israeli politics

The annual festival of ‘book week’ has been expanded to book month, and there are real bargains and lots of suggestions as to what to read.  But schools are on strike and the fourth grade kids are reading on second grade level.  So who are going to read the next generation of books?

Me, I’m reading the Alexandria Quartet again.  But I’ve also just read  Doma Mahmoud’s “Cairo Circles,” which reads like a jewish novel, Lucy Atkins,'”Magpie Lane,”  Lisa See, “The Island of Sea Women,”  Pip Williams, “The Dictionary of Lost Words,”  Louise Edrich, “The Night Watchman,” Dara Horn, “Guide for the Perplexed,” (Couldn’t get through “People Love Dead Jews”) and a whole lot of trash.  The book I liked best was Rachel Kadish, “The Weight of Words.” 

I’m still looking for books to distract me from the fact that like the children, I don’t want to learn anything either.

june 22, 2022 – book month Read Post »

israeli politics

The last days of a government before elections is the best time to demand things.  And the teachers have not been getting their demands for months – so today is the perfect day to strike.  A week before the end of the semester for those finishing grammar school.  

There are lots of other demands as well – and Lapid has to win for the safety of the entire country, so he is an easy target.  It really doesn’t matter to people who follow Bibi whether he is convicted on corruption – they don’t believe in truth anyway (or they know something that I can’t figure out).

Anyway I’m going to explain why I was on strike yesterday.  It begins with a class I was asked to teach for the adult college Katedra.  This coming Friday at noon.  As someone who has a hard time saying no I agreed last week to read some poems to a class that basically is about musicals.  Then came the additions: explain about them?  power-point?  translations?  Okay.  In the meantime I’m trying to do the paperwork for the IAWE that should be done by an accountant.  Many pages of nothing with original signatures.  And I’m trying to fill in the forms for payment for the many lectures I gave all over the place.  So by the time for my Arabic lesson, the blog and then sleep, I was asleep. On strike one could say.

Anyway save the following dates:  July 27 for Beit Hasopher on 6 Kaplan Street, and August 25 for the municipal library on Shlomo Hamelech street.  The first one is  for the writers organization.  The second is about me.

but it turns out that all the forms I filled out were wrong, so I’m back where I started yesterday

 

 

june 22, 2022 – Strike Read Post »

israeli politics

So here we go – we’ve got elections at the end of October.  And Lapid is our prime minister in the interim.  Usually nothing happens between now and after the holidays – The Knesset goes on vacation and then come the holidays and nothing gets decided.  And Iran is weeks away from a nuclear bomb…An interesting situation.

June 20, 2022 – Elections Read Post »

israeli politics

What did I do all day?  After arguing with Ezi for hours about how to make the annual account for the English Writers association balance, we escaped to the Nitzan Nativ theatre to see our granddaughter in a rendition of “The Emperor’s New Clothes” with Orna Porat’s Children’s Theater.  Big production, many celebs in the audience applauding their children, and lots of self-assured brats – except for my granddaughter, who is as unsure of herself as I am.  

There was also an amazing dinner at Pua’s in Jaffa – the street was full of satisfied diners despite the slow service.  There is also an added attraction in Jaffa – decollete and very short shorts alongside hijabs and complete covering.  I love the contrasts and the dirty looks of the old ladies on their young offspring. 

and now back to the account books.

june 19, 2022 – theater escape Read Post »

israeli politics

Watching the film about Micha Bar-Am  

1341 frames of love and war,

 photographs that document the history of war, politics, and culture in this country, I was struck by so many incidents that elicit a sense of horror.  Such wonderful and such horrific pictures of our history.

But there was also another element that struck me.  At one point he mentioned that he had a terrible memory, and probably that’s why he has to document it all.  And I realized something.  When I started this journal, in April of 2002, before there was even the term, blog, I was just doing it to document the fact that I wasn’t blown up that day.  But now I write so that one day I will break my own rule and read what happened in my life.  Things happen so fast, even in Covid, I wouldn’t be able to remember, even if I wasn’t dyslexic.  

june 18, 2022 – Memory Read Post »

israeli politics

I want to say a few words about the internal racism that has

A new book has come out about how the mizrachim have been screwed in Israel.  I have to put in my two cents about this.  As a person with a sephardic name I have a little bit of experience with stereotypes.  Although I rejoiced in the family and the culture, I didn’t really notice any specific reaction to my name.  

Except one.  When my daughter took her time to learn how to read, the teacher had one suggestion for me.  Perhaps we should have a few books in the house.  I was too surprised to mention that I had rooms full of books, and I actually taught at a university.  But now I wonder whether one of the reasons I had it so hard to fit in at work and society had something to do with my name.

Nah.

There was only benefit from a Sephardic name.  And I think of all my friends who are Mizrachim and are at the top of the ladder.  You have to read Sasson Somekh’s autobiography.  The quarrels existed, but they became major issues only when a negative term was used in a political rally decades ago and it became the basis for the ultimate success of Bibi, and he has coasted on the division and nurtured it ever since.

june 17, 2022 – jewish stereotypes Read Post »

israeli politics

You know Tel Aviv is getting a light rail and a subway, right?  And you know the Chinese are building them, right?  And if you live in Tel Aviv, you know most of the streets are dug up and closed, and those that are open are so crowded with parked cars that there’s no room to drive through, right?  And there’s nowhere to park the car once you get there?   And still the prices of apartments have gone up so much it’s impossible to afford living there.  Here’s the reason – the Chinese want to make us move to those cities they’ve built for us in China!  

And maybe it’s not a bad idea…

june 16, 2022 – The Sea Read Post »