israeli politics

I forgot to tell you about Hungarian Blintzes – the rocket distracted me.  So there’s a little restaurant on 36 Yirmiyahu St.  Once the windows are washed it is very presentable, but they weren’t, and even though it has been praised to the ceiling for many years, once I saw it, I was wary of bringing guests.  

It was pretty empty when four of us walked in, and although our friends from abroad were very happy with the place, I kept fingering the tear in the tablecloth and wondering whether this was the right place to entertain guests from abroad.  

It was.  Although I didn’t taste the little homemade liqueurs offered at the beginning, I was put in a good mood by the onion soup.  So by the time the hot blintzes came around I was ready for the best.  And they were.  We had spinach and cheese and our friends had mushroom and eggplant and we were all satisfied.  But we were determined to have the sweet blintzes as well.  For old times sake.  

They were great.  Apple blintzes are my favorite and cheese and raisin is Ezi’s.  They were so good I was half drunk with them.  So when the chocolate liqueur was offered again I chugged it down.  Actually I chugged the lemon liqueur and the vanilla liqueur as well, forgetting we had been shown the 95 proof bottle at the beginning of the meal.  

Don’t do that.

But do try the Hungarian Blintzes place -even though it’s very hard to park in that crowded neighborhood.  They were better than the ones I used to make long ago.

 

Hungarian Blintzes - 7.20.24

hungarian Blintzes – 7.20.24 Read Post »

israeli politics

bomb - 7-19-24

still checking who is okay.  The warhead-armed drone that fell last night and killed one and injured 11 means that the Houtis in Yemen have the means to get to the densely populated center of Tel Aviv.

Me, I’ve been having my own issues – health most recently.  My heart has been racing since yesterday morning, and I think I’ve got to go to the hospital.  

 

bomb – 7.19.24 Read Post »

israeli politics

Vance - 7.18.24

When my brother graduated from Columbia, I think it was 1966, he secured an apartment for us close to the university.  It was particularly slummy, with a police lock on the door and a peculiar smell.  My mother delighted in calling it “Hotel La Vance,” since vance are bedbugs or lice. 

This is not an unknown fact.  Here it is on “M.A.S.H.

  She used to tell about how the German soldiers (WWI) would laugh at the Jews scratching themselves all over – until they too started scratching.  Lice, we thought, was a thing of the past.

p.s. i got the link from the Forwards

Vance – 7.18.24 Read Post »

israeli politics

Philharmonic - 7.17.24

The worse the situation gets, the better the orchestra gets.  Eyal Shani has shaped the players into an amazing group.  Tonight I couldn’t breathe when Shani directed the Pathetique.  The depth of feeling from an amazing piece of music is echoed in the hearts of the mourning audience – as if our 9 months of terror, hope, fear, resolution, and pain followed the melody.  

Eyal Shani is a master.

 

philharmonic – 7.17.24 Read Post »

israeli politics

News - 7.16.24

If you’re looking for real news, I hope you’re reading the real newspapers because I can’t touch the news today.  In fact, just writing the word news puts me in a panic attack.  I keep remembering a dinner party in New York a month or so ago when a friend said ‘this is the end of Israel, isn’t it’ and I blew up on her, managing after a minite or so to incorporate my attack into a discussion.  I feel that way now, and I’d be going over old territory if I explain more.  I’m very angry and helpless.

So I’ll go back and tell you something more positive

– The National Library  is collecting all writing about October 7.

https://www.nli.org.il/en/at-your-service/announcements/7-october-documentation-initiative.

I guess I’ll have to send in some of the things you’ve sent me and some of the things I’ve been writing in these pages.  I’ll bet they get so much stuff they’ll never be able to process it.

 

 

News – 7.16.24 Read Post »

israeli politics

National Library - 7.15.24

This is probably the most elaborate, inclusive, historical and innovative site in Israel.  We went as a group of writers and were all astounded by the grandeur and accessibility of the library.   

There is something so warm and inviting about this immense edifice.  I have been to the grand library at Alexandria and this establishment is more my style.  Modest and useful but enormous and inclusive.  I’ll be writing much more about it.  Check out the site:  https://www.nli.org.il/en

 

 

 

National Library of Israel Read Post »

israeli politics

tremp - 7.14.24

‘Tremp’ in Hebrew means hitchhike and comes from  the English word, ‘tramp.’  

This evening a number of politicians have been speaking about the terrifying results of criticisms by demonstrations and by news inquiries.  At best, they feel hindered by the irresponsible criticisms of their policies – at worst they feel threatened.  Since this morning there was an attempt on the life of the former president of the United States.  It seems our politicians are taking a ‘tremp’ on Trump.

We must be very careful to preserve democracy and dignity.

Tremp – 7.4.24 Read Post »

israeli politics

Mohammed Def may be dead.  I know we should be pleased, but our satisfaction comes from the success of the mission, not the death of a human being.  

The experts at our lunch table watched the footage of the attack and announced that the bodies being carried out of the bomb site were those of young men, soldiers and not citizens, and I’m supposed to be relieved.  Yes, they are Hamas soldiers and have raped and tortured and killed our people, but no one should rejoice in their death.

 

Def – 7.13.24 Read Post »