israeli politics

Bondi Beach -12.14.25

Some people warn the Jews not to gather in large numbers.  But Jews celebrate holidays by gathering.  It’s no coincidence that Judaism is the only religion named not for the divinity, but for the people.  And we may remember Mark Twain’s warning: “Behold, the fool saith, “Put not all thine eggs in the one basket” – which is but a matter of saying, “Scatter your money and your attention”; but the wise man saith, “Pull all your eggs in the one basket and – WATCH THAT BASKET.” – Pudd’nhead Wilson’s Calendar”

I’m sure the Australians will begin to take the threats against Jews seriously from now on.  I’m also sure that the fact that it was a Muslim who prevented further carnage will remind us all – that the antisemitism that has gripped the world is not based on religion.  People without politicians tend to get along. p.s. Islam is named for the act of giving in to the Lord.

 

 

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israeli politics

out of the news - 12.13.25

Joe tells me that we’re not in the news any more.  normally i’d be happy to hear that, but we seem to be getting deeper into danger as the US moves ahead with the second part of the Gaza plan and Hamas is getting more powerful.  Even though one Hamas leader was killed today, they are still controlling the food, killing our soldiers and their people, and threatening us.  

But it is nice to get a sense of normality after so long.  We’re still getting back to meeting old friends, fixing messes I’d  forgotten in the hysteria of keeping everyone safe.  Today we had a wonderful reunion with some great people and talked about plays and movies and art.  how very strange, to have a normal conversation.

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israeli politics

invitation - 12.12.25

i always forget to invite you to these events – readings that tell you something about what is going on here – but through prose and poetry.  Readers include Simon Lichman, Bilthl Freedman, Ann Bar-Dov, and 10 others.  looking forward to seeing you there.

this is the link

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86214190565?pwd=4ljTlbjhusNwmOtxGDxOOtay3tagQW.1

 

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israeli politics

coming out in hebrew - 12.12.25

The product of many years of delightful research, my book on “Here Lie: Poets and Their Graves” is coming out in Hebrew in the next few weeks. 

Why did I pick the subject? It started out when we found ourselves in Newark airport at 5 a.m. and didn’t dare wake up our relatives to visit.  The restaurants were closed, and we weren’t going to sit around and wait for an appropriate time to have breakfast.  So we followed the directions in Allen Ginsberg’s poetry to get to his grave.  It was an abandoned cemetery and dawn was just breaking as we walked through the gates and began to look.   And Ginsberg made it so easy to find!

I began writing an article about the complexities of the grave (there are many) and even did a youtube talk about him,  But when I tried to publish it, I ran into a few strange responses from editors who, I began to realize, were simply jerking me around.  So I published it in Doug Holder’s mag and then in Hebrew in Haaretz and then began a long series.  

At some point I sent the mss in English to Northwestern Pess which began a strange correspondence with the editor – one that made me believe my Israeli identity was making it hard for him to give me a direct response.  It was before the boycott was blatant, but it left me with the strange feeling that I was not wanted anywhere.

So I left the 10 chapter manuscript in English and Hebrew and one day ran into a publisher in the Little Prince who asked me what I was doing.  Apologetically I told him I was writing a book on Kurt Gerron, but had published a draft of it to coincide with an exhibition of a painting of his, and now had to flesh it out.  He pushed a little further and I told him about the “Here lie” project.  

That started it – he got funding, gave me an editor, and last month made us stop our blathering and get on with it because he had received prizes for the book on the condition that the book come out by the end of 2025.  

And it will be out!  A gorgeous cover – all the photographs by my trusty sidekick – Ezi.  And now maybe I’ll even try an English publisher again.

 

 

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israeli politics

byron storm -12.11.2o25

I underestimated the storm.  Our neighborhood isn’t flooded – but it looks like the rest of the country is.  And Gaza must be a total mess.  All that water at once – the ground cannot absorb it.  So the rain washes away the top layer of earth and leaves behind the sand, the unplanted earth.   When the rain is over, we’re left with ….

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israeli politics

byron - 12.10.25

The fuss we’re making over this storm coming up makes me feel as if we’re avoiding the bigger issue.  Normally it would be a big issue in itself, but we’re still in existential danger and we haven’t been addressing it.  We focus on the one hostage who hasn’t been returned as if the memory of the incredible massacre will be erased once his body is found.  

Byron will pass and I believe we can weather this storm, but I am less and less sure of the damage we are doing to ourselves by not admitting our internal damage, the way we’ve been torn apart physically and morally.

 

 

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israeli politics

how to read the news -12.8.25

i used to read the newspaper from cover to cover.  Every morning at breakfast.  

Now I do the Times puzzle after the headlines.

Simply speaking, every day brings worse and worse news about our government and its policies.

But the worst part of it is that, as my late mother-in-law used to say, “We will not take them pour this shit on us.  We will open our mouths.”

and that’s the most I can do is to make you laugh.  Opening my mouth just makes me swallow more shit.

 

 

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israeli politics

another Hobby - 12.7.25

Now that my book about poets and their graves has gone to press in Hebrew, I thought I would spend the day cleaning up the mess I made when I came back from New York.  After a few hours of this i threw my back out again and had to rest.  So I wound up reading ha’aretz about books in Arabic about Jews.  And there I found that Nada Abdelsamad had just published an expanded edition of her book about Jews in Beirut.  In Arabic.  I managed to download it and begin to translate the introduction with the helo of gpt, and wow.  If I don’t control myself I’ll translate it all. the earlier version, called Wadi Abou Jamil: Stories of the Jews of Beirut, but a new version appeared last month.

I don’t understand why it hasn’t appeared in English or Hebrew.

I’ll have to find an ex-student who will help me. 

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