Yuck. Blech. Dusty. Hot.
This is Jerusalem today.
Woke up to this.
This is not a cool autumnal fog. It’s a dust cloud.
Here comes the sun?
Visibility compromised.
The worst part is that I left my window open for a while. There’s no breeze and yet here’s what the lid of my laptop looked like.
Not the dust of generations, just a morning with the window open.
The one nice thing is that the city is very, very quiet. No one wants to go out in this mess.
I was originally going to title this week’s post “Summer’s over: Back to the war, I mean, school.” That more or less sums up this week in Israel. Kids went back to school on September 1. Then there were rockets fired from Gaza (fyi, they landed in Gaza). Five American yeshiva students took a wrong turn into Hebron and were nearly lynched (a Palestinian protected them and they were rescued by the IDF). A law was passed that has a clause in it that forbids journalists from including their opinion in newscasts. They may take that to the Supreme Court, but it is certainly an interesting development.
All in all, it was a crazy week in Israel.
I don’t have kids. I don’t live near Gaza or Hebron. I’m not a journalist, so I’ll state my opinion if I want to. Instead, this week I jumped on a fascinating, amazing technological wonder.
Anyone who knows me would never describe me as an early adopter. I got a smart phone after everyone I knew already had one. I got a tablet only after at least half the people I knew told me how great it was. Truth be told, I like pen and paper.
And yet.
I like Korean dramas (k-drama). Those dramas led me to Korean pop music (k-pop). I don’t speak Korean, so I have to find streaming sites that include subtitles. Those searches led to sites in English about Korean pop culture. And those led me to the fabulous world of Korean technology.
This week I downloaded an app on my phone that lets popular Korean musicians and actors broadcast live via the internet directly to their fan base and interact with them by responding to viewer comments in real time. As of today, 51 artists have their own channels – though it doesn’t mean they all have broadcasts yet – and the list is growing.
The most important icon on my phone right now
The broadcasts are saved and most of them are eventually subtitled. A couple of my favorites have their own channels already and I’m hooked.
But what’s really amazing to me is the whole phenomenon. This is interactive reality TV speaking to a generation of kids who swim in technology (and me, though I’m not a kid who swims in technology). Korean artists tend to be well-mannered and incredibly sweet and so it seems there is a genuine desire to connect personally with their fan base and this is the newest, slickest, most personalized way to do it. Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and other apps I’ve probably never heard of are left in the dust when your favorite actor/musician is having FaceTime with millions of fans simultaneously.
Think about this: A famous band (choose your generation’s most famous) fills a theater, a stadium, a giant field. They go on a world tour. They sell albums. They are on TV and radio, get fan mail, interact with fans on the internet in various formats.
Now picture this: The lead singer of a famous Korean band broadcasts for 30 minutes and the broadcast is saved (and subtitled within a day). Within 2 days the broadcast has received over 23 million hearts (you can send more than one) and over 800 thousand comments. In that particular broadcast, the lead singer asked people to send their phone numbers and he actually called two fans and chatted with them.
Obviously, the real-time personal connection to everyone in the world simultaneously will help the bands and actors make a gazillion dollars. This is the natural next level of fan service. And at the same time, this conveniently located app on my phone is a TV channel with a schedule and video-on-demand.
Will this be a revolution in interactive real-time viewing? Who knows. This app has only been out for a short while. All I know for sure is that it is a hell of a lot more fun than watching the news in Israel.
Ah, Jerusalem! Just about everyone wants to visit Jerusalem at least once in their lives.
I forget that sometimes because I live in the center of Jerusalem. From my rooftop perch, I look over the valley of downtown Jerusalem and I still find myself surprised to look down and see crowds walking around. What are all these people doing in my neighborhood? Oh, right. Jerusalem.
But Jerusalem is a city like any other and the people who live here want stuff to do that has nothing to do with holy sites, educational activities, or even tourist attractions. Our mayor, a secular businessman (who is an all-around awesome guy), encourages all kinds of fun city events. It just so happens that a lot of them are delivered to my doorstep.
The Beer Festival was held in the park across the street on Wednesday and Thursday. While the beer was not actually delivered to my door, the music floated over so that I could prop the door open, sit in the comfort of my home, and listen to well-known Israeli bands playing just across the way. For FREE!
If I decide to actually leave the house, I could visit Jaffa Street Night Market on Thursdays. The idea is apparently inspired by the night markets of Chiang Mai, Thailand (been there!), Las Ramblas in Barcelona (been there!), and Covent Garden in London (haven’t been there yet!). It’s touted as the first in Israel and will eventually be quite big, just over a kilometer long or.75 miles.
I’ve been sick this week, so I didn’t manage to get to the Beatles Tribute that was supposed to happen this afternoon on the rooftop of one of the downtown hostels. They wanted to recreate the Beatles playing on the Apple Studios roof in London.
And still there are the usual things to do in the city: movies screened in outdoor locations, there are cultural shows at the First Train Station (along with Lego Land and a zillion other things for kids to do), I’ve heard that the Metropolitan Opera will be screened at the Cinemateque. Friends, this is not the Jerusalem you remember from 20 years ago. Frankly, it’s not the Jerusalem you remember from 5 years ago.
Here on my little rooftop, I sometimes forget that I even live in a city. From my window, I see trees. Somehow the city noise floats away from my apartment. And yet, this amazing city is all around me. I must remember to go down and visit from time to time.
Here’s one verse from Matisyahu’s song “One Day”
One Day – Matisyahu
All my life I’ve been waiting for
I’ve been praying for
For the people to say
That we don’t wanna fight no more
There will be no more wars
And our children will play
Matisyahu was invited to participate in a reggae festival in Spain and then he was told that his participation would be cancelled unless he provided an unequivocal statement supporting the creation a Palestinian state. Huh?
Matisyahu is Jewish, but he’s American, not Israeli. And he was the only person asked to provide a political statement in order for him to participate in the festival. The festival buckled to threats by the BDS (Boycott, Sanctions, Divestment) movement in Spain who threatened to disrupt the festival.
There was an international reaction and El Pais wrote a strong op-ed against the festival’s action and the BDS movement. A couple of days later, the festival reinvited Matisyahu with apologies. I didn’t see any recent posts about whether or not he’s going to accept and play the festival. (UPDATE at the bottom of the page.)
That’s the short version of what happened. There is a lot more that could be said about the event itself and certainly a lot more that can be said about the BDS movement in general. I just want to shine a light on two things:
I’m an advocate of voting with your feet or spending your money to further your beliefs. If you have an issue with Israel’s policies, then by all means boycott. I think it’s a great expression of freedom.
But here’s the problem. If the BDS movement wants to encourage people to boycott, why exactly are they doing it by threatening violence? There are plenty of stories of singers who canceled their concerts in Israel because their lives or families were threatened. (See here, here, here.) What version of peace, love, and understanding includes death threats?
Playing the devil’s advocate, let’s say that the violence represents their call for a revolution. Aren’t they actually replacing one allegedly oppressive regime with another? Believe like us or we will destroy you and your family. Really? That’s how you want to change the world?
Those in the BDS movement that reject violence are still disingenuous. They claim to want to raise awareness of the plight of Palestinians. Apparently, they only care about Palestinians in Israel because I haven’t heard any outrage whatsoever regarding bombings of Palestinian villages (refugee camps) in Syria.
Let’s get back to Matisyahu. Take a look again at his lyrics. “Don’t wanna fight no more . . . no more war . . . our children will play.” The BDS movement in Spain says cancel his performance or we will seriously disrupt the festival. The festival buckles under pressure and requests a single performer to make a political statement about a country he doesn’t even live in. Who is really advocating for a better world? Who is looking at the bigger picture and asking us to go outside of ourselves and embrace life and peace? It’s not the BDS or the embarrassed festival organizers. I suggest that they explore the meaning of hypocrisy.
It’s time for a champion
Soothe the soul of the land
Mend the heart from the sea and the sand
‘Til the sun comes up again“Sunshine” by Matisyahu
Sunshine – Matisyahu
Matisyahu and his music are the champions. Choose life. Choose peace. Vote with your feet and your dollars for something worthwhile that truly makes the world a better place.
UPDATE 22 AUG 2015: Matisyahu will be performing at the festival.
UPDATE #2 23 AUG 2015: Matisyahu sang one of his most famous songs, “Jerusalem,” while facing down protesters waving Palestinian flags in the front rows of the audience.
UPDATE #3 4 SEPT 2015: Matisyahu played at the final day of the Jerusalem Sacred Music Festival in the Old City of Jerusalem.
Life goes on. And so it does in Israel. We’ve had terrible events, we are having on-going debates about the future of our country, ISIS is standing at our gates, Iran, well, who knows what’s going on there. And yet.
My first flatmate in Israel taught me one of the most important things I’ve learned about life in Israel. Keep living. In those days, buses and cafes were blowing up. You learned that one or two sirens passing by was fine, but if you heard a third, there had been an attack. He never let attacks on public places ever stop him from going anywhere. My newly arrived self thought it would just be better to stay home and stay away from public places. He wouldn’t let me and I am so grateful that he didn’t.
A few days after the Hillel Café bombing in Jerusalem, I was supposed to meet a friend for coffee. He thought perhaps I would want to cancel. “Are you kidding? We are absolutely not cancelling. We are going to Emek Refaim and we are going to have coffee in whatever café is open.” He was surprised, but if I wasn’t afraid to go out, then he shouldn’t be either, right?
To this day, he still remembers that coffee in an empty café on a nearly empty street. I think we even ordered dessert.
Israelis are resilient – not crazy. There is usually a day or two of caution and then life returns to its usual rhythm. People may be more alert, but they are not staying home cowering in fear.
This week in Jerusalem there was a Thai evening at the train station. It was packed with people including many children. The international arts and crafts fair started this week and I assume it was packed as usual. Last night there was a night market on Jaffa Street. I was too tired to go, but I still have a chance next week. In short, this is life in Jerusalem in August.
Thai Drama
Standing room only!
In preparing for this post, I took a look at headlines to find out what happened this week. There was the usual: Iran, Temple Mount, UN, Russia, Greece. But then I saw this little headline near the top of the page. “Yerushalmi Café Culture.” Turns out it’s about my local café! Even with all the “big” news, there is a place for a write-up about a sweet little café. The small things matter. The small joys are what make life worth living.
So I’ll end here with two quotes that I think sum up this week’s email:
“A life lived in fear is a life half lived.” – from the film Strictly Ballroom
Still Here by Langston Hughes
Been scarred and battered.
My hopes the wind done scattered.
Snow has friz me,
Sun has baked me,Looks like between ’em they done
Tried to make meStop laughin’, stop lovin’, stop livin’–
But I don’t care!
I’m still here!
Wishing you all a Shabbat shalom and in the spirit of the most famous Jewish toasts, L’chaim! To life!
Synchronicity or bust
When nothing seems to help, I would go and look at a stonecutter hammering away at his rock perhaps a hundred times without as much as a crack showing in it. Yet at the hundred and first blow it would split in two, and I knew it was not that blow that did it, but all that had gone before together. — Jacob A. Riis
One of the blogs I read is called Zen Pencils. His tag line is “cartoon quotes from inspirational folks.” You should go see his blog because it is great (zenpencils.com). This week the inspirational quote was this one and it really helped me get through the week. Personally, I’m still dealing with the bureaucratic issues I’ve been complaining about for weeks. Expect an op-ed about this in the future. But I think this quote is also about Israel.
After the terrible events last week, Israel has witnessed a lot of debate, finger-pointing, self-flagellation, and every point of view has been publicized about every angle of the issues. I don’t want to summarize all that here. Instead, I want to bring out the positive things that I saw this week that give me hope that we can get through these difficult times together. Each one is a hammer tap. Each one has the potential to be the 101st blow.
Bubbles are better than blood
Some brilliant person took the initiative in the middle of the night to paint bubbles over the blood stains left in the street where the stabbing took place. I saw the post on Facebook saying that they wanted to celebrate life with symbols of hope. Here’s my picture taken this morning (a few days after painting).
Bubbles
Zionist Bedouins
Last night I went to the annual event of a Zionist organization I do work for. One of the honorees was a Bedouin youth organization called Aharai (lit. “after me” or “follow me”) that prepares these kids for enlistment in the IDF. There were about 40 kids who came to represent their organization. When their organizer spoke after receiving the award, he told a story of a Holocaust survivor who came to speak to their group. The kids gave her a bouquet of flowers and promised her that they would not let another Holocaust happen to the Jewish people. Everyone gave them a standing ovation.
Receiving their well-deserved recognition
To me, this is what Zionism is all about. Israel is a state that is built as the homeland for the Jewish people, but Israel must also embrace and protect all of its citizens, even and especially when they aren’t Jewish. It’s not easy for the Bedouins to join the IDF. Let’s face it. There is prejudice in the army. But they also have to face the rest of the Muslim community who feel it is a betrayal for them to serve in the IDF. But they do it anyway because they want to defend their country, this country, the homeland of the Jewish people, the Jewish and democratic state.
Not really what I had in mind to start this blog with, but this is the hand I was dealt. Herewith, the Friday email.
We had a very somber day on the Jewish calendar (9 of Av), so the rabbis decided to liven things up a bit with a festival on the 15th of Av (Tu B’Av). All the women dress in white – to make it difficult to determine social status – dance in the field and get chosen by a man for marriage. Thankfully, Israel doesn’t do that anymore, but they did turn the holiday into a sort-of Israeli Valentine’s Day without all the marketing. It’s a popular day to get married and is generally considered to be the beginning of the happy season in Israel.
The LGBTQ community decided to have the Pride Parade on Tu B’Av (Thursday). Jerusalem’s Pride Parade is pretty low-key and is mostly about support for the community and highlighting issues facing the LGBTQ community. This year the focus was on transgender issues. (This is not a new issue for Israel. One of our most famous singers and winner of Eurovision is a transgender person, Dana International.)
The gathering point was across the street and since I’ve gone before, I stepped out to take a picture and sent my psychic moral support.
I’m glad I didn’t go. Six people were stabbed during the parade by, unsurprisingly, an ultra-Orthodox Jewish man. The police were on alert for Orthodox men, but he snuck in and started stabbing.
Now here’s where it gets weird. The stabber (there are pictures, it’s not a question of if he did it) is the same guy that perpetrated the stabbing at the Pride Parade 10 years ago. Let me repeat that. It’s the SAME GUY! He was released from jail 3 weeks ago after serving 10 years of his 12 year sentence. Somehow, the police did not think he was a threat.
So Israel went to sleep on the holiday of love with the shedding of blood in the name of intolerance.
And then we woke up to more of the same. Jewish extremists (not yet caught, so not sure) set 2 Palestinian houses on fire. A baby was killed and a family is in the hospital in critical condition. It was what is called in Israel a “price tag” attack. A price tag attack is essentially a provocative attack that says “this is the price you pay for hurting us.”
Every member of the government is issuing statements on both issues. This is terrorism pure and simple. I hope that our government finally starts to see that our country needs real leaders and their infighting and useless bickering about nonsense is ruining the country that their parents and grandparents dreamed of, prayed for, and built with sweat, blood, and tears.
Personally, I’m ashamed of Jews that would condone either of these actions. Of the 10 commandments you might think “Don’t murder” is a pretty clear directive. It doesn’t say, “Don’t murder unless . . .” How does any person think that violence and murder are hastening the coming of the messiah?
That’s a good title for the first post.
Look forward to a weekly update about my life in Israel. I’m thinking of calling it “The Friday Email” because that’s how the whole thing started. Since this is a blog, I’ll also have to be a bit better about keeping things short and to the point. I’ll be experimenting with the format and figuring things out as I go along.
Tomorrow is Friday, so are we ready?
The Write Place (for me) 