israeli politics

One way from getting away from the news is to go to the beach.  In my Arabic lessons on Duolingo, next to the phrase “praise be to God,” the most common phrase is “I love swimming in the Mediterranean Sea,” and almost the only Mideast cities that are mentioned are those on the coast – Alexandria, Beirut, and “ancient Palestinian cities,” and it is so understandable.  On holidays and weekends, the beach is full of Arab families, but during the week in winter, there are only surfers, a few brave swimmers, and some stragglers like us.  But the sea really helps to recognize how fragile we are.  And how universal human emotions.

february 27, 2022 – Beach Read Post »

israeli politics

Because my education in managing this site began with a wonderful guy named Barry, and he disappeared in the middle of the plague to return to extreme religion, I only know about some of the ways to use the equipment.  And I’m still learning.  So I just learned about approving comments, and discovered my little cousin’s remarks about “Oif’n Pripichock.”  I used to sing it to him when I babysat, and just now realized that we were two little war orphans – his father shell-shocked from WWII and my parents overwhelmed with creating a viable existence from scratch.  Now I watch – obsessively – the Ukrainian children – and think of what lullabies can soothe their worlds.  

february 27, 2022 – oifn Pripichock2 Read Post »

israeli politics

Here is the link to the exhibit at the Muza museum. I was very excited about going to this exhibit.  The idea of field hospital as art made a great deal of sense to me – for example, the concept of triage as an aesthetic as well as an emergency medical concern.  But I was gently disappointed.  I mean, it was fun – just like being in a hospital but with no medical purpose.  You enter, take a number, and wait until your number is called.  Then you pick a subject you want to empathize with.  I picked transgender.  And you get a chance to release your emotions – a sealed room to scream in – according to the recorded instructions.  Then you go to the treatment chairs where you are shown a video of a person on the subject, and another video entitled second opinion.  Then you go to a space where you answer questions on a computer about in what space you feel unsafe – and then you’re out.  Sadly I felt nothing throughout.  Yes, I felt a great deal for the trans person whose video I watched, but I also felt nothing for the situation.  I’ll add some pictures.

maybe we spend too much time in real hospitals and the people we meet there are worried about staying alive and not social issues, but it was hard for us to take it seriously.

february 26, 2022 – field hospital Read Post »

israeli politics

Why, you ask , I do not comment about Ukraine?  Because I’m terrified.  I understand that Putin is friendly with Syria and Assad’s support for his invasion of Ukraine will be rewarded.  And we are the reward.  Need I say more?

february 25, 2022 – Ukraine Read Post »

israeli politics

Some of you may know I chair the Israel Association of Writers in English.  It’s not a great honor, but I always feel the buck stops here, and if other members don’t manage to fulfill their obligations I’m responsible.  So in the absence of an intern or a secretary I am taking care of postal matters and in the absence of live events, I have taken on the job of sending out the latest issue of the journal, arc, to members and contributors and subscribers.

Having failed to successfully pay for the annual post box fee online numerous times, I made an appointment to go there and check it out for myself.  They do not accept customers without appointments, but the next appointment was for the next day at 7 last evening.  So to make the journey really worthwhile, I wrapped up an arc and planned to see how much it would cost to mail – both locally and abroad.  Now with all the glass dividers and the masks each simple transaction becomes twice as complicated and unpleasant, so I decided to be extra nice and exchanged compliments and pleas and identity cards and credit cards with the teller and the manager before they allowed me to pay – they even gave me a discount for this month and promised that the box was ours for the year.   Then I asked about the price of a simple local mailing.  The cheapest rate was 10:30 shekel.  It seemed so expensive  I was shocked and forgot to ask about mailing to the US and Australia, and left to get home before the storm.  But then I went outside to the mailboxes, and it turned out ours was locked.  I returned to the clerk and listened as he was coached carefully by the manager about how to open the box she had just locked.  But he couldn’t figure out from the inside which box to open, so he asked me to go back outside and knock on the door of the box.   I went out and knocked, but when were finally at the same place, he discovered the lock wouldn’t open.  At last, with much force, he managed to turn the inside key, and asked me to open it from my side to make sure it worked.  Through the tiny window of the empty box, we said shalom and I turned homewards. 

That was when the thunderstorm and hail began. 

When I arrived home – soaked but having managed to keep the receipts dry, I decided that maybe I was spending too much time with trivia.

february 25, 2022 – post Office Read Post »

israeli politics

As the Russian army makes ready to enter Kiev, my heart goes out to every individual shuddering in their unprotected homes.  My heart goes out to every soldier and his family who are almost as terrified as the victims.  

And why does my heart go out so –  perhaps partly because I have been in every one of those places.  But of course there are other reasons….

february 24, 2022 – war Read Post »

israeli politics

Many years ago, a cousin  of Ezi’s, Ehud Netzer z”l, took us on a tour of the family’s Jerusalem.  Among all the places he showed us, such as the police station on Jaffa Road, which was once the house of Ezi’s great grandparents, he also discussed much of the family’s history.  As usual, I wasn’t paying total attention, but when he came to the part about Zalman Ben Tovim and Itzhak Isaac Ben Tovim being friends of Eliezer Ben Yehuda and contributing to the lexicon, I did my best to focus.  The only word I could remember was “kvish” for road.  Yesterday I started going on a hunt for other Hebrew words invented by Ezi’s family.  It took all day and I found nothing, so I didn’t have a chance to update this journal on time for a daily entry,but maybe another cousin will come up with something today.  

february 24, 2022 – Ben Tovim and Ben Yehuda Read Post »