August 6, 2015
i have to stop being so sensitive. Years of working in a snake pit has not desensitized me to evil behavior. Being in a university environment means that most of the time you control what happens - in your office, in your classroom - but there are always other things going on above and aound you. Sometimes things that decide your future. The Yiddish Writers Organization invited me to join a number of years ago and I have gradually become a member of the board. I think about six years ago I was asked to be on the control committeee, and then later a board member. One of the reasons I agreed to this headache was the lack of respect for local writers. I wanted to be able to allow Yiddish writing to continue. But the problem is they are old and poor and they own a very nice building in the middle of Tel Aviv. So they are now under attack. These 90 year old writers are asking themselves "why do we have lawsuits against us? we can barely afford airconditioning and we have to spend thousands of dollars explaining why we do terrible things like allow p
The Yiddish Writers Organization invited me to join a number of years ago and I have gradually become a member of the board. I think about six years ago I was asked to be on the control committeee, and then later a board member. One of the reasons I agreed to this headache was the lack of respect for local writers. I wanted to be able to allow Yiddish writing to continue. But the problem is they are old and poor and they own a very nice building in the middle of Tel Aviv. So they are now under attack. These 90 year old writers are asking themselves "why do we have lawsuits against us? we can barely afford airconditioning and we have to spend thousands of dollars explaining why we do terrible things like allow members who can't attend our meeting to send proxies." I've been silent about this situation I think because it has been so humilitiating for the writers to be challenged and to feel that they may be losing their spiritual home. But it is painful to watch. Up to now I have been behaving like Neville Chamberlin but I hate to see these old people losing the last of their respect.
our air conditioner broke this morning. the company is so busy fixing air conditioners, we weren't able to get them on the phone all day. another heat wave. The heat may well be affecting my views of the world.
August 7, 2015
My Arabic teacher tells me that her mother has had some back operations and her back still hurts. she's a cleaner so she needs her back. I have never met her mother and yet my heart goes out to her. Sometimes I meet someone who has the same problems I have and I think 'what right does she have to share my problem?' August 8, 2015 oh boy did i get phone calls yesterday and today. i mentioned the story about my hip surgery on facebook and i started getting advice. i'll bet i get more tomorrow. And all the information was terribly important. Everyone, it seems, has been involved in it. Everyone has either had it or took care of someone who had it. So i am now beginning to understand what it means. And I love it when i get information. August 8, 2015 After I read Sayyed Kashua's article in Haaretz about his move to Chicago, and his exploring through Google Earth of the places of recent tragedies in Israel, I fell in love with him again. I've been a bit cool on him because he abandoned us for a world where you don't have to think about politics every minute. But reality can be too much to take. He ends his google earth trip with a visit to his village and manages to get to an earlier version of his family's home - but is unable to get inside. This profound insight is of course universal. Thomas Wolfe's 'you can't go home again' is a basic truth that hits every one of us in the course of our lives. Not only can't I go home again but i can't keep my home as it once was for my children. so they can't go home again. I feel this most in the atmosphere of this country - that the home i created for them in Israel is not the home that Israel is today.
August 10, 2015 Sorry. There is so much politics to talk about, so many things to discuss in the news, and all I can think about is how I'm going to manage without bending over in the next weeks. I went shopping today for big clothes for the first days after - in Azrieli Center. Why? because my friends come in by train from Beer Sheva and from Haifa and we meet there. It so convenient for them. But for me it's murder. The parking is impossible and expensive. Next time I go by bus. or train... Anyway Azrieli has great shopping, lousy service (i think Because of it being an impersonal intercity center) and okay food. We ate at papagaio because it's kosher and so are my friends. The view of the highway and the city there is impressive, and the place is crowded. Don't go near the bathrooms. Back to the issues of lousy service. I was walking with a cane, but it didn't stop the salesgirls in the department store from carrying on an argument about their jobs instead of letting me pay for my purchases. And by the time I got to the cashier I was getting tired because i kept asking where it was and getting a vague answer from the chatting personnel. This is not a place I will look forward to visiting again.