israeli politics

Our long-time doctor in the health clinic left the system for private practice years ago and took with her a few patients in a supplementary capacity.  We had been very happy with her and decided to continue with her, so even though we have a GP in the health system, we have a subscription with her as well, and she tells us what tests we need to ask for, what these tests mean, and what we can do to maintain good health.  

Sometimes what she recommends is not totally proven, but usually it works.   So today she prescribed silver water for our long corona.  So if I turn blue, you’ll know why.

Forgot to note why we follow her blindly – When Ezi was getting his first chemo, he felt terrible.  She walked him through it with minor medications – and continued to help him with years of simple advice.  

 

silver water – july 21, 2022 Read Post »

israeli politics

As the elevator came down from the 16th floor, I heard the children arguing – and the mother screaming for them to stop.  When the door finally opened, there were two shamefaced girls – about 6 and 8 – with thick glasses – and the mother with a baby carriage – maybe with a baby inside.  As they left the elevator and walked to the door of the building, the mother continued her tirade, “How could you shout at each other like that?  You are sisters, and you should be friends!  And where did you learn to shout like that?  You are an embarrassment to me!”

It struck me that in this hard time – with everything going a bit haywire in the world – parenting is even harder than ever.  We’re all on a short fuse and the emotional effects will be longer lasting than the heat spell or the Corona.  

parenting – july 20, 2022 Read Post »

israeli politics

I haven’t thought much about the issue of my identity in a long time.  Although I think most concepts of identities are determined by the ”other” in the way that Jews in Europe discovered their Jewish identity only when Nazis came to arrest them, I believe that my own identity was also created by the blurring of borders.  That is, I also see my identity along gender borders – women experiencing similar situations in different races – and along character borders – people who think and feel like me.  Why am I thinking about this today?  In part, because I was communicating with a guy I used to think was similar to me but has been behaving very badly to others I respect – breaking promises, sabotaging their plans, insulting them, etc.  In part, because I saw Anu museum through the eyes of Americans: where I thought the museum was an exercise in bragging, my American friends assured me it was an important lesson in identity.  Information I thought was obvious and known to all, was, it emerged, not available to many.  Now I have to go back and see the exhibition through my friend’s eyes.

 

identity – july 19, 2022 Read Post »

israeli politics

The more I depend on foreign media, the less the local news discusses the world.  Today, for instance, it is half an hour into channel 12 and all we’ve heard is about this tiny country.   Of all the terrible things that happen here, this seems the most frightening – that we’re into our own ass.  With all that’s happening in the world, why are we doing this to ourselves?

 

what happened to the news – July 18, 2022 Read Post »

israeli politics

For a few seconds last night, the lights flickered in our neighborhood.  And ‘whatsapp’ went wild.  Even we are fearful of losing power.  Every aspect of our lives is dependent on energy – not our own.  But for the Saudis it’s even more important.  They are raking it up right now – buying from Russia at discount and selling for double.  At least that’s what Reuters says.

We have a generator.  It’s my transitional object

oil Read Post »

israeli politics

there was no way I would miss my nephew’s widow’s father’s shiva.  He was a good man, and wortghhy of respect, but the fact that my the anniversary of my nephew

s death comes up in 2 days, and the fact that Yankele did everything he could to replace the nephew, especially for his three distraught grandchildren, was too much to ignore.

It finished me for the day, however, and I don’t remember anything else.

shiva – july 17, 2022 Read Post »

israeli politics

Raymond Federman was shoved into a closet by his parents on this day, eighty years ago.  He really had to go to the bathroom, but he stayed there for days before he finally snuck up to the roof to relieve himself and return to the closet.  Over 13000 Jews were collected and sent to camps that day.  Most didn’t survive.  

For some reason he was with me all today, even before I realized what date it was.  Maybe someone at the shiva I was at reminded me of him – only because he looked like him.  But I haven’t been with anyone as wild and crazy as Ray for almost 15 years.  His character was unique – see if you can find his books and bring him back to life.

 

 

july 16, 2022 -French Jew Round-up Read Post »

israeli politics

“Where shall we go for our anniversary?” I was thinking.  Our wedding in Cyprus, 42 years ago, was followed by a dream trip around the island and I was thinking that this time we would go to Ashkelon and points south in the desert.  But as soon as I said it, a rocket fell in Ashkelon.  I’m still going there.  

 

ashkelon – July 16, 2022 Read Post »