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Nov92010
“That’s Israel for You”…and other Shtuyot
“That’s Israel for you,” the police officer told me when I complained that people were littering on the beach.
“That’s Israel for you,” my friend shrugged after a granny elbowed me in the back so she could pass me quicker in the shuk.
“That’s Israel for you,” an oleh chadash (new immigrant) from my ulpan said after waiting two hours in the misrad klita (absorption office).
That’s Israel?
I don’t think so. And frankly, all that “that’s Israel”-ing is fraying my last nerve. See, it’s never said with awe or appreciation. Wouldn’t it be more apropos to come home from the Kotel on Friday night after witnessing the unparalleled joy, unity and celebration there to say, “that’s Israel for you”? Or, to look out the window on your drive north past the sprawling date orchards and vegetable fields using modern, green-friendly irrigation to then say, “that’s Israel for you”? Or to open the newspaper to Israel’s responsive, undiscriminating and sophisticated world aid and say, “that’s Israel for you”? But, no. Nine times out of ten, “that’s Israel for you,” is a socially-acceptable form of complaining; an all-too-popular way to dismiss all the beauty and merit of life in Israel and instead focus on the inconveniences, the negatives. » Show me more
Oct162010
Enough?
Eskimos have 9 words for ‘snow.’ And the Zulus have numerous words for the color ‘green.’ So it should come as no surprise that the Jews have several words for ‘to make a dream come true.’ See, “l’hagshim” is for …» Show me more
Sep152010
From Depressed to Blessed, or in other words, Yom Kippur
Yom Kippur draws near, and the word buzzing around Jerusalem is “Tshuva.” Tshuva, tshuva, tshuva – frequently translated as ‘Repentence.’ Don’t stop reading. I know, if you’re anything like me, the word triggers a massive case of the icks. Repentence …» Show me more
Sep32010
“It Would be Nice if Something Made Sense for a Change,” Alice said.
I was supposed to go grape picking this morning. A couple from my ulpan invited me to go with them. They frequently visit during the summer months to help farmers harvest their crops. The grapes at the vineyard in Psagot …» Show me more
Aug302010
The Land of Milk and Honeys
Big noses. Bigger mouths. Gangly. Squat. Pinched. Bulbous. Painfully pale. Deeply brown. Dumpy, Frumpy, Or worse yet, JAP- y. Sheesh! Where did these stereotypes about Jewish looks come from? And has anyone noticed that plenty of Spanish, Italian, Arab or …» Show me more
Aug232010
‘Neshek’ Means ‘GUN’ in Hebrew – And Why I’ll Never Forget It
Neshek means ‘gun’ in Hebrew. You should all know this. So you don’t stand out like a classic, SToOPiD tourist…like I did. I had just arrived in Tel Aviv, as I do nearly every week. I hopped off the sheirut …» Show me more
Jul302010
Tachzik Maamad, or as we say, “Hang in There!”
The lesson of the week, in language and love: It’s time to persevere. The wake-up call started over Shabbat in Tel Aviv when I met two, tiny tykes. We’ll call the older, curly-headed one Geni, since he’s a genius –certifiably. …» Show me more
Jul222010
Mission Possible
It’s good to have a spiritual goal when living in Israel. Now, I’ve always been drawn to the self-help world in NY and later LA. But what stands out about this experience in Israel is that whereas previously, my fuel …» Show me more
Jul132010
A Cow Goes Moo, Liat Goes, “Mehhhhh!”
Unless you’ve taken a kabbalah class somewhere along the way, you might not realize that Hebrew is not just a language. It’s a commentary, a philosophy, a teaching, a code filled with insights and secrets. “Oh, Lara, now you’ve really …» Show me more
Jul92010
Farewell, Fuddy Duddy!
Shalom Chaverim! I think it’s safe to say my fuddy duddy days are over! To those of you who don’t know, I’ve never been the party animal, per se. Nope: Never loved the taste of alcohol, more of an early …» Show me more