israeli politics

It was a shock for me to visit the supermarket today – on a Friday yet, when everyone is preparing for the sabbath.

I buy groceries online almost exclusively, ever since my back started going out.  In my younger days I would spend one morning a week at the shuk hacarmel,  but the publish-or-perish world took over and I shortened my shopping time by going to the local supermarket.  But that too passed.   

As the child of refugees it is terribly important for me to have a fully stocked pantry.  Ezi, on the other hand, believes that I should buy what we need for the day, so that everything is fresh.  It’s a nice thought, but I’m not capable of thinking that way, and although I shopped today for the week, I am already planning a list for next thursday. 

Now everyone know you should never shop on Friday.  But I had readings and lectures this week and had no time to really get it together, even online, and I cannot live without kale.  And my grocer doesn’t carry kale.  So we went to the supermarket.

Wow, all the shoppers were either men or frantic old ladies like me!  Most of the men were making quick calls to their wives for advice, but there were some who were absolute masters – especially of the automatic checkout counter.  Ezi, however, was determined to do the checkout on the app he had downloaded. 

And it didn’t work.

 

The Supermarket – July 1, 2022 Read Post »

israeli politics

Everyone who is anyone lives within a five minute walk of my small apartment.  Last night we were reminded of it when we tried to get to a reading in Jerusalem on time, but the new prime minister’s entourage stopped the traffic for a while.  It’s strange – it isn’t much of a neighborhood, and yet we’ve had leading politicians here all the time.  It really is such a small country.

Executive Neighborhood – july 1, 2022 Read Post »

israeli politics

This is the third time this year I’ve had to get one of those 24 hour heart monitors.  Each time from a different place.  The first time I thought they might find something, and the queue for health-care  monitors were long, so I paid privately.  The second time I got an appointment not far from my neighborhood, and there was a great time had with the nurses – lots of jokes and good feelings inspired by the fact that both the Covid numbers were down and I was sure my heart was in no immediate danger.  This time, the available location was in Jaffa, and the only problem was the traffic and getting there.  Forty minutes each way, and tomorrow morning I have to return it. 

The good thing about it was that Bloomfield stadium next door was unlocked and I got to visit.  The guards made a half-hearted effort to keep us out, but …come on… an old lady wearing a heart monitor – how much damage could I do?  And I was thinking, this is the heart of our country for many people…

 

heart Monitor – June 29, 2022 Read Post »

israeli politics

I know I’m very late today but this was the best graduation ever.  Even though our grandson had  small parts and the budding seventh grade girls starred in their performance – clearly influenced by years of ticktock – the script and the concept were incredible.  The incorporation of the problems of Covid, quarantine, absent teachers, cell-phone addiction, multi-culturalism and gender fluidity were all involved. Everything is incorporated into a plot in which the fairy-tale heroes, threatened with disappearance because the children don’t read, invoke Aladdin’s geni, and he sends them to become substitute teachers.  Since they know nothing else, they teach whatever they were expert at.  But then the school is taken over by witches which are finally overcome by their incorporation into the integrated soccer team…

Well, you had to be there – along with the hundreds of doting families.

grammar school graduation – june 28, 2022 Read Post »

israeli politics

I think the US cancelling of Roe vs. Wade woke us up a bit.  We’re talking about cancelling that silly committee that decides about abortions – especially in the first trimester.   

It passed!  Drug-induced abortions in the first trimester.  No more medical board interview!

abortion moves – june 27, 2022 Read Post »

israeli politics

Two separate subjects.

First: Lavender.  I love lavender.  Full of linalul, it keeps the mosquitoes and snakes away and it puts me to sleep.  And this is the lavender season here. They put it into everything from pillows to ice-cream.    It’s very comforting.

I was also comforted as well by the disagreements being aired in the Likkud party.  I knew there were divisions and they were hiding them for the elections, pretending to be united.  And now the divisions are beginning to become clear.  It makes me miss poor Naftali Bennett more than ever.


likkud and lavender – June 26, 2022 Read Post »

israeli politics

As we sat together with our friends and talked of photography and art, the room began to darken.  My friend said, the end of the Sabbath is always sad, and I thought, it must have been like that for me when I worked – especially when I worked four jobs in order to survive.   I worked all week and could pay attention to my home and friends only on the Sabbath.  There was no internet so I Couldn’t work and . Now the children come on Friday night or Saturday at lunch and we rest for the rest of the week.  

There is something very sad in the way we barely keep the sabbath – and the visit of my friends reminded me of that.   

Unfortunately, I begin the week with a stress test first thing in the morning so I’ll keep this short.

 

end of sabbath sadness – june 25, 2 Read Post »