israeli politics, my life in tel aviv

There are three new buildings being raised right around our co-op, primarily by workers who come in every day from the West Bank or Gaza.  A few days ago I spoke to one of them in the little grocery store.  Tall, shy, a teenager, he could speak only Arabic and comes over the border every day.   From Gaza, he comes through the Erez crossing. 

But I won’t be seeing him for a while.  The crossing was destroyed yesterday when hundreds of nearby residents were slaughtered in their shelters. 

The demonstrations were cancelled last night – most of the pilots, the soldiers, the navy, the doctors – were in the sites of the catastrophe, trying to clean up the remains of the slaughter, to treat survivors, to find some of the terrorists who may still be around.

I still haven’t been in touch with my friend from the northern border – her information about the explosions in the night from Hizballah would be more accurate than the news but her Parkinson’s make it impossible for her to use the morning for anything but getting herself ready for the day, and she has to focus. 

Since I live in the middle of Tel Aviv, all we had to do was stay home and be ready to race the few flights down to the shelter when the sirens go off.  So we were woken at six thiry in the morning and went up and down a few days.  A whatsapp from an Arab neighbor asked whether it was safer to just stay in the stairwell, but we explained that the shelter was preferable.  The rest of the day we spent glued to the television and on the phone to check on family.  Then in the evening the bombs began again and we ran down and up and down and up. 

We are chicken – a while ago we took a demanding tourist to the settlements on the Gaza border, but refused to get too close.  She wanted to see Gaza, but we shivered and drove her back home.  Now I am sure that more than a quarter of the residents in that pastoral moshav are gone.

Every single mother, every single baby, every single old lady in that moshav is in my mind now, as I get out of the clothes I slept in, and get ready for a new day.

oct 8, 2023 – morning Read Post »

israeli politics, my life in tel aviv

Have you ever been to Kibbutz Be-eri for example?  Did you ever see the other side with your naked eyes?  Did you ever think these people would not want to slaughter you in your house?  How could I be the only paranoid in the country?  

So many deaths today, so far 22, such a change it will make in the lives of the survivors, and such a change it will make in the lives of the Gazans in the next few days.  

Let’s pray for all the citizens.  And lets pray for elections.

Hours later the number of victims is over 100, 800 wounded, 50 kidnapped and the mess is still on.  Terrorists break into a house, kill the family, and wait for someone to come to looj for them.  Sometimes wounded are unable to be rescued, sometimes still fighting to keep the door of their shelter shut.

 

  

 

 

don’t tell me you didn’t know – oct 7, 2023 Read Post »

israeli politics, my life in tel aviv

At 6:22 a.m. I’m in the hallway in my nightgown, holding the dog who is going crazy from excitement.  By 7 I’m dressed, fed, and waiting for rockets.  Computer and pills are packed and waiting by the door.  

Apparently we too are under attack, closed up at home.  Bombs are falling around us, infiltrators are wandering around outside. …

I think I don’t have to worry about Bruno Mars tickets tonight.

a defining text Read Post »

israeli politics, my life in tel aviv

Finally finished the program for Monday night – a little Hebrew, a little Arabic, a little Yiddish, good English, wine. Beit Hasopher was a high respected place when I read there 45 years ago, but is slated for destruction and its former glory is barely visible. So when you come to Kaplan 6 at 7:30, don’t expect too much. But when you go in, the poetry and music are magical.

Oh, and if you have a magnifying glass, you can see my picture in Haaretz gallery.

 

 

the show on monday – Read Post »

israeli politics, my life in tel aviv

This is not an important post.

Today I met 2 country dogs.  The female seemed aggressive at first and wouldn’t stop barking at me, but immediately fell under the spell of my magic ear-rub, and I could see that if she was a person she’d be the famous farmer’s daughter.  The male was her wise, lazy father – the one who has all the answers and just waits for the city slicker to fall into his trap.  

When we got back we were given the city dog to take care of.  Nervous, suspicious, fun-loving, instinctively comprehending all situations, but not caring.   

Told you it was not an important post.

country dogs, city dogs – Read Post »

israeli politics, my life in tel aviv

Everyone here has a different definition of what democracy is.  For me, it’s rule by an educated democracy that takes the needs of the entire population into consideration.  There aren’t many countries that ever fulfilled the definition, but right now the very concept is in danger, and I don’t know what will be achieved by uniting with Hungary and Poland and maybe France and Germany and the US to preserve democracy – but it’s a nice idea. 

democrisis Read Post »

israeli politics, my life in tel aviv

How do you create a great society?  Teach all the children how to contribute as they grow up – to learn what happens in the society, how they can fit in, and how they contribute. 

Sadly, we stopped doing that a while ago – without an equal and generous system of education that emphasizes the interrelationship of individuals,  we can’t have good, responsible teachers.  I must admit that when I first started teaching here, I was impressed by the sense of purpose my colleagues all had.  I don’t feel that any more.

 

 

Responsible Education Read Post »