israeli politics

On the way home, after weeks of traveling, we had become accustomed to receiving a blank response when we answered the question of where we were from.  Perhaps that was why I wasn’t prepared for the response in a shop in the Dubai airport.  They really didn’t have shoes in my size, but insisted on trying to fit my swollen feet into sleek runners.  We had a few good laughs about those clodhoppers of mine before they asked where we were from.  And I said without thinking “Israel.”  And they responded without thinking, “Palestine.”  Were we less off balance we would have expanded our answer, “Yeah, Palestine” with Ezi’s standard “Yes, I was born in Palestine.”  And maybe we would have continued the conversation.  But suddenly everything stopped.  The salesmen suddenly found new customers and we wandered away. 

Last night as I was unpacking I realized how unusual that conversation stopper was, how many times I had replied “Tel Aviv,” and how many times the questioner from an Arab country had replied “Israel? We are cousins,” or “I am from Nablus.” 

I don’t know why this particular conversation bothers me.  I want to go back just to talk to these guys.  

a moment in Dubai – oct 25, 2 Read Post »

israeli politics

Although it seemed every tourist we met in Japan was from Israel and where ever we went in the airport in Dubai we heard Hebrew, the joy in returning home is incredible.  Although we no longer kiss the earth, we all felt a strong sense of identification with home.  Even though we had complained about having to deal with the election mess here when we returned,  almost every day in Japan, none of us thought to miss these elections.  

They are just too important.

 

Kissing the Holy Land – Oct 23, 2022 Read Post »

israeli politics

First impressions: I want to go home. I dont like animations all that much and I’ve got the figure out why. I also don’t like dogs being pushed in baby carriages. I don’t like food simplified in pictures as substituting for a menu. It’s the simplification of life maybe I don’t like😒

Tokyo Read Post »

israeli politics

We are zipping through Japan, desert people in awe of the waters all around us and the attention to cleanliness and precision. Yesterday I got all wet in our rainy alpine hike, and I was sure it was curtains for me after the 6 k forest path, but somehow pulled through and enjoyed it. Today we travelled to Hakone, famous for its volcanic mineral baths and tried the waters – I think it would have meant much More to me if I had been Shinto and felt the power of the earth, But I’ve been spoiled by Jewish cynicism and all I could think of was the term in Yiddish goyishe naches

Hakone Read Post »

israeli politics

When we arrived at a small town called kamakura I was a little fed up with visiting villages and sweet tea houses. But when I tasted the plum sake I realized there was much more to this town that I needed to know about.

And one of the things was Chiune Sugihara who was buried here, in his home town. Appointed as a vice-counsel in Lithuania in 1939, he managed to sign visas for over 5558 Jews, saving them from certain death. It was amazing to see a normal out-of-the-way village as the source of such heroism.

I was a little overwhelmed by the heat and my overeating to really enjoy the pleasures of this town as much as I would have liked, but I was really impressed by his simple humanity. His statement

But I would really like to pay respects to Sugihara and want to see if I can convince my group to go there

Kamakura and Sugihara Read Post »

israeli politics

Thinking we’d be in a small village I was overwhelmed by the size of the train station – almost as big as Kyoto which services half a million a day. I’m putting pictures on Facebook because it’s easier right now so take a look there.

In any case the gardens are far more impressive and I suggest you go there . I’ll try to match pictures later

Kanazawa Read Post »