December 2024 — Page 4 of 5 — Karen Alkalay Gut קרן אלקלעי גוט

Prepare Yourself for Hanuka - 14.12.24

Let’s start thinking of Hanuka with a Yiddish song from the days of the sweatshops at the beginning of the 20th Century. . Oh you little candle lights . Morris Rosenfeld . Oh, you little candle lights You tell of histories Innumerable little tales. You speak of bloody events, Heroism and courage – Wonders of log ago. When I see you flickering A sparkling dream comes to me An ancient vision speaks: “Jew, you were once a fighter,</.strong><p> Jew, you were once victorious,” –

Lord, this is barely to be believed!

This was once how things were,

You once were a nation,

You were once in charge:

You once had a land,

You once were in control!

Ach! How deeply this moves!

Oh, you little candlelights!

Your little histories

awaken my anguish:

It moves my heart so deeply

And with tears it asks itself:

What will happen now?…

translation by Karen Alkalay-Gut

אָ, איר קליינע ליכטעלעך

טעקסט: מ. ראָזענפֿעלד

אָ, איר קליינע ליכטעלעך

איר דערציילט געשיכטעלעך,

מעשהלעך אָן אַ צאָל.

איר דערציילט פֿון בלוטיקייט,

בריהשאַפֿט און מוטיקייט –

ווונדער פֿון אַמאָל.

ווען איך זע אייַך שמינקלענדיק,

קומט אַחלום פֿינקלענדיק,

רעדט אַן אַלטער טרוים:

“ייד, דו האָסט געקריגט אַ מאָל,

ייד, גו האָסט געזיגט אַמאָל”, –

גאָט, דאָס גלייבט זיך קוים !…

ס’איז בייַ דיר אַ טאָלק געווען,

ביסט אַ מאָל אַ פֿאָלק געווען,

האָסט אַ מאָל רעגירט :

האָסט אַ מאָל אַ לאַנד געהאַט,

האָסט אַ מאָל אַ האַנט געהאַט !” –

אך ! ווי טיף דאָס רירט !

אָ, איר קליינע ליכטעלעך !

אייַערע געשיכטעלעך

וועקן אויף מייַן פּייַן :

טיף אין האַרץ באַוועגט עס זיך

און מיט טרערן פֿרעגט עס זיך :

וואָס וועט איצטער זייַן ?…

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Ut elit tellus, luctus nec ullamcorper mattis, pulvinar dapibus leo.

prpare yourself for Hanuka – 14.12.24 Read Post »

israeli politics

The Future - 13.12.24

Oh, come on, what do I know about the future? All I can tell you is what I was told today when we went to a meeting of our broker. He was terribly optimistic – noted that the market here is incredibly strong, that the shekel is second to the dollar, that we’re… well you know what an investment company would say….

But then the futurist came on to the stage and he had even bigger predictions – about the entire middle east, the connections with Saudi Arabia and so forth. Despite my irony as to the motivations and the methodology I was optimistic.

Then this evening we’ve been getting a rockets from Gaza and the doubts came back.

the future – 13.12.24 Read Post »

israeli politics

jewish women

You may know about the Book of Judith and how it is associated with Hanukah.

My little protest about Hanukah is that this book was not included in the Bible, but left as an external text when it clearly speaks of the period of the Hasmoneans and therefore the time when the rebellion of the Macabees took place.

check out wikipedia on this

holofernes

they always do it

those jewish women

promise you everything

then cut off your head

wine and cheese

and all that teasing

and you can be sure

those jewish widows

know how to please

they always do it

those jewish women

cut off your head

and then celebrate

if only for the melody – you’ll love the celebration.

jewish women Read Post »

israeli politics

So here’s my song about it.

if the link above doesn’t work, try this one

and this is an explanation:

jewish women Read Post »

israeli politics

R.I.P Corine Allal 12.12.24

She knew that with pancreatic cancer she didn’t have much of a chance, and was at peace with it.

We met once one the stage for an hour or so, and from that moment I admired her. Here you can see two strangers uniting around an MC

I Wish I could see her again.

R.I.P. Corinne Allal -12.12.24 Read Post »

israeli politics

War Requiem/hostage square - 11.12.24

For the context of this opera, read this article in Midnight East https://www.midnighteast.com/mag/?p=54852

Who would believe that the Israeli Opera would stage Britten’s War Requiem next door to where the families of hostages are camped? Who would believe that it is being performed now, when we are hoping so desperately that the war is over, that it opens on the day seven soldiers were buried. Who did not weep when at the end of the opera the choir raised posters of the hostages? I don’t know – I couldn’t see anything for the tears.

War Requiem/hostage square – 11 Read Post »

israeli politics

bibi's Trial 2 - 10.12.24

Wait a minute – we who are so angry at Bibi we will do anything to get rid of him, sometimes forget that if he is ousted we automatically get Yariv Levin.

bib Read Post »

israeli politics

Bibi's Trial - 10.12.24

What can come of Bibí’s trial that began today? Since he’s such a good friends of the incoming president of the U.S., if he’s judged to be guilty it will not improve our relationship.

It is important to know the truth, but it may not be good to act on it.

I would hate to be in that situation of judging someone I know to be guilty….

bibi’s trial – 10.12.24 Read Post »