There is so much to do in Gan Meir – not only the Gay Theater and coffee house, the gym, the playground… But for me the history is overpowering. Even Ezi has stories of a kindergarten visit to the park. And then the birthday parties of my grandchildren, the scout meetings, the gay pride center being built, the integration of all the communities. So Tel Aviv.
For some reason this country always goes crazy over the Eurovision competition. We’ve won a few times, come close some other times. and bombed a few times. For some reason we love the camp.
But this year is different – the singer, Yuval Raphael, was a captive in Gaza and sings of hope for the future in the song, “New Day Will Rise.” I don’t know how she can possibly win, because all Europe is against Israel, but I’m staying awake to see what they decided.
She was so winning, so honest, and so full of promise – she won my heart.
Eurovision 5.17.25 Read Post »
My friends come here from the States all the time to demonstrate. They demonstrate in the States all the time too, and they wonder why we have virtually ceased our protest activity.
Here is my response:
what’s going on amng the plebeins Read Post »
Asher Reich z”l – 5.14.25
My kids called me to tell me about Asher’s death. Even they knew how close we were, how long we knew each other, how it would strike me. Thank goodness it was them, and not some poet who would start telling me stories about how close they were.
Never mind. I once put together a collection of his poems, before he got too hard for me to translate. Here they are:
https://karenalkalay-gut.com/asher-reich-zl-5-14-25/
Asher Reich – 5.14.25 Read Post »
Edan Alexander – 5.12.25
we’re waiting for him to come home. there’s so much hope – so much fear…
edan Alexander – 5.12.25 Read Post »
We agreed to meet our old friends who are back in the country for a visit at their favorite restaurant. And their favorite restaurant was Keton. Keton is a tiny Jewish Restaurant on Dizengoff, and those who have been there in the old days say it hasn’t changed since 1945.
The food somehow reminded me of home. I couldn’t stop eating. Tsimmis, kasha, knish, liver. And when my plate was clean, I bought a kugel to take home.
it was a surprise to leave the place and be on Dizengoff.
gastronomic memory – 5.11.25 Read Post »
Half asleep, I found myself watching “High Noon,” the 1952 film with Gary Cooper and Grace Kelley. “Why am I watching this instead of going to sleep, when any moment a Houti rocket may send me to the shelter and if I don’t sleep while I can, I’ll be too exhausted to make my exit in time?” I had been mulling over the success of the Houtis in cancelling many flights to Israel just by writing letters threatening world-wide attacks to the airline companies flying to Israel, and decided to take a break by going to old movies.
But there they were, the same excuses of the citizens who refused to join the sheriff in defending their town – the defenses that the sheriff isn’t perfect, that the problem isn’t theirs, that business will suffer, that they will be endangering themselves. Grace Kelley plays the Quaker bride who is only convinced at the end of the film that her intervention is necessary to save the life her love.
My beloved high-school history teacher, a Quaker himself, once told us that at a meeting the participants sat silent, not responding to an issue, until one old man stood up and in his frail voice said “Two skeletons were in a closet. For centuries they stood silent. Suddenly one turned to the other and said, “You know, if we had any guts we’d get out of here.”
I remembered that remark when I thought of the terrible implications of a country threatening international airlines – after their successful bout of indiscriminating attacks on shipping.
