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Bayit banamal

I’m not the first to write about Tel Aviv’s namal, the refurbished port/boardwalk at the northern end of the city. And I must confess a ‘hubati’ (read below) love for strolling along its wooden planks, hillocked in some places to encourage kids on scooters, bikes and skateboards, and with just the right kind of cafes and restaurants along its length. (Although, as my mother pointed out recently, there are not enough benches for just sitting and looking at the sea.)

(’Hubatim’ or a ‘hubati’ — pronounced cho-BA-tim — is someone or those from Holon/Bat Yam. It’s a tongue-in-cheek/somewhat derogatory term for the Tel Aviv version of the bridge-and-tunnel crowd, those who don’t actually live in Tel Aviv, but come in from the outskirts to enjoy ‘the big city.’ Another TLV friend of mine has a kindly term for those of us who don’t live in the Big Orange, ‘ambassadors and diplomats.’)

This isn’t an entry about hubatim, however, rather about a societal development that I noticed at the namal. Sure, it’s got the shopping, the restaurants, the event halls and bars. But during the day, besides the ‘ambassadors and diplomats’ strolling along the boardwalk, as well as the tourists and unexplained working-age people who are hanging out rather than working — btw, they must be freelancers — there are many, many moms with babies, pushing strollers and carrying babes in slings. Sure, it’s a nice place to stroll when you’ve got a kvetchy ankle-biter. And the Israeli commercial network is clearly starting to feed into that trend, with a Steimatzky’s for kids, a Shilav (of course), including a lovely playground outside the store, and Dyada, a kind of club for babies and their parents.

It’s all quite baby-friendly, which is a helpful thing when you’re trying to negotiate the real world from the vantage point of a double stroller loaded with two one-year-olds. Then again, all they really wanted to do was crawl after the seagulls.

Photo credit: Debbie Zimelman

The Mohawk Returns to TA

As the recent owner of an old-but-new-for-me haircut — a modified mushroom, last seen on my head in 1983-1984 — I’ve been getting many comments about my newly shorn locks, probably because they’re shorter than they’ve been for some time. One friend told me, “You look ten years younger.” Which could mean just that, that I look ten years younger, but I sort of felt that it implied that I had a solid ten years to rid myself of, and now that I’d done just that, what have I been looking like for the last few years??

But given the centrality of hair in my life for the last week, I paid special attention to a Haaretz Gallery article this week about the increase of Mohawk haircuts on the streets of the Big Orange. It’s a look that attracts attention, as pointed out by Haaretz writer Tahel Frosh — whether it’s a modified, messed up or done up Mohawk. And given the recent harkening back to the 80s in the fashion world, it’s not a big surprise that this particular Punk style — and my mushroom head — is back.

According to stylist Maayan Goldman, the fashion statement being made by the current Israeli variation says, “I am not radical in any way, but I am here. I have fashion sense, but I’m not going to die for it.”

I mean, after all, it is just hair. It grows back.

Foto Friday – The Israel Photography Exhibition 2

POV, the Israeli Photography Exhibition at Hatachana, the Old Train Station in Tel Aviv’s Neve Tzedek, came out swinging earlier this month with individual retrospectives of works by well-known Israeli photographers. Additionally, there were also collective exhibitions on view at Hatachana — well worth visiting — and on YouTube. These include works by leading photographers, yet-unknowns and news agencies, the unsung heroes of photography in the field.

Last Summer

Israel Sun photo agency

Tomorrow’s Photographers

Ramirez Brothers invade Tel Aviv

You can hear a lot of different types of music bouncing around the vibrant Tel Aviv nightclub scene – from tons of dance/electro pop to ‘beautiful Israel’ public sing-alongs to grungy alternative rock, all within walking distance from each other.

But not even experienced Tel Aviv scenesters weren’t prepared for a group that combines a piercing trumpet, Jack White-distorted guitar histrionics, ‘70-styled funk and soul rhythms and a mess of facial hair. Never mind that all three members are brothers hailing from Mexico!

Forget that last part – The Ramirez Brothers are indeed the name of the band, but they’re not from Mexico and they’re not brothers. They’re just three talented Tel Aviv musicians with a penchant for shedding their shirts during their sweat-inducing performances. With songs sung in English that evolve into groove-based, howling jams, the band has gained a word-of-mouth following around the Tel Aviv area and are poised to break out beyond Israel’s borders soon.

“We thought it would be really cool to have stage names. And even though we’re not biological brothers, we are very close friends,” explained Sefi Ramirez (Zisling), the band’s trumpet player, who along with Uzi Ramirez (Feinerman) on guitar and vocals, and Eitan Ramirez (Efrat) on drums form the rather unorthodox trio, who effortlessly tackle an Americana mix of blues, funk, r&b and some Hendrix hysteria.

They’re no strangers to the Israeli music scene with Uzi handling guitar chores for Hadag Nahash and Sefi taking the solos for Funk’N'Stein and Yehudit Ravitz’s band. But The Ramirez Brothers is their passion and their baby, and their music offers a most exciting and seamless Israeli-American synthesis

So, the next time you unkowingly walk into a Tel Aviv club and suddenly think you’ve been transported to the American Deep South circa 1974, you’ll know that you’ve just stumbled upon The Ramirez Brothers. Don’t forget to say hi.

Pants off to Israel’s motorcycle protestors

Maybe it’s the hot weather, but protesters in Israel seem to like to get naked. The latest group to strip down to their underpants were the motorcyclists, hundreds of whom took to the streets of Tel Aviv late last week protesting against a hike in their insurance fees.

This is the fourth demo by the motorcycle community, who are getting increasingly incensed by the thought of the insurance rise, which is due to take place in November. In the last protest they snarled up route 2 causing heavy traffic jams.

Their motto this time was “They are leaving us without coverage”, which in Hebrew is a play on words that also means “without clothes/covers”. Hence the absolute necessity to whip off their clothes.

Walla covered the protest with lots of snaps and a video – naked people make good news obviously.

The demonstration comes just a few months after the Israel Bicycle Association and the Tel Aviv Rollers staged another protest ride to oppose the lack of government support for urban bike riding – in their thongs.

David reported on the bike protest here in Israelity. From a purely visceral point of view, it probably made better viewing, as bike riders and roller-bladers tend to be in much better shape than bikers.

But as Stephanie pointed out in her nude demo post a couple of years back – shape isn’t what counts in a naked protest.

Pic by Liron Almog/Flash 90. The sign at the back, by the way, reads: “The insurance companies strip us naked.”

Foto Friday – The Israel Photography Exhibition

POV, a retrospective of new works by Israel’s leading photographers/curators took place this past week at Tel Aviv’s newest landmark, the refurbished old train station structure in Neve Tzedek (pictured left). For those who missed the show (and that includes your humble scribe), POV has provided video portfolios for the group, as well as individual photographers. A portion of these works are presented in this Foto Friday column, with more to follow. Enjoy! And for those who can’t wait, visit the POV website and YouTube channel.

Show Portfolio

Moshe Shay

Yuval Tebol

David Perlov

Foto Friday – Viviana Tagar views Tel Aviv

“Tel Aviv is the city of light and shadows,” says photographer Viviana Tagar. “I decided to focus on the light.” Tagar, whose new book “Tel Aviv One” was recently published, wanted to redress the imbalance in how Tel Aviv is perceived abroad. “People see Tel Aviv as a city of war and despair… it was important to me to portray and present another Tel Aviv for them.” Tagar, a psychotherapist by trade, says that in her daily work she’s encountered many of the painful sides of life in Israel’s major city. “Tel Aviv has many dark aspects. It could be that because I worked with terror attack survivors and other people who lived in shadow, it was important for me to show the sides that are illuminated.”

Tagar’s book, Tel Aviv One, is available at Steimatzky and Tzomet Sfarim bookstores.

39 Pounds of Love

Israel was 39 pounds lighter and alot sadder this week, with the passing of Ami Ankilewitz.

The subject of the award-winning documentary ‘39 Pounds of Love’, Ankilewitz was born 41 years ago with Spinal Muscular Atrophy ­ an extremely rare and often fatal condition that limits physical growth and movement.

After defying doctors predictions that he would only live for six years, Ankilewitz succumbed to the disease over the weekend and was buried on Sunday, the second day of Rosh Hashana.

Due to the disease, Ami never weighed more than 39 pounds (17.7 kg.) as an adult and was virtually paralyzed, having the use of only one finger. However, he lived life like he was long distance racer, which prompted Israeli filmmaker Dani Menkin in 2005 to chronicle Ami’s life.
Menkin first saw Ami in a Tel Aviv bar, and was instantly drawn to him and thus, began a relationship that would eventually lead to making the film.

39 Pounds of Love centers on Ankilewitz’s quest across America to make peace with his brother and confront the doctor who predicted his early death. Along the way, he visits the Grand Canyon and rode a Harley-Davidson motorcycle, one of his life’s dreams and passions.

In the film notes, Menkin recalled, “Ami told me that during his first year, the doctor predicted he would not survive past the age of 6. Now he was 33. He was ready to tell his story and I wanted to know more about him. We just started shooting Ami and his everyday life. I was amazed by the fact that a guy like him not only didn’t feel sorry for himself, but lived his life to the fullest. He wanted to go cross country in the US as a way to feel more alive. What amazed me even more is that Ami was a brilliant 3D animator who makes beautiful artwork, using just one finger. When he showed me his work I thought it would be incredible to include Ami’s Animation in the film as a way to express his feelings and desires. Thru the animation he could express himself and leaving the physical limitations aside.”

The film won the Best Documentary category at the Ophir Awards given out by
the Israeli Academy of Film, and was screened extensively in the United States to critical praise.

“I think a person like me would have much more motivation… for the simple
reason that it would be much more important for me to prove that I could be
as efficient as everyone else,” Ankilewitz wrote on his Web site.

“It could have been worse. I could have been ‘normal.’ I have the freedom to be whoever I want. I do not think people should look at me as a hero. Instead, they should think of themselves and put themselves in my position and think what other options do I have. It’s
either live or die, and I chose not to die.”

Ami’s friends and family were due to gather on Tuesday night in Tel Aviv for a public screening of the film and to celebrate his extraordinary life.

Tarantino takes a stab at Israel

There didn’t seem to be an influx of shady men in black suits rolling their own smokes, but director Quentin Tarantino’s visit to Israel this week still piqued a wave of interest.

The lauded filmmaker was making his first trip here to promote the Israeli premiere of his latest film “Inglourious Basterds,” his typically violent, quirky World Warr II-based epic that depicts a fictional Jewish-American band of vigilantes who take revenge on Nazis

Wearing an AC/DC shirt, Tarantino met reporters in Tel Aviv on Tuesday and said that the most important part of his visit was to gauge the Israeli audience’s reaction to the boundary-breaking film.

In an AP report, Tarantino called the bloodbath of the Nazi characters a different brand of World War II film.

“To me, taboos are made to be broken. They’re meant to be pushed over,” Tarantino said. “One of the things that I think is a drag a little bit about movies dealing with World War II for the last 20 years is that … all the movies have really focused in on the victimization of World War II.”

“I’ll be seeing it for the first time in an Israeli cinema. I’ll be seeing it for the first time with an Israeli audience,” Tarantino said. “I’m interested to see, ‘OK, are there laughs here? Does the suspense work here as well as it works somewhere else?’”

Appearing with Christoph Waltz, who plays a Nazi in the film, and Lawrence Bender, the film’s producer, Tarantino insisted that the film was an adventure story and not a Holocaust film.

It’s a bunch-of-guys-on-a-mission movie.” In writing it, he said, “I wasn’t influenced by Holocaust movies, I was influenced by adventure films.”

The Jerusalem Post reported that when asked why he made the character of the Nazi colonel played by Waltz (and nicknamed the Jew Hunter) so charming, Tarantino said, “I don’t judge my characters. I’m always surprised by my characters. Each of them has his reasons why. There are no heroes or villains [in the film].”

When a reporter wanted to know what the moral of his film was, Tarantino laughed. “I’m not a moralist. I don’t believe in morals.”

We Israelis are a tad touchy on the Holocaust subject, so Tarantino, who also visited Yad Vashem on his stay here, may be in for a few surprises at the screening on Thursday. However, most reviews agree that the overly gory film is more of an adventure film that won’t offend an Holocaust sensibilities.

Tarantino might also be surprised to discover, if he ventures out to a restaurant or orders room service, that most milk shakes on menus here actually cost more than $5 – and they’re not such “f***** good shakes”

“Garcon!!”

Another Madonna controversy in Israel

We just can’t seem to get enough of Madonna here – even when we’re not referring to the singer. The latest ‘Madonna’ controversy broke on Thursday when a Tel Aviv art exhibit depicting various female Palestinian suicide bombers as the Virgin Mary holding baby Jesus caused an uproar.

The exhibit at Beit Sokolov, which houses the Israeli Journalists Association, was quickly taken down following an outcry from the families of those killed or wounded in the attacks, as well as by organizations that represent terror victims.

According to media reports, the exhibit, which featured the work of local artists Galina Bleich and Liliah Check, consisted of a series of paintings of the women – some with halos around their heads – rendered to look like Renaissance-era portraits of Catholic saints.

The artists defended their work on Thursday, with Bleich telling Ynet that she didn’t understand how the exhibit was misconstrued as glorifying suicide bombers.

“I don’t understand how this turned into an insult to bereaved families. We came actually to emphasize the exact opposite. The baby in Madonna’s hands is in danger. This really needs to disturb people. It isn’t just an Israeli problem, but a global one. Therefore, we chose Madonna, who is a symbol of Christianity.

“This issue came up for me after I personally experienced a trauma when I was next to a terror attack on French Hill in Jerusalem. Ever since, I couldn’t stop thinking about it. It isn’t at all a political issue, but a personal issue. We are trying to ask how a woman, who is meant to love and give birth, became a source of hatred and murder. I don’t at all go into politics. But because we are such a political country, everyone is trying to figure out if we are left-wing or not,” explained Bleich.

“I hope it will all be okay this evening. If it impacts people so much, this means that the message is getting across. We wanted to think together with the audience about what is happening, and, apparently, now they are reflecting on it. Modern art can speak in a free language without a framework. Modern art is actually a language that shakes up the subjects that are painful to us. It’s not only flowers in a vase. Art asks questions and doesn’t provide answers,” said Bleich.

However, not everybody agreed with that assessment. The Jerusalem Post reported that Dalit Levy, whose 17-year-old stepdaughter Rachel was killed in a suicide bombing as she shopped at the Supersol supermarket in Jerusalem’s Kiryat Hayovel neighborhood on March 29, 2002, along with the store’s security guard, Haim Smadar, 55, arrived outside Sokolov House on Thursday afternoon with an Israeli flag draped over her shoulders, and placed plastic sheeting on the sidewalk.

“You want art?” she asked a group of reporters who had gathered around her. “Here’s art!” she said, before spilling a can of red paint next to a photograph of her stepdaughter and two memorial candles. “This is the blood of our children!”

Almagor, The Association for Terror Victims in Israel, also issued a stern response to the exhibit, and threatened to take legal action if the portraits were not taken down.
“Nahum Sokolov [for whom Sokolov House is named] is rolling in his grave today,” Almagor’s chairman, Meir Indor, told The Post.

There was no word on what the real Madonna, sightseeing in Jordn yesterday, had to say about her namesake’s controversy.

 

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