israeli politics

What does ‘fitness’ have to do with Tel Aviv?  Only recently have I been putting together a few facts about people around me and wondering whether they come together in some kind of thesis.  First, all the men I know in Tel Aviv seem to work towards some measure of fitness.  Women too try to be fit but they seem more worried about looking good than health.  And all my kids and grandchildren seem to be involved in some kind of sport.  

What about me?  For years I suffered from severe back and knee pain.  When the orthopedist found nothing much wrong with my spinal cord,  I was prescribed injections from the pain clinic and then hip replacements from another orthopedist.  I also began wearing Apos shoes which pretty much erased my knee problems.  But it wasn’t enough for me.  I upgraded my Apos to a more personal level, with an app and monthly visits to the PT guy.  Why is mobility and fitness so important to me when what I’d really like to do is sit at my desk and write and read?  Aren’t Jews supposed to be the people of the book?  Does it have to do with the Holocaust?  With the many terrorist attacks and rockets?  with the need for constant defense?

 

 

 

fitness – April 30, 2023 Read Post »

israeli politics

Tonight’s demonstration in Tel Aviv was undoubtedly the largest one in the history of this country.  The press is saying 250 thousand but my estimation is much more.  As we left because of the crunch, thousands were joining in.  My friend in the picture, Lisa Fliegel, came all the way from Boston to join in, but I saw thousands of my neighbors and friends I’ve never seen before.  Signs saying “We’ve only just begun!” affirmed the atmosphere.  We’re not giving up.

The t-shirt I’m wearing says “Without democracy there is no academia.”  But I think it is also in reverse – democracy can only occur when there is education, academia.  Only educated people can vote responsibly.

  

just getting started – april 29, 2023 Read Post »

israeli politics

In her memory I tried to translate a poem of hers to Hebrew and to English and kept finding it much more difficult than other poems in other languages until I realized that her poem has to be in Yiddish because it is about writing in Yiddish.  Here’s what I came up with:

A word

 

The words wait

until they cannot wait

and reveal a tear

uttered in the silence of night,

a plea.

Lord God, hear what these words say

hours hence,

years hence,

as if the soul would speak

in a nocturnal language

to be heard, understood.

A word should be like a kiss

given alone.

Then it brings morning

Sheltered from sun –

May the word to the morning

bequeath a poem.

rivka bassman z”l – april 27, 2023 Read Post »

israeli politics

In 1966, I first came to Israel as a student at Hebrew University.  I had not particularly wanted to be in Israel, but once I arrived, every detail interested me.  

One day, I was on the 52 bus in Jerusalem with my friend Jamal, and we were sitting in front of two middle-aged ladies who were speaking in Arabic.  “What are they saying?” I asked Jamal when I saw he was grinning as he listened.  “One said, ‘Look at how the Jews are building and rebuilding the city!’  and the other replied, ‘Let them build, let them build.  It’s just a matter of time before it becomes ours.'”   Now I’ve been hearing that line from Palestinians again – that all they have to do is sit back and watch us destroy ourselves. 

The line frightened me, and I turned to Jamal and asked – “Is this true?” 

He answered, “Let’s try to make it a mutually creative experience, something good for all of us.”

When I came back to Israel, I looked for Jamal, but was told he was gone and I still don’t know if he is living somewhere else or he passed away. 

Perhaps the concept of which we spoke has remained.

 

 

 

 

 

 

a matter of time – april 27, 2023 Read Post »

israeli politics

I’m sure there are millions of parties tonight and we have many reasons to celebrate, but I don’t have the energy to celebrate even the alternative event of the reading of the Declaration of Independence tonight.  The museum has a big sign in its front window pointing out its relationship to the document.  It has everything we need to be the basis of the Constitution.  How did we not finalize a constitution in all these 75 years?  

And I’ve got a cold – the weather keeps changing on me and I never notice until it’s too late.  So I was standing at the bus stop on a windy corner with a whole bunch of soldiers, and they were talking about memorial day and their concerns about participating in ceremonies.   It was clear that all were very patriotic, but they were worried – very worried – about getting their uniforms in order.  You know that it is the responsibility of the soldiers to keep their uniforms clean and pressed – that’s why they go home every week with the laundry.  

happy independence day – april 25, 2023 Read Post »