israeli politics

pen yiddish - 6.29.25

Many years ago there was a PEN chapter in Israel.  It disappeared along with the Federation of Writers’ Unions in Israel about 30 years ago when the government stopped funding over bad management, but since then I’ve been involved in at least 2 attempts to get ourselves together and apply for membership – but both times people weren’t willing to put in the time and effort demanded.  And how to get all these divergent people and languages in this country together.  And who needs all the complicated politics anyway.  Way back in 1997 I edited an issue of the journal, PEN Israel in English, and there were entries from Arabic, Russian, Yiddish, and of course Hebrew.  But now it would be much more problematic  – we’ve grown further apart.

The new international effort of PEN Yiddish, however, is a different story.  Because it involves a language not a country, it can bring a newly revitalized language to the fore.  I’m looking forward to seeing what happens with it.

 

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israeli politics

eating war - 6.28.25

 one of my little schemes for erasing the trauma of war is to devour the symbols so this shabbat we fashioned the challach into a stealth bomber.  and i hope it will have some of the proper results – especially since we’re still getting missiles from Yemen.  

digesting the war – 6.28.25 Read Post »

israeli politics

Wake me when it's over - 6.27.25

Last night I invited some writers in Israel for a zoom, just to talk about what they’ve been through.  Some were now refugees, some were just exhausted.  But it was so good to be with people who had the same experiences, and haven’t been able to speak about it.  Maybe with some more encouragement we’ll be able to write.  empowerment.

Wake me when it’s over – 6.27.25 Read Post »

israeli politics

adrenalin - 6.26.25

I woke up at 4 a.m. sort of, and said, ‘where’s the siren?…there’s missile without the siren!’ Then I went back to sleep.  This is an improvement.  But I still have a long way to go.  

 

adrenalin – 6.26.25 Read Post »

israeli politics

rabbit hole - 6.26.25

Lewis Carroll was a mathematician so there is some manner of order in the rabbit hole he describes.  I once published an article about his mathematical order in Jabberwocky.  Now we have a red queen who is creating a different kind of order….

 

Rabbit hole – 6.26.25 Read Post »

israeli politics

respite - 6.25.25

the feeling of relief that is palpable on the streets is not a feeling of joy or success.  it is a moment of awareness, mixed with pain at the loss of the soldiers today in Gaza and the knowledge that there will never be peace with our neighbors as long as we remain alive.  

Still we managed to get out and enjoy ourselves – bought an orange t-shirt and ate at Akiko.  I had saved the day for my daughter’s birthday but she was otherwise occupied and I really didn’t want to infect my pessimism on children anyway.  I’d rather infect you.  

I know that  our victory over Iran has been great, and books are already being written about the amazing military powers we exhibited,  but we cannot acknowledge our powers so as not to insult the other nations involved in this fracas.  

Should the Gaza mess get solved, I’m sure my heart would ease.  


respite – 6.25.25 Read Post »

israeli politics

Some Ruins - 6.24.25

As soon as a cease fire was announced, it was broken. 5 people were killed in BeerSheva.

Then the ceasefir was was announced by our government and we raced out to see the damages in our neighborhood from the attack 2 days ago.  Even though we were dying to go there before, there were too many sirens warning us of the danger.

Amazing how much damage a 1000 pound bomb dropped next to an old age home can do.   We estimated a few thousand people displaced.  Glass for blocks around, and they’ve been cleaning up since yesterday.  Imagine how many beds are full of slivers.

See this building here? I played the old lady in my granddaughter’s film here last year in one of those rooms on the top floor.

And that isn’t even the center of the damage. The bomb fell a couple of doors down.

When I was a kid we sent packages of clothes and stuff to people in Israel.  And now these people need everything from clothes to appliances.  

The part that really got to me were the signs looking for pets that ran away.  But I really have a soft spot for any creature that doesn’t know what the f***k is going on.

 

some ruins – 6.24.25 Read Post »