The Peace production opened today. Driving past Rabin Square where all the peace rallies are held, I listened to Bibi in all his eloquence, and with all my cynicism, and I wept. I wept because I knew Abu Mazen’s speech would not be as slick, that the process will be long and arduous, that the chance for peace was so wonderful. I wept because I knew that Hamas will be doing its utmost to stop this process because it will be fighting for its life, and they will gradually increase the terrorist activities until we will be forced to react (probably in some symbolic place like Rabin Square),and it will all end in chaos.
But what choice is there?
We’re stopping daylight savings next week so that the fast will be easier. That means we’ll each pay an extra hour of electricity, the children won’t be able to go out and play after their homework, and the crime will increase at least 10%. What do you think about declaring your opposition to that? here .Personally, I think my entire mood is influenced by the early nights, and I would like to have as many hours of daylight as possible.
T%he things that take place under cover of night – such as the terrible drive-by murder of four people yesterday – a murder that will not so easily be solved – will not stop just because of an extra hour of daylight. And daylight savings is not a solution to anything serious. But still…
Whoops. I too work for the government. And I’m proud of what they have accomplished in the university until now. Would I go to Ariel? Yes. Not if the government told me my job depended on it.
So we have one of our chief rabbis calling for the death of Mohammed Abbas and a few of our best theater people announcing their refusal to perform in Ariel. Well at least some people are taking a stand on something.
To get serious for a minute, Rabbi Ovadiah Yossef has been saying things for years that show a total lack of connection with the real world. The theater people don’t seem to be more in touch either. They are supported by the government so it would not be surprising that the government withdraw funds. Not terribly idealistic, but reasonable.
Gilad Shalit’s birthday. I promise you he isn’t celebrating his fourth birthday in a hole somewhere in Gaza.
We made moussaka today – it was very much like Margalit’s moussaka, which I gave up trying to imitate years ago. We only had 2 eggplants, so we added another kilo of zucchini, and started out with a layer or sliced partly cooked potatoes. while the eggplant and zucchini were baking in their breadcrumbs, we fried up some onions, garlic and a kilo of meat (I would have preferred lamb but this was a last minute thing), half a cup of wine, cup of crushed tomatoes and some paste, parsley, sugar, allspice,cinnamon, salt and pepper, layered it alternately with kashkaval, and covered it all with a bechamel flavored with nutmeg. An hour of baking at medium heat made it perfect.
Since we’re talking about repentance, and sometimes not knowing what needs to be repented, the group shovrim shtika is particularly relevant. They are an organization of soldiers who discuss some of the inhumane occurences they have witnessed or participated in. Some say that they are mistaken, or they are betraying their people, even endangering their country. As far as I am concerned it is not at all wrong to speak about what they see, it is wrong that these things take place, and their moral obligation is to repeat the ‘confessions,’ to educate us. The only way we can be better people is to recognize, acknowledge, and endeavor to improve our behavior. This is the month for recognition.
It is hard to describe the extent to which I am collapsing – a perfectly healthy person, unable to cope with the heat. Even though today was a kind of relief.
But we are heading into September, the beginning of school, and the high holidays. So maybe the height of all the questions I’ve been asking about religion are what is tiring me out. Like, when the Messiah comes, what will happen with all my implants? will I get to keep them?
And then all the questions about sinning and confessions. I know that “A clear conscience is usually the sign of a bad memory,” but I don’t feel the whole thing is so simple. Like individual responsibility for collective crimes, or collective responsibility for individual crimes. I always thought that in Kol Nidre we begin with associating ourselves as one of the community, all sinners, but there are communities and there are communities.
What about Tel Aviv? Now that the heat wave is slowly diminishing and our nerves are returning to their normal hyperactive state, the city is looking better. Some people are even turning off their airconditioners for the night. It is even becoming possible to being plans for the new year. Like where will we put our ever-growing family this year for dinner….
On another note, I don’t like to make other people’s private lives the subject of my journal, but the wedding on the border had so many parapersonal implications.
see in the background the sign for the good fence. While I’m talking about a wedding, we are surrounded by the memory of the moment of a union.
