blog, my life in tel aviv,

from the alexander river to netanya

Things didn’t go as usual for us on the trail.  It was a great trail, as usual.  It was much harder than promised, as usual.  But our mix-up made it harder.  Because we spent a whole morning cleaning the tar from the shoes we wore to the beach last wednesday, we really didn’t feel like ruining another pair of shoes on the beach walk.   The oil spill was only announced on Thursday, but it has been repeated over and over on the news that the entire coast is polluted from an oil spill.   So when Rami posted that we’ll be walking along the beach but it was clean, we  didn’t believe him, and we found the oldest possible shoes, with as few ridges as possible.  Mine were summer sneakers, Ezi’s were old worn-out dress shoes.  

But the beaches were totally clean.  Alexander River kissed the sea.  

and the boulders along the shore kissed each other

But we had no traction.  I was slipping and sliding when we left the beach – especially because, as it turned out, my shoes and my socks were full of sand.  Ezi slipped going down a hill and turned his ankle.  

We should have believed our guide.

and then we raced home so I could do a zoom with the IAWE.

 

 

 

february 23, 2021 – israel trail Read Post »

israeli politics, my life in tel aviv

This is a shamefaced confession.  We have elections in less than a month  and it should be a no-brainer for me. I’ve always voted Labor.  I believe in their ideology.  And Benny Ganz is considered such a loser that 150 Generals today asked him to take himself off the ballot because he won’t get enough votes to get into parliament.    But yesterday when someone asked me who I wanted most in the government I found myself saying his name.  The courage he showed by joining the government against all advice because he wanted to influence the decisions in the past year has proven effective.  He has forced a measure of honesty and answerability it has not known in ages.  A gadfly of the highest order, he took time to find his voice – but voice he found.  And I’m proud of him.  Doesn’t anyone else believe this?

february 22, 2021 – Benny ganz Read Post »

blog, israeli politics, my life in tel aviv,

Since almost everything opened yesterday, I have been scared to leave the house.  It seems like a no-brainer that everyone mixing together is going to create a wave – one like we have experienced numerous times in the past year.  

and tomorrow we’re going on the Israel Trail – mostly along the polluted beach.  I’m still recovering from our last visit to the beach.  It was just the beginning of the oil spill and the tar along the coast.  We don’t seem to be talking about the identity of the ship that perpetrated the crime because we are trying to make peace with our neighbors, but we’re really in trouble because we’re not containing the spill.  We’re just mopping up.  What’s more important? Turtles or peace?

 

february 22, 2021 – which masks for purim? Read Post »

blog, my life in tel aviv,

Instead of going out to nature today we wound up cleaning up the tar from our shoes from our walk a couple of days ago.  Even though Ezi took the cleaning outside, the whole house smells of kerosene.  And the situation has gotten worse 

The whole coast from the northern border down to Ashkelon is full of tar.  Friends who are more active than we feel today have gone to the shore to help clean up, and some even volunteer to spot creatures wounded by the tar – turtle eggs for example.  The cause of the tar is probably dumping some ship from the north, but whatever it is, it is deadly to the plant, fish, amphibian and animal life here.  We’re under siege.

later: it seems that this tar comes from a ship that got flipped in the storm.  That may mean the leak will go on for a while causing even more damage to the environment, and apparently, to the health of those who are trying to clean it up. 

february 20, 2021 – tar Read Post »

blog, my life in tel aviv

how we remain human under more and more restrictions?  We can’t imagine evgrandchildren be able to renewt erything is supposed to change on sunday when so many places open up.  Will all the lonely people in the country find partners after a year of being alone?  Will all the grandchildren be able to renew their ties with their old grandparents who have been keeping themselves safe and apart?  

one of my strange comparisons – that comes unwillingly but inevitably – has been with my parents’ successful negotiations during the war.  who am i to complain when they spent 6 years in semi=hiding, trying to get out of Danzig before the Germans conquered Poland? 

so we spent an afternoon and evening with children and grandchildren, going through our fears and relief, and forgetting to be very careful – pretending – for the moment – all is well.

february 19, 2021 – pretending it’s over Read Post »

blog, my life in tel aviv, ,

yes, the sea was still wild after the storm.  not evilly wild, maybe even joyfully wild.  But we made the mistake of trying to walk along the shore and after filling our soles with tar and soot, it chased us away.

 

 

Even the buoy couldn’t stand up to the storm.  

 

And the poor trees along the shore suffered as well.

i keep thinking of the poem by Adelaide Crapsey: “On Seeing Weather-beaten Trees”

Is it as plain in our living shown, 

by slant and twist, which way the wind has blown

 

 

and the city, as always, endures

february 18, 2021 – by the sea Read Post »

blog, my life in tel aviv,

Because Michael Kagan mentioned his participation in a zoom tonight at the Ghetto Fighters Association – Lochanei HaGhettaot, I was able to join in.  Michael was one of the stars, talking about his father’s participation in the escape tunnel.  And the evening was so fascinating that I clung to every detail  throughout the two hours, wishing I could get a question in about my aunt and her fate.   all i have are different stories in different books. and a slide of 60 fighters divided into 3 groups.

there are other faceless people in the chart, but only my aunt is a woman.

i’ll be talking a little more about her tomorrow at 1 EST here

february 14, 2021 – zhedtl Read Post »

blog, my life in tel aviv, ,

sometimes a chance conversation leads you into strange places.  i’m sure my granddaughter was not expecting these answers, but they elicited a true story I would never have thought of telling:

So what have you been up to, Grandma?

We bought a slingshot not realizing it’s considered a weapon and it was stopped at customs

the slingshot sounds fun, a shame they wouldn’t let you keep it

We’ll make our own slingshots.

what will you do with them?

Scare the wild parrots who eat the flowers  off the tree in front of our window

It’s a problem now because in the lockdown we kind of adopted a wild cat who comes to eat every day and then leaves.   But she has to let us know when she is downstairs and needs to get in the door.  For a while she was calling us from outside the window .  But now she climbs the tree and looks in our window and meows.  When she sees us, she climbs down and goes  to wait at the door.  But if we start shooting beans at the birds , she’ll get scared and fall out of the tree…

She’s an old cat. She has to watch her step.  See?  We have an exciting life.

february 14, 2021 – whatsapp conversation with granddaughter Read Post »