israeli politics

Read it there - 7.2.25

I wanted to write something about the reason we’re not talking much about our experiences with the half-ton rockets smashing into our lives, but then I remembered I promised a piece for First of the Month, and so I wrote it and sent it there.  It should come out tomorrow and I’ll add the link.

 

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israeli politics

another visit from yemen - 7.1.25

We were sitting with friends, considering the possibility of a vacation on a cruise, when the phones started sounding off about a rocket on the way.  The party broke up as we began to descend the staircase, and joined some of the neighbors in the hall.  

It was soon over – the rocket was shot down –  but we didn’t speak more of vacations.

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israeli politics

the challah - 7.1.25

It was the only visible symbol of our recognition that the ceasefire had given us a sense of relief.  No where else is there a sign.  In the past weeks it became apparent that there is no public shelter in our neighborhood and there was an outcry.  Now it’s over and forgotten.  No one is talking about it any more.  It’s the old “Arkansas Traveller” syndrome.   

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israeli politics

Calming down - 6.30.25

Since my friends who don’t live here think we’re calming down around here, I thought I’d straighten out the picture.  Lots of people are in denial, but lots of people are also expecting a big revenge for embarassing a great country.  

Vesuvius is acting up, scary earthquakes in Japan, Iran is putting itself together with some big help from their friends, and our US buddies are as tired as we are.

sleep well.

 

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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 »