israeli politics

women in the army - 4.27.25

a chance conversation with friends reminded me – yes – I believe in women in the army.  Not only because my aunt was a partisan in this yearWWII, not only because I identified with a friend who was proud to be active in the reserves but also because I believe in equality of responsibility.  I don’t mean that women can be as strong as men but they can carry their own part.  

And then someone asked me about Haredi women.  And the answer burst from me that they too could do their part.  Most haredi women are married by 18 and have children to take care of, but they could still take part somehow.

It’s not only about equality.  it’s about inclusion and responsibility in society.  Lots of women – even women my age, have been cooking for soldiers so they could have a hot meal  I wouldn’t visit that punishment on the soldiers 

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israeli politics

sunny Day - 4.26.25

What was different about today?  I’ve been home finishing all kinds of projects (and not finishing others) for the past few days – and suddenly I realized that the skies had cleared and the dust had settled.  A few days ago I could barely see the sunset and today the sky was gorgeously clear.  

And I was stuck home with my writing and my cooking.  Some friends are coming for lunch and I’ve forgotten how to cook – since before the epidemic.  

I’ve also forgotten how to organize my writing – There are so many drafts of so many manuscripts I cannot begin to sort them out.  

Thank goodness for the sun.

 

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israeli politics

What Will Endure

ABRAHAM SUTZKEVER

 

Who will survive? What will endure? The wind will endure.

The blindness endures of the blind that disappears.

A hint of the sea: a wisp of foam.

A tiny cloud entangled in a tree.

 

Who will endure? What will endure? A chance

That recreates its emergence,

A fiddle rose enduring for itself alone

Seven blades of grass from the lawn will understand.

 

More than all the stars from north to here,

that star will endure that falls in a pure tear

A drop of wine always remains in the jug.

Who will endure? God will endure, is that enough for you?

holocaust remains

 

 

holocaust Remains – Read Post »

israeli politics

siren - 4.24.25

At first I thought the siren was an alarm, and a second later I realized it was the siren of Holocaust Day, and I stood still as the image of crowds of people being herded into gas chambers kept running before my eyes.  Last night Hillel was debating with himself about whether what we did in Gaza was genocide and I didn’t have the energy to enter the debate – but while I agree it was a terrible thing to demand the return of the hostages by trying to bomb terrorists and calling the many deaths ‘collateral damage,’ it was no where near the intentional destruction of a race.  

I stood with the sirens thinking of the masses of people destroyed and then all the relatives I never met and suddenly the image of lines leading to death chambers was replaced by a seder table with aunts and uncles telling inside family jokes.  It’s something I always miss on Passover – being with the same people every year, where the annual repetitions of family traditions are comforting.  

 

siren – 4.24.25 Read Post »

israeli politics

yom HaShoa - 4.23.25

“You can skip it,” I told my daughter this afternoon, as I was on my way home from the doctor and fretting about how I wasted my time going there when he has never once looked up from his computer.  Every complaint I had, he dismissed as stress.  So I thought to myself, maybe I should avoid the extra stress of the mourning over the past. And maybe my grandchildren should be spared as well.  Then I thought again.  The extra stress would be caused by avoiding a part of my history.  As with my children.

 

  

yom haShoa – 4.23.25 Read Post »

israeli politics

Getting Ready for Holocaust Day - 4.21.25

I usually try to avoid getting deep into Holocaust Day – It is simply too much for me.  I always remember my mother weeping before the television, unable to tell the worst of the stories.  But this year I launched my book of holocaust poems on Amazon – first on Kindle – and then I tried to get it out today on paperback.  But it seems to be delayed for some anonymous amazon reason.  The kindle is worth reading anyway even though it went crazy on the formatting.  Then you can decide if you want the paperback. Look up my name and “survivors.”  Maybe it will encourage me to remember more stories that people told me way back then…

  

 

 

Getting Ready for Holocaust Read Post »

israeli politics

Anywhere Else - 4.20.25

You can get news about what’s going on in Israel anywhere.  That’s not what’s going on these pages.  I spent a few hours switching channels and trying to escape the virtriolic accusations against Bibi.  Not that I don’t believe every word – but I can’t bear it – from the beginning of the war we all knew what Bibi would be doing, and every demonstration, every letter, every attempt that was made to communicate with him proved that we have no power at all in this country. 

Otherwise everything is fine – the weather blows hot and cold and it makes for a nice change of atmosphere every day.  Some days winter clothes, some days summer.  The one thing that stays stable in my wardrobe is no jewelry.  I can’t wear any thing except the earrings that remind me of the hostages for some reason.  of course and my watch – that I keep charged.  I also have shoes next to me all the time.  And I sleep – if not fully dressed then in something i would not be embarassed to be seen at any hour of the day or night by a stranger who might wander into our shelter during an attack.    Also there are some colleagues I would not like to encounter in dishabille who are wandering around. 

Of course there is a possibility that while I’m sitting in the shelter in my crocs, the building blows up and I am left with my phone and my memories. 

The fact that the bombs are less frequent, that we seem to shoot down most of the Yemenite rockets, doesn’t make it easier – especially in this bellicose environment.

 

anywhere else – 4.20.25 Read Post »