Leo’s grave
Filed under: General, Holidays, Immigrant Moments, Israeliness, Life
My father-in-law, Leopold Laufer, died two years ago on the eve of Yom Ha’atzmaut, Israel Independence Day, a significant date considering his very Zionist roots. A Czech by birth who made his way to the States with his father, mother and sister during the years of World War Two, he spent some time in Manila organizing Zionist youth, and continued in that vein for the rest of his life, working for the good of others as well as making aliyah at least three times during his life. The year that he died was a leap year, so it turns out that his yahrtzeit is actually the day after Yom Ha’atzmaut, but for us, it’s our own memorial day, just in the reverse of the Israeli Memorial Day-into-Independence Day.
We go up to his grave on Har Menuchot (roughly translated as the Hill of Eternal Rest) in Jerusalem on the day of his death, and while it is a hill, technically, in reality it feels more like a graveyard hi-rise. It’s the cemetery for Jerusalemites, given that the more historical Mount of Olives — which also has a much better view — is chock full.
And while we’re not of Sephardic descent — just plain ‘ol white bread Ashkenazi — Leopold Yehuda Laufer is buried in the Sephardic section of the cemetery, surrounded by Maimons and Turjemans, because we preferred the more laid-back Sephardic burial society. It’s sad to visit him, and yet, this year, there were some funny moments. Since he’s buried in a section above a firing range, anything that’s said is punctuated by rapid fire. Noisy and amusing, in turn. And this year, we brought the two new members of the family with us, my twin sons Ziv Maimon – no relation to those buried around Leo — and Lev Yehuda, who is named for his saba Leo.
If you squint a little, you can see the firing range in the distance
Israel Independence Day
Filed under: Blogging, History and Culture, Holidays, Immigrant Moments, Israeliness, Life
Benji and hummous -two Israeli institutions
As the smells of barbecued meats permeate the country, let’s keep in mind what’s special about Israel – besides everyone barbecuing on Yom Ha’atazmaut.
One of the funniest – and most astute – lists has been written by Israelity contributor and stand up comedian par excellance Benji Lovitt – You can read the whole list of ‘61 More Things I Love About Israel’ here.
But a few of my favorites are:
31. I love that my cab driver offered me a peach and that I accepted it. That will happen in America when falafel balls fly.
43. I love words like “teetchadesh” that neither exist nor make sense in the English language. “Wow, cool shirt! Enjoy using your new thing!” Nice try.
57. I love the superhuman Israeli hearing which allows them to pick up the “beep beep beep” of the news even while someone is using a jackhammer three feet away.
Whatever way you celebrate Israel Independence Day, may your celebration be joyous.
Nostalgia Sunday – Hagana Archive 1947-8
Filed under: General, History and Culture, Israeliness, Nostalgia Sunday, War
The Ministry of Defense’s Hagana Photo Archive is an online treasure trove of the State of Israel’s history from the people who defended it. The collection is so rich, it’s hard to make a selection. Here are a few gems in honor of both Memorial Day for Israel’s Fallen Soldiers, which begins Monday night, and Israel Independence Day, which commences on Tuesday.
This image, from Mandatory Palestine, is of the illegal immigration ship, the Chaim Arlozorov, captured by British soldiers.
The British army withdraws from Palestine.
The tense moments as the UN voted on the resolution to establish a Jewish State.
The Jewish settlement comes under attack and the War of Independence begins. This is Jerusalem under mortar attack:
Jerusalem blockaded.
The conquest of Jerusalem’s German Colony by the Hagana. (The militia was later consolidated into the Israel Defense Forces).
Tel Aviv celebrates the establishment of the Jewish State.
This selection doesn’t begin to represent the amazing collection of photos, dating back to 1880, that exist in the Hagana Photo Archive. For anyone interested in Israel’s history, it’s a must-see.
I’m going to vote for the Jewish guy (or gal)…
Filed under: General, Holidays, Israeliness, Life, Politics
The Israeli political alphabet soup
Aside from Independence Day (Yom Ha’atzmaut), all the other country-wide holidays are built around Jewish holidays – which is great, that’s why we live here. But there’s something special about having a day off without spending it in beit knesset and preparing meals (if you’re observant) or bemoaning the closure of many malls and places of entertainment (if you’re secular).
Lots of people I know are planning dinner parties, outings, hikes and other get togethers, as we celebrate democracy in our own way. The elements may not provide assistance though. Ironically, in one of the dryest winters in history, with our water supply rapidly diminishing, the forecasters are calling for stormy weather to rain on our parade on Tuesday. But we’ll take it, as rain is definitely a patriotic act these days.
The weather may affect the voter turnout, which according to a study conducted in the US
conducted at the University of California and the University of Pittsburgh.
In an article in the Journal of Politics from August 2007, based on a look at US elections from 1948 to 2000, the researchers wrote that weather did have an impact – for every one inch of rain above normal, 0.8 percent of voters stayed away.
So what does it mean for Israeli voters? If the elderly, poor, apathetic or undecided, and women with young children might be more affected by inclement weather, some conclusions can be reached.
Jerusalem Post reporter Ehud Zion Waldoks writes that hardcore voters will turn out in rain or sleet regardless, so parties like Israel Beiteinu, Shas, Meretz and some of the smaller parties could weather the storm just fine. If Kadima and Labor are looking to tap into swing voters, though, they might want to start booking those minivans and taxis.
Labor and the Gil Pensioners Party should be worrying about their elderly voters, while the haredi parties should be worrying about their young mothers. On the other hand, haredi voters have tended to come out in droves to vote according to the directives of their rabbis.
Shas could find cause for concern among its voters in the southern periphery, who might prefer not to brave a stinging sandstorm.
Whatever the weather, Tuesday will be quite a big deal in Israel. It’s the culmination of everything the Zionist pioneers and founding fathers dreamed of. We all complain about the candidates, their lack of leadership, and their various character flaws. But when it comes down to it, isn’t it pretty cool that no matter who is elected to form the coalition, he or she is going to be Jewish?
Subscribe
Subscribe to Israelity via email:
Social Media
Categories
- A New Reality
- Art
- Blogging
- Business
- coexistence
- Crime
- design
- education
- Environment
- Food
- Foto Friday
- General
- health
- History and Culture
- Holidays
- Immigrant Moments
- Israeliness
- Life
- Medical Breakthroughs
- Movies
- Music
- Nostalgia Sunday
- Picture of the Week
- Politics
- Pop Culture
- Profiles
- Religion
- Social Justice
- Sports
- Technology
- Travel
- tv
- War
The Face of Israel Today
-
About Israelity
Free newsletter
Stories from ISRAEL21c.orgPopular Posts