National pastime

October 2, 2008 - 9:36 AM by · 2 Comments
Filed under: A New Reality, General, Holidays, Immigrant Moments, Israeliness, Sports 

As the Jewish calendar enters the High Holiday period, the weather in Israel is beginning to feel a bit like autumn. Cooler nights, high clouds and even a couple downpours have indicated that the season is changing, and always triggers in my mind an October connection between the ‘hagim’ and the weather.

Another perennial October connection is getting up in the middle of the night to watch the Major Leagues baseball playoffs and World Series. Or if a game’s on the West Coast at night, then it means sleeping in til about 5 am.

With my team, defending world champs The Boston Red Sox, making the playoffs for the millionth time in a row, we’re entering the sleepless night phase. All three playoff games played on Wednesday were on TV here – if you have cable, on Fox Sports and ESPN – or, of course, always available on your computer through a subscription to MLB.com.

I’m not enough of a fanatic to stay up all night and watch all three games, but I did set an early wakeup call for 5:30 to watch the Sox take on the Angels in Anaheim. I’ll be missing some games, as they invariably fall on Friday nights or on Yom Kippur. But following baseball is light years more advanced than it was during my first decade in Israel.

Then, it was two-day late scrawny wrap-ups in the International Tribune, and occasional overseas phone calls to get more details. It had its advantages though, as I was pretty much out of it when the 1986 Bill Buckner debacle took place, and didn’t feel the rage and sorrow that the rest of the Red Sox Nation went through.

But with their recent resurgence in the 2000s (did someone say dynasty?), it’s reassuring to know that the Sox are just a TV station away – as long as you don’t mind burning the midnight oil. There’s plenty Red Sox caps and t-shirts on display on the streets of Jerusalem these days, in English and Hebrew. So I know I’m not alone in setting the clock for 3 or 4 o’clock in the morning, and receiving rolling eyes glances from their spouses. As far as I’m concerned, it’s all part of being Israeli.

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Shana tova u’metuka

September 28, 2008 - 9:00 PM by · Leave a Comment
Filed under: General, History and Culture, Holidays, Immigrant Moments, Israeliness, Religion 

There’s no question that Rosh Hashana cheer is in the air, whether it’s signing off of every conversation with a Shana Tova salutation, wishing a Shana Tova to each clerk, salesperson or person that one meets, and the number of Shana Tova emails — not to mention the round challahs and apples and honey gifts on Facebook — that are arriving in the email inbox.

The streets are crowded with people, shopping all the time, for food, gifts, last-minute outfits, and the planners who are already picking up decorations for their sukkah.

What I always like about Rosh Hashana in Israel, as well as Yom Kippur and Sukkot (and all the rest of the calendar year, for that matter), is that they are holidays for everyone, secular or religious. Sure, some of us spend a lot of time in synagogues during this month-long holiday period, thinking about personal repentance and ancient piyutim, and that’s our choice. Many don’t. But nearly everyone in Israel is celebrating in some way, sharing special meals with family and friends, buying “shay l’chag“, holiday gifts for one’s hairdresser, accountant, travel agent or clients, cleaning up the house and yard before the onslaught of guests, and thinking of creative ways to use honey or new fruits.

I suppose that for me, it comes down to the fact that no matter how many years I’ve been living here, I still derive a little thrill at how different it feels to celebrate one’s new year in September rather than January. It feels different to say Shana Tova U’Metuka, rather than Happy New Year. It feels different to toss around pomegranate seeds, rather than glitter at midnight.

So here’s to a happy new year for all Israelity readers and bloggers, and finding your kind of celebration. Sweetness and happiness in 5768.

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