israeli politics

The morning after the bombing I stand on the stage of the dressmaker, as if I’m the only one on earth, as she narrows the skirt I bought on Amazon so it doesn’t look as dumpy, and nips in the waist to show what I have never had, and I am a goddess.  The girl after me is having a skimpy wedding dress altered.  And I  remembered what a Czech soldier answered when I asked him why the girls in Prague wear such short skirts in the cold.  “Because the men are so drunk they need as much as you can give them to notice you.”  And we’re maybe that way too.   So we have to get sexier and sexier to be noticed.  To continue the species…

Nah, it’s the opposite here – the more danger, the hornier people get.  The transparency of the wedding gown is going to make this wedding that much more distracting.

I think I need a new bathing suit.

dressmaker -may 4, 2023 Read Post »

israeli politics

I was watching some of the reactions of the people who were hit somehow by one of the 50 rockets last night, and someone mentioned post-trauma.  Of course, the term is irrelevant because this happens every few months, sometimes a few weeks, usually as a reaction to something insignificant.  And few people get hurt because they run to shelters – sometimes before the sirens go off.  And most of them are scared much of the time.  It isn’t post-trauma, it’s trauma.

And last night, when I packed my medications in a bag in my sleep and put the bag by the door in case we have to run down to the basement, I realized that even I have a little bit of that in me.

post trauma? – May 3, 2023 Read Post »

israeli politics

up to now I’ve counted almost 50 rockets coming down.  The worst part to my mind was the big surprise barrage timed for when the kids are coming home from school.  Not nice.  And tonight is going to be even worse.   

I’d take a sleeping pull but i’m afraid I will need to be awake sometime in the night.

 

 

 

bombing addendum – tonight Read Post »

israeli politics

“What choice do we have?” the optometrist mutters sadly when I say something flip about having to go out to demonstrate.  I had just paid an enormous price for a pair of glasses I fell in love with – even though I love the pair I have.  These were really gorgeous, even though Ezi sniffed at them, and I thought at least the optometrist should be happy that he made a fortune in 10 minutes.  

But he got me thinking about choices.  I mean, I chose the glasses, but I can’t choose anything else.  I didn’t have anything to say about a terrorist prisoner going on a hunger strike and then dying.  And we just had 20 rockets over Gaza as punishment for his death.  That wasn’t a choice either – it was an opportunity.  Yeah, we seem to be falling apart, so this occasion was used as a test.  And we don’t have much choice as far as a reaction is concerned.  We have to react, especially since someone was injured and people are in shock, but we can’t react too much because we shouldn’t start a full-scale war right now.  

So I’m going to treasure these glasses (once they’re ready maybe next week) because they will be what I chose, hands down, over my husband and the optometrist’s indifference, and my awareness that my budget doesn’t allow for them, and the fact that I really never choose expensive things that will make people’s eyes pop out.

Wish me luck for the only choice I had to make this year.

 

 

choices – may 2, 2023 Read Post »

israeli politics

What does ‘fitness’ have to do with Tel Aviv?  Only recently have I been putting together a few facts about people around me and wondering whether they come together in some kind of thesis.  First, all the men I know in Tel Aviv seem to work towards some measure of fitness.  Women too try to be fit but they seem more worried about looking good than health.  And all my kids and grandchildren seem to be involved in some kind of sport.  

What about me?  For years I suffered from severe back and knee pain.  When the orthopedist found nothing much wrong with my spinal cord,  I was prescribed injections from the pain clinic and then hip replacements from another orthopedist.  I also began wearing Apos shoes which pretty much erased my knee problems.  But it wasn’t enough for me.  I upgraded my Apos to a more personal level, with an app and monthly visits to the PT guy.  Why is mobility and fitness so important to me when what I’d really like to do is sit at my desk and write and read?  Aren’t Jews supposed to be the people of the book?  Does it have to do with the Holocaust?  With the many terrorist attacks and rockets?  with the need for constant defense?

 

 

 

fitness – April 30, 2023 Read Post »

israeli politics

Tonight’s demonstration in Tel Aviv was undoubtedly the largest one in the history of this country.  The press is saying 250 thousand but my estimation is much more.  As we left because of the crunch, thousands were joining in.  My friend in the picture, Lisa Fliegel, came all the way from Boston to join in, but I saw thousands of my neighbors and friends I’ve never seen before.  Signs saying “We’ve only just begun!” affirmed the atmosphere.  We’re not giving up.

The t-shirt I’m wearing says “Without democracy there is no academia.”  But I think it is also in reverse – democracy can only occur when there is education, academia.  Only educated people can vote responsibly.

  

just getting started – april 29, 2023 Read Post »

israeli politics

In her memory I tried to translate a poem of hers to Hebrew and to English and kept finding it much more difficult than other poems in other languages until I realized that her poem has to be in Yiddish because it is about writing in Yiddish.  Here’s what I came up with:

A word

 

The words wait

until they cannot wait

and reveal a tear

uttered in the silence of night,

a plea.

Lord God, hear what these words say

hours hence,

years hence,

as if the soul would speak

in a nocturnal language

to be heard, understood.

A word should be like a kiss

given alone.

Then it brings morning

Sheltered from sun –

May the word to the morning

bequeath a poem.

rivka bassman z”l – april 27, 2023 Read Post »