Yesterday we saw the tunnel exhibit the families of hostages added to the big hostage site in front of the museum. It wasn’t quite open yet, but I peeked in. And since then I’ve been thinking about the cramped darkness, the cold, the hunger. How can they be so ignored by the world? The whole country is in trauma feeling these people are survivors of the relatives who were killed in the holocaust.
And the enemy is getting away with enormous lies.
One of my favorite restaurants in the past was Pastel, next to the museum and just a bit more pretentious. But last year Tamar couldn’t find anything interesting to eat, and after than we were with a friend who found fault with every course and the service as well. I’ve been back a few times since then – celebrating my birthday, comforting myself after a bad lecture I gave. Today, however, I hated it.
Maybe because I was looking out at the families of hostages who were building exhibits to call attention to their situation – in vain. Maybe because it was because I was also watching a couple next to us who didn’t exchange a word the whole time we were there. But after the soup, I lost my appetite. I have to find another place to celebrate.
or mayve just another time…
restaurant – Jan 12, 2024 Read Post »
There are so many reasons that Israel will give to prove we are not committing genocide but are seeking to rescue our 130 odd people who were taken hostage and to stop the agression against our people. I’m sure Israel will raise the obvious defenses in court.
But I would like to add my 2 cents. The only reason Hamas hasn’t committed genocide is that they haven’t succeeded. They have certainly tried hard enough. They started out successfuly, but we were able to stop them, and defend ourselves with good alarm systems and by going into shelters. These are things that the Gazan people could also have done – but the Hamas wouldn’t allow it. They wouldn’t even allow the citizens to hide in the tunnels – a decision that would have saved thousands of lives.
The population of Gaza participated in the guarding of hostages. I know I’ve said this before and I’m sure there were many who were forced to participate in creating inhuman circumstances for the hostages, and were persuaded that these people who had been snatched from their beds or from a party were animals and deserved beatings and rapes and starvation. Nevertheless, they cannot be considered innocent.
Genocide of Palestinians? How is it that the population keeps expanding geometrically? Are we so inefficent? I have not stopped loving the Arab people I have known – including those I have met in Gaza.
I have taught hundreds of Israeli Arabs – I have created teachers, researchers, and have helped them to learn to think for themselves and respect their heritage and folklore. And I have been greatly enriched by their friendship. May it continue and grow. And may the need for violence disappear entirely.
genocide – jan 11, 2024 Read Post »
The overall reason for depression is the government. With no connection to reality, they make laws, budgets, policies – everything that counters basic reason. Whatever their motivation – greed, fanaticism, or simple madness – they are what got us into this situation and are keeping us there.
and what about the elephant in the room? – Jan 11, 2024 Read Post »
Everybody is depressed. Everybody. All about different things. 1. Hizballah – the war in the north is terrifying because they have the big guns and the nuclear devices. 2. Hamas – if they aren’t contained they will not only destroy Israel but was ignite the world. 3. the hostages – the conditions in which they are kept are impossible. Starved, raped, beaten, they are kept in the dark, cold, and damp with no medicines and are not allowed to communicate with each other. No one can survive for long and we haven’t found them. 4. The economy: This is divided into many parts -a) reserve soldiers have left their businesses for three months and their wives have to stay home and watch the kids – so for every reserve soldier there are 2 unemployed people. b) planes are just beginning to fly here this week so maybe the prices of imports will not rise too much in the light of the attacks on ships by the Huttis. c) Israelis, even if they have money, has no desire to go shopping – I’m the only one d) tourism is an additional complexity. Although numerous people have come from abroad to help out, they are not the big spenders, and the hotels are filled with displaced residents so it isn’t a great vacation to visit now. Come in the spring and buy stuff.
And now that I got an amazing review for the last book of poetry in Hebrew, I’m going to see about setting up the evening we cancelled on the 9th of October. Maybe we can begin to go back to living.
depression – jan 11, 2024 Read Post »
Today is the birthday of Kfir Bibas, who was captured in his mother’s arms and has been held hostage since October 7. I kept smelling the scent of a baby all day, wondering whether he was bathed, fed, and changed, whether he could see the light of day, whether he will ever emerge from the tunnels.
The question of freeing hostages was the subject of much discussion among the Rabbis of old – since many Jews were ransomed for higher prices than market value. My mother always told about how she was captured by Gypsies and ransomed by her father that night. She used to tell about how her face had been blackened and her ears pierced so she wouldn’t be discovered. She remembered the story in detail seventy years after it happened.
What will Kfir Bibas remember – if he is ever returned home?
kfir bibas’ first birthday – jan 9, 2024 Read Post »
While Sderot gets rockets every day, we in Tel Aviv have been free all week – until tonight. But we were ready. Today I was talking with friends who just refreshed the food they keep in the hall closet so they can grab the cooler on the way to the shelter.
We met at the beach, after the years of Covid and the war had separated us, and the first thing they asked was whether we had a bomb-safe room. We don’t. Then we learned about their medicine kit, their food cooler, their coffee maker, the overnight case. “It’s over,” I said. “We have to concentrate on helping the reconstruction of the concept of Israel.” “Not yet,” he said, “We should first concentrate on finding a country that will take us in.”
I laughed.
A few hours later the rockets were shot down over the south of the city as I was news-channel hopping and I saw how much we are hated around the world. And I had nothing to laugh about.
yet more rockets – jan 8, 2024 Read Post »
The IAWE is happy to invite you to join our Zoom event with the remarkable Joy Ladin in conversation with Karen Alkalay-Gut.
Sunday January 14,
19:45 Israel Time / 12:45 p.m. EST
To register, please click here.
Ladin is a poet and scholar, known for her work exploring Judaism and gender identity. The author of ten books of poetry, including 2022’s Shekhinah Speaks, National Jewish Book Award winner The Book of Anna, and Lambda Literary Award finalists Impersonation and Transmigration, Joy Ladin’s forthcoming books are a poetry collection entitled Family and a collection of selected essays on gender called Once Out of Nature. She has also published a memoir of gender transition, Through the Door of Life, and a groundbreaking work of trans theology, The Soul of the Stranger: Reading God and Torah from a Transgender Perspective. Her work is available at www.wordpress.joyladin.com.
Israel Association of Writers in English (IAWE)
P.O. Box 39385
6139301 Tel Aviv
Email | Website | Facebook | YouTube
Karen Alkalay-Gut
https://karenalkalay-gut.com/tel-aviv-blog/
invitation for Zoom Read Post »
