rains on Purim. It is as if the weather conspires to prove that we Jews can never hold a joyous celebration without breaking a glass or making a little baby boy cry.
And events conspire as well. A few days ago, Magen David Adom issued a stern directive against dangerous masks and costumes, in particular warning against Avatar-wannabes who might paint their bodies using blue chalk or charcoal. Spoilsports. And just today, the Homefront Command announced that the new gas mask distribution project has commenced. What impeccable timing.
Today is particularly stormy which makes it that much harder to get into a festive mood. But party we must! Even under the most difficult of conditions, Purim has been celebrated and documented — just see Yad VaShem’s online exhibition Purim – Before, During, and After the Holocaust) which is historic, not nostalgic, but important to know. And check out these photos of Purim kindergartens from the pre and post-State period, courtesy of the PikiWiki Israel project. (Click images for large version).
Kibbutz Sarid kindergarten – 1930s
Szold kindergarten, Netanya – 1935
Kindergarten in Tel Aviv’s Montefiore neighborhood – 1941
Purim celebration on Moshav Beit Itzhak – 1956
And check out these mini-hippies from Quneitra-Merom Golan, circa 1967!
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