israeli politics

Nights in Tel Aviv - 21.12.24

The Houtis seem to have discovered that we’re a bit more vulnerable at night, and they’re sending us rockets to wake us up.  So we’re back to sleeping in our clothes.   I’m sure it will take a day or two to figure out how to shoot them down before it gets to heavily populated areas but right now we don’t even have enough time to hide.  

Today they were interviewing some of the people whose apartments were shattered last night, and what surprised me the most was that after their complaints they remembered to add that the most important thing is to get the hostages back.  In these cold, wet days, we particularly remember those people hidden deep in the wet ground, hungry and cold.  Every time I think of them I want to go back to my eiderdown.

 

 

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israeli politics

The Ring - 20.12.24

Adir Miller’s film, “The Ring,” opened yesterday, and because it is about Hungary and the Holocaust, we went to see it.  We didn’t think it would be as good as it was – we thought it would be great to see Jewish Budapest again.

But it was good.  The fact that it was a version of the biography of members of the family, didn’t make it less good.  Most people in Israel have horror stories that brought them to find shelter here – if not now then one or two generations back.  

The fact that the hotel in the film was the Gellert, and Ezi’s grandfather built the spa there, was a detail that made the film more real to us, but not what made it authentic and genuine.  (I can even add that there is a shot of Budapest that was taken from the room we stayed in at the Gellert).  

The sense of the truth of the story, and the relevance of the importance of survival to the people of Israel today is what got me.  Even though I could find many places where it could have been edited,  I was really happy to see this film. Go see it.

The Ring – 20.12.24 Read Post »

israeli politics

James Joyce - 17.12.24

Since Israel was forced to close its embassy in Ireland because of the anti-Israel atmosphere in the country, I thought it might be nice to remind the Irish of James Joyce’s use of the dream of the Jews in Ulysses to revive their homeland.  Here are just two quotes:

What anthem did Bloom chant partially in anticipation of that multiple, ethnically irreducible consummation?

Kolod balejwaw pnimah
Nefesch, jehudi, homijah.

—

and: Three cheers for Israel!

The renewal of the language and the return to the ancient culture that Joyce was witnessing was his inspiration for the future of Ireland.

 

and: —Three cheers for Israel!

James Joyce – 17.12.24 Read Post »

israeli politics

Therapy and Rock - 16.12.24

It seems that every time that I’m on my own, a siren follows me.  Today I was waiting for my first reflexology treatment in the health clinic, and a siren begins to sound.  We’re herded to the kitchen, the door is sealed, and we wait the required 10 minutes.  Then I go to take off my shoes and socks for the massage.  

It was very relaxing.

 

Therapy and Rockets – 16.12.24 Read Post »

israeli politics

Mahler -16.12.24

Maybe had we not been so tired, from the day , and from the year, we would have enjoyed Mahler’s ninth symphony more.  But we have been so surrounded by death this year, so tired of heroic funerals, so fearful of death to come, that Mahler’s absorption in his own coming death spoke less to us.  The death of tonality as well, as much as I mourn it, is not as painful to me as the death of so many people.  As much as the Gazans enjoyed inflicting pain and torturel on us, as much as the Hizbullah tried to torture us, I weep their deaths amost as much as I weep our own people – the elderly as much as the beautiful youths – rhose dead and those suffering in the tunnels of Gaza.  

So we left while the audience was going wild in praise of the orchestra and the conductor, and went to visit the grandchildren whose lives have been turned upside down by the war, the uncertainty of their future, the fear that they might have saved themselves had they given up on the dream of living in peace…

 

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israeli politics

Mixed Up Site - 15.12.24

It’s only become clear to me this week that my site is all mixed up and even these posts – if you can get to them – disappear after a while.  This isn’t what I signed up for and I’ll try to put things in the old order (which was of course a mess).  

Please excuse the mess.  It isn’t a hack – it’s a change of order in word press.

 

mixed up site – 15.12.24 Read Post »

israeli politics

birthday Celebration - 14.12.24

I wanted this to be a special birthday, and from all I had seen of the Blue Rooster before it was small, intimate, and special.  But when we got there we were put into a large hall of diners, fortunately in a corner.   “This is a birthday,” we whispered to the waiter, who nodded, understanding that it was our secret, but as we went on with our meal, we began to hear the birthday song sung by the waiters –  table by table.  We were almost the last table to be sung to.  

Anyway it turns out the secret exclusive restaurant I had chosen with the exhaustive help of friends is really the standard saturday afternoon birthday spot.  

The last time I ate there the dinner was exquisite, unique, intimate.  Today was the opposite – but it made me feel as though we are part of a culture, beginning to recover from our isolation – maybe able to celebrate.

 

birthday Celebration – 14.12.24 Read Post »

israeli politics

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 ?…

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prpare yourself for Hanuka – 14.12.24 Read Post »