“Next Year in Jerusalem!”

April 29, 2016 / IlanaB / 2 Comments

next year in jlem For Passover in 2001, I was in Israel volunteering at Kibbutz Maagan Michael and I had an invitation to a Passover Seder in Jerusalem. I think for most people, they just say “Next Year in Jerusalem!” at the end of the Seder as part of tradition with no intention whatsoever of being in Jerusalem the next year. For me, it had long been my secret wish to have Passover in Jerusalem. It was less a Zionist imperative and more “I’ve been saying it for years and now I’m going to do it!” And wouldn’t it be amazing to fulfill that dream?

So here it is April 2001 and I am actually going to be in Jerusalem for the Seder. This is it! Dream fulfilled! I came to Jerusalem for the Shabbat before Passover – known as Shabbat HaGadol (the Great Shabbat). On Saturday, I had lunch in the home of a religious family who lived in the Old City. The family spoke very little English and my friend and I were there only there to meet the son (a friend of my friend, both of them were named Yair, which was a little confusing) who was going to walk with us around the Jewish quarter and take us to the Western Wall. We hadn’t actually planned to have lunch, but our timing was a little off and they were just sitting down, so they invited us to join them. So with my extremely limited knowledge of Hebrew, I listened to the conversation and the prayers and found that I could pick out a few words. One of the phrases I remember hearing is Shabbat HaGadol.

There were at least eight of us at the lunch. The food was excellent and filling. The conversation flowed in Hebrew, and the two Yairs filled in some of the gaps for me. And then it happened. The idea of fulfilling my secret wish, actually being at the center of Judaism here in the Old City, and sitting at a Shabbat lunch surrounded by Hebrew simply overwhelmed me. My eyes welled with tears. And then one slipped out and rolled down my cheek. I was embarrassed, but after the first one, there’s really no stopping them. I wasn’t crying exactly. It was really more like my emotional cup was overflowing and it came out of eyes in salty tears.

The family and my friends sitting around the table let it happen like it was the most normal thing in the world, as if everyone who comes to Shabbat lunch on Shabbat HaGadol leaks tears all over the table. The embarrassment was my own, but it only lasted a short while, because no one seemed to mind. They noticed, but saw that it was because I was washed over with emotion, not because I was sad. I did explain afterwards through translation that it was because sitting there in that moment represented a secret wish fulfilled. It was next year and I was in Jerusalem!

The story of my tears became sort of a legend in the family. I spent other holidays with them – without all the tears. But they always remembered that I was the one who cried at their table and by the next Passover, I had turned my life inside out and upside down and moved to Israel.

So That Happened

April 22, 2016 / IlanaB / Leave a comment

On Monday a bus blew up.

I heard a lot of sirens all of a sudden just before 6pm. At first I thought it was a VIP and his entourage. But then there were more. And more.

Facebook. A friend’s comment. “Anyone know what happened on Derech Hevron?” And then the answers started flooding in. It wasn’t Derech Hevron. A bus. Was it terror? Wait. The police don’t want to say that yet. Definitely bus on fire. Second bus also on fire. Then the evidence pointed to terror.

*Sigh* I remember those days. I didn’t like those days. I don’t want those days back.

Between 6pm and 7pm I had to make a decision. My Tai Chi class is in the same neighborhood as the bus bombing. Should I take a bus as usual? Class wasn’t canceled (of course), so I decided to walk. I walked in part because I could use the additional exercise. The chance of another bus attack was pretty small, but it’s been so long since a bus attack that I just didn’t want to get on a bus.

It took 45 minutes and I was pretty pleased with myself.

On the way back, another choice. As I was passing the bus stop, the bus came. I could have gotten on. There were plenty of people taking the bus right then. But I chose to walk.

I was happy with the accomplishment of walking to and from class. It was a good long walk and something that I had considered doing before. But I’m bothered by the fact that the thing that pushed me to do it was a bus blowing up.

Two days later, I had a chance to ease my bothered feelings. I took a train and a bus to where I needed to go. I walked in crowded areas where I needed to run my errands and life was back to normal.

Since this is Israel, “normal” right now means high alert. Over major holidays in Israel there is a much more visible presence of security personnel and starting today and for the next 48 hours the West Bank and Gaza Strip are closed off.

I am sure that upon hearing the words “West Bank closed off” there are those who would cry “oppressive occupation” and excuse all violence against civilians as “legitimate protest.” I disagree. Besides nothing being “legitimate” about blowing up a bus filled with civilians, as a citizen of Israel, I expect my government and our armed forces to protect civilians. I expect to feel secure as I walk or take a bus in my streets. And when I look at images like this, I’m glad that security personnel are doing everything in their power to keep us safe.

Screen capture from HaAretz

Originally, I had plans to write a nice Friday email about my first Passover in Israel, but this week provided many other potential topics – this bus bombing, a follow-up on Western Wall/Temple Mount issues, and Prince, another icon from my childhood, passed away. Well, it will still be Passover next Friday and I may yet write about these other things too.

Wishing everyone a peaceful Passover!

Springtime Stroll in Jerusalem

April 1, 2016 / IlanaB / Leave a comment

While a lot of really depressing things have happened this week, this Friday post comes to you on April Fools’ Day. So rather than try to make sense of that paradox, here’s a photo essay of a springtime walk in Jerusalem.

This week as I walked to various appointments I noticed that there was a wonderful aroma in the air and so many flowers were blooming everywhere I looked. I didn’t take pictures at the time, so this afternoon I retraced my steps and captured some of the beauty of Jerusalem.

Community garden on Zamenhof Street, tended by volunteers from the neighborhood.

Zamenhof Street and Lincoln Street. Funny fact: The pronunciation of Lincoln in Hebrew doesn’t resemble the English very much. All the letters are pronounced with an extra vowel between the last l and n – Lin-co-lin.

Outside the Orthodox Union building. They take care to bring lots of glorious color to the street.

Near Jabotinksy Street. As I took the photos of the window box and the orange blossoms, a group of monks in brown robes tied with rope belts walked by speaking Italian. Just a typical day in Jerusalem.

Gan HaShoshanim. I was nearby, so I decided to take a detour and I’m glad I did. Another interesting fact: Gan HaShoshanim means rose garden, but there are no roses growing in this park.

Arlozorov Street. Wisteria, lilacs, and many other beautiful things.

And finishing my walk with a passion fruit ice cream. I can happily confirm that it was GOOD!

I hope you enjoyed this little springtime stroll. There’s so much more to Jerusalem than the typical Old City views and while there may not have been actual roses to stop and smell, there is plenty of beauty to stop and admire.

Happy Spring!

Choose LIFE – Jerusalem Marathon!

March 18, 2016March 18, 2016 / IlanaB / 3 Comments

Dad will be officially remembered by friends and family tomorrow – even though he’ll be remembered by all of us all the time (with blessings to go with the memories). I wanted to write a bit more about the mourning process – and I will – but not today.

Today is my favorite day of the year in Jerusalem. Today is the Jerusalem Marathon! I love the fact that we close down the city to welcome people from around the world to run through the streets with smiles on their faces to celebrate life! This year 25,000 people ran (2,500 of them from outside of Israel). Not all ran the marathon; there were 22 km, 10 km, 5 km, and 1.7 km family fun run options.

This year Jerusalem – and all of Israel – has been facing a lot of terrorist violence in the streets, but that did not stop the marathon. The police and army were out in full force and were a very obvious presence. There is always significant security, but this year I noticed many, many more visibly armed soldiers, rifles at the ready.

I watched the marathon at Jaffa Gate – yes, that’s right, a number of stabbings took place there in recent weeks, but that wasn’t going to stop me. There were fewer spectators than previous years, I’ll admit, but I did see many tourists passing by on their way to visit the Old City.

From inside Jaffa Gate

I saw a lot of beautiful things today – in no particular order:

Blind runners were linked to guide runners so they could participate
Runners ran for causes and happily ran together with friends
There were runners in wheelchairs and those who couldn’t go on their own power had friends pushing them
Runners ran with their dogs

Christians ran with flags of support for Israel
One man entered Jaffa Gate and took a cross from his friends to run with in the Old City (the cross was made of 1x4s, I think, was about 6 feet tall, and painted black with the phrase “Pick up your cross and follow me” on it.)
Other Christians handed out red roses as remembrances of those who died
At one point I was surrounded by a group of IDF soldiers who were passing by Jaffa Gate and at the same moment, a group of runners from a particular soldier corps ran by. I’m not gonna lie – that was a gorgeous sight to behold!

My favorite view of the marathon – Batman is cheering on the runners (directly below the Tower of David

Approach to Jaffa Gate along the walls

Spiderman on a skateboard – he’s one of the guys cheering on the runners

(Link to my video – a few seconds of the marathon, for atmosphere [I hope it works. It’s my first uploaded video ever!])

Last year, I had a meaningful experience at the marathon. I had some self-doubt about the direction I was going with my life and just crested the stairs as I arrived at Jaffa Gate, the music overwhelmed me with the lyric “Don’t you worry, don’t you worry, child. Heaven’s got a plan for you.” Turns out there was a plan.

The DJ and the nearly empty plaza (people did pass through, but didn’t hang around here)

I wondered what the music would bring this year. The DJ was the same after all. I have to say, I feel bad for the poor guy. He probably arrived before dawn to set up and then spent the entire morning playing music and calling out “AAAYYY, OOOHHH!!! AAAAY, OOOHHH!!!! BOKER TOV, YERUSHALAYIM!!!! EIZEH YOFEEEEEEEE!!!!! KOL HAKAVOD!!!!!” I’m surprised he doesn’t get laryngitis.

I was waiting for a friend to pass by who was running the 10K. The DJ played a remix of “Billy Jean” by Michael Jackson and I knew my friend, who is a fan of Michael’s music, would arrive within a few minutes. And I was right!

The DJ played David Bowie’s “Let’s Dance” – “If you say run, I’ll run with you.” Since David Bowie recently died of cancer, I felt like it was a moment for my dad – even though he was not a fan. Another reminder of my dad was seeing the business owners around Jaffa Gate. They just did what they normally do: drink coffee and smoke cigarettes. Dad would have been very comfortable indeed with those guys.

I meandered around a bit longer and I thought to myself, “The music was better last year.” I hadn’t even finished the thought, and guess what? Swedish House Mafia, “Don’t You Worry Child.” And it starts like this:

There was a time
I used to look into my father’s eyes
In a happy home
I was a king, I had a golden throne
Those days are gone
Now the memories on the wall
… And my father said, “Don’t you worry, don’t you worry, child…”

And I smiled (through a few tears, if I’m totally honest).

This week Israel ranked (again) as the 11^th happiest country in the world. The study uses several guidelines and benchmarks to support the findings, but I think it only takes coming to Jerusalem on marathon day to see that this is true. No matter what happens, we choose life.

In the end, this did turn out to be a bit about Dad, but I’d like to think it was more about the ability to celebrate life and be joyful in the moment.

A simmering pot

February 12, 2016 / IlanaB / 1 Comment

Last week Israel’s cabinet agreed to have a mixed gender prayer area near the Western Wall plaza that would be administered by Israel’s government not the (ultra-Orthodox) foundation that administers the Western Wall .

Yay for plurality! Hoorah for equality!

This is widely seen by the Jewish community outside of Israel and many inside Israel as a good thing because it feels more inclusive and is more open to the non-Orthodox communities who don’t feel connected to the Orthodox vibe of the Western Wall open air plaza. Now they have their own place. It’s close to the plaza, but at the same time they are not in each other’s faces about how they choose to commune with God.

Source

But hang on…

First of all, this space has existed for quite a while. It’s not new. What is new is the entity that would administer it and the fact that it would be expanded. Until now, it was just a tacitly agreed upon space for Reform, Conservative, and various other streams of Judaism to gather and pray as they wish (mostly by not separating the genders).

Women of the Wall have been advocating for plurality and equality and part of the organization agreed to the mixed-gender space. The members who don’t agree feel that they should be allowed to pray in the women’s section as they wish – they don’t really want a mixed gender space. The problem they’ve been facing is that the Orthodox do not agree that a woman can be allowed to put on tefillin, wear a prayer shawl, or read from the Torah. They have fought this battle in court (and won), but have been harassed by both men and women at the wall and arrested for disturbing the peace for gathering at the Western Wall to pray.

Then there are the archaeologists who say that the new construction would damage the archaeological evidence that exists there – specifically, evidence of stones from the wall that fell during the Roman conquest.

Like any other decision, it’s complicated and there are naturally positives and negatives. Decisions get made with compromise and everyone has to give a little.

But there’s more. And this is why this article is called “the simmering pot.”

The violence (aka the knife intifada) that began last year is based on a perception that Israel is trying to change the status quo on the Temple Mount. In October 2015, UNESCO voted on a draft proposal that tried to declare the “Western Wall an ‘integral part’ of the Al Aqsa mosque compound.” That was eventually dropped, but in November Mahmoud Abbas insisted that Israel was trying to change the status quo on the Temple Mount by protecting “settlers” who were “violating” Muslim and Christian holy sites. (The “violation” being prayer. Jews are not allowed to pray on the Temple Mount and are arrested by Israeli police for doing so.) And now, with the vote on the mixed gender prayer site, the Waqf (the Jordanian authority administering the Al Haram al Sharif [Temple Mount]) has declared this vote Israel’s newest intention to change the status quo by “Judaicizing the holy site.” The “holy site” in this case being the Western Wall.

Let’s look back to September 2000. Ariel Sharon visited the Temple Mount to show that all Israelis have a right to visit the site. And then we had the Second Intifada. (Yes, that is a wild oversimplification.)

A vote for a mixed gender prayer site seems like a small thing. But this is Israel. The Western Wall supports the Temple Mount compound where the Al Aqsa Mosque and the Dome of the Rock stand. Context and interpretation are everything. And so the pot simmers on.

Christmas Special

December 25, 2015 / IlanaB / 2 Comments

I like Christmas.

There. I said it. I’m a Jew who lives in Israel and I like Christmas.

I like the lights. I like Christmas trees. I like Christmas carols. Don’t get me started on Christmas cookies and gingerbread houses.

My enjoyment of Christmas follows the philosophy Dr. Seuss, one of the great philosophers of our time. The Grinch cannot steal Christmas because it is not based on material goods.

My favorite movie for Christmas is It’s a Wonderful Life. The message is simple: You matter. The things that seem insignificant to you matter a great deal to someone else and could change their lives. George Bailey is accidentally $8,000 in debt and everyone bands together to help him because without him they would not be who they are. Not only do you matter, but we all matter to each other.

The Little Drummer Boy has nothing to give but his drumming ability. And the gift he gives is his song and his passion.

In O. Henry’s The Gift of the Magi, the man gives up his prized watch to buy a comb for his wife’s beautiful hair and the woman gives up her beautiful hair to buy a watch chain for her husband. It was not the gift that mattered, but the sacrifice that each was willing to make for the other.

In Dicken’s A Christmas Carol (written and all the multitude of film adaptations), Scrooge realizes that all his wealth is pointless if he is alone. His gifts to the Cratchit family are not about buying their love or spoiling Tiny Tim. Scrooge finally has someone to share his bounty with. The Cratchit family matters to him and he matters to the Cratchit family.

I’ve heard that there is a “war on Christmas” in the US and I wholeheartedly agree. But it is not the war on whether or not it is okay to greet people with a “Merry Christmas!” The war on Christmas begins with consumerism and greed. It continues with encouraging children to make demands of gifts without also teaching them gratitude. It is probably not much of a coincidence that we go from the “give me candy” of Halloween to the “give me presents” of Christmas while forgetting about the “thank you” of Thanksgiving. It breeds in the culture of the disposable that has forgotten the meaning of value.

I’m not a pre-rehabilitated Grinch or Scrooge. I don’t think that Christmas should be all about ideals. Have all the stuff! Enjoy the glorious wrapping paper and the excitement of presents under the tree! Bring out Santa’s Christmas magic for the kids and enjoy the egg nog! But don’t forget that the real spirit of Christmas is you, the choices you make, the example you set. Aren’t we all reminded at Christmastime “peace on earth, good will to all”?

A note about Christmas in Israel

We are not surrounded by Christmas carols in the malls. Decorations featuring stockings, trees, or Santa are few and far between. There are no piles of gorgeously wrapped presents next to elves and Santas awaiting children to tell them their Christmas wishes or have pictures taken with them.

But there is Christmas. There is a significant community of Arab Christians and they do have the familiar decorations with the tree, lights, presents and family dinner. But it’s more of a religious holiday. Secular Christmas is not a thing in Israel.

Though here’s NORAD’s evidence that Santa did come to Jerusalem.

Today is a regular day in Israel. I must admit that in the early years of living in Israel, it felt weird to be at work and write 25 December on a document. That also means that if you wish to celebrate Christmas, you have to ask for the day off and use your vacation days for it.

A Christmas Tale

A couple of evenings ago, I heard about a singing duo backed by a jazz trio who would be singing Christmas carols at a pub in town. But they would be singing only carols that were written by Jews. That is A LOT of songs, by the way, and most of them are the most famous and most beloved songs of Christmas: White Christmas, Winter Wonderland, Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire, Silver Bells, and plenty more. (Others have written about why this is, so I won’t mention it here.)

But here’s the interesting part: I went to the pub and I couldn’t get a seat. It was totally packed with middle-aged, religious American Jews. It may have been a coincidence, but the men could have passed for Santas with their beards and round bellies shaking like bowls full of jelly. The women with their headcoverings might as well have been wearing kerchiefs. There weren’t any reindeer available, so I just walked home.

Even though last night ‘twas the night before Christmas, Happy Christmas to all and to all a goodnight!

History and TV, what could be better?

December 5, 2015December 5, 2015 / IlanaB / Leave a comment

Little known fact about Israel: Sometimes it’s colder inside than outside. Yesterday, it was just more pleasant to sit outside.

This week was horrible and violent. I don’t want to rehash it all here. Instead, we’ll dial down the intensity and cover a moment in history and look at Dig, a television series that was partially filmed in Jerusalem.

Remember, remember the 29^th of November

This week Israel noted the 29^th of November. Quite a few Israelis don’t know why this is a date of note nor why streets are named after it. It’s one of those dates that gets lost in all the important national and religious dates throughout the year. What happened, you ask? Good question.

On November 29, 1947, the United Nations passed Resolution 181, which recommended that the land of British Mandatory Palestine be divided into two states. It required that both the Jews and the Arabs agree. The Jews agreed and the Arabs didn’t.

LISTEN TO THE VOTE.

Resolution 181 didn’t create the State of Israel, but it recognized the need for a Jewish homeland and it was sort-of an exit strategy for the British who planned to get out of Palestine in May 1948. When May 1948 rolled around and the British left, instead of two states co-existing, five Arab states declared war on the provisional government of Israel.

The importance of the resolution today is to remind the world that Israel has a recognized right to exist. Israel is not a colonial power or a foreign apartheid regime. The world recognized that the people of Israel – the Jews – have a connection to this land. It’s not that only that they need a shelter from potential Holocausts in the future, but that this specific land is the Jews’ ancestral homeland.

Dig

Picture this: Every Jewish conspiracy theory, rumor, and apocalyptical end-of-days theory crammed into 10 episodes and it was filmed in Jerusalem. I liked it. I enjoyed watching it. (However, in the interest of full disclosure, my Israel family hated it and said it was embarrassing.)

The Israeli creator of Homeland got together with the creator of Heroes and they made some incredible television fiction. Then they cast one of the baddies from Harry Potter as the lead (Jason Isaacs, or Lucius Malfoy) and used a bunch of Israeli actors speaking Hebrew in the streets of Jerusalem and in other locations and took us on a wild ride.

HERE’S THE TRAILER.

The story weaves together a radical Jewish group that wants to rebuild the Temple (obviously on the site of the Temple Mount), but they need a few things, along with some signs and wonders to ensure their success. They are cooperating with some messianic Christians, who have their special role to play. Meanwhile, FBI agent Peter Connelly, our underdog anti-hero who is spiritually broken (Jason Isaacs), tries to solve the murder of an American citizen. He is helped by an Israeli policeman, Golan Cohen, who, just to make things complicated, is gay. Throw in the Essenes (Dead Sea Scrolls) who have been hidden for the past 2,000 years and the lost treasures of the Second Temple. And then toss in a touch of Jerusalem Syndrome (a real affliction where spiritual pilgrims come to Jerusalem and suddenly believe that they are biblical figures for a while) and the blood moon.

The series was filmed in Jerusalem last summer and due to the little war we had, they finished filming in Croatia. There is one scene where they say “Oh, that’s Mishkenot She’ananim” and show a building in Croatia. I leaped up and shouted at the screen, “No it isn’t!”

There is also the cultural hilarity. Anyone who has ever driven in the streets of Israel knows that people honk their horns all the time. It’s a kind of noisy communication among drivers expressing a variety of emotions. So when Peter gets in the car with Golan, Golan is always smoking and honking his horn at everyone. Peter doesn’t like the smoke (Golan doesn’t care) and his answer to why he honks the horn all the time is “It’s relaxing! You should try it!”

I enjoy a good murder mystery (fictional, of course) and I love a good conspiracy theory. Of course the show was a little silly and over the top. It’s not a documentary, for heaven’s sakes. But I have to say, with all the problems on the Temple Mount these days, the various end of days theories going around, especially lately, and all the violence in the world, I certainly hope that fiction in this case is stranger than truth.

A little this. A little that.

November 21, 2015November 21, 2015 / IlanaB / 1 Comment

In terms of violence, the past week was horrible. So instead of leading with the horrible, let’s celebrate something positive and beautiful that came out of senseless tragedy: a gigantic, wonderful wedding and everyone is invited.

Last Friday, before Paris, two people were killed on the road south of Jerusalem. The bride’s father and her brother were on their way to celebrate with the groom on the Shabbat before the wedding. Instead of a wedding, there was double funeral and the bride’s mother and her siblings were in the hospital. What did the bride and groom choose to do? They chose life. They moved their wedding date to November 26, rented out the international convention center in Jerusalem and invited everyone in Israel to join them in celebrating their wedding. (*Cultural aside for those cynics out there: A wedding is a celebration for the whole community and a guest’s job is to make the bride and groom happy. So it’s not about the big wedding. It’s about giving everyone a reason to rejoice.)

Here’s their public message and invitation.

And then there was Paris

There are plenty of people much smarter and more eloquent than me that said many things about Paris. (My favorite was John Oliver’s extensive use of the f-word, because that really is what we are all thinking – even though it might not be considered “eloquent”).

As I read the news in Israel, I noticed one line that probably everyone else thought was superfluous, but I thought was good evidence of choosing life. In the stadium, France was competing against Germany in a friendly football match (soccer game) and even though they heard explosions, they finished the match. France won 2–0.

Football not terror.

Then I was really disappointed

A few days after Paris, social media started to pile up with accusations:

Why only Paris? What about Beirut? Any Lebanese flags on Facebook photos? How about the airplane downed in Sinai? What about all those Russians? Why hasn’t the media reported on anything other than Paris?
Israel has terrorism and innocent civilians are getting stabbed, shot, and run over every day. Yet Israel is the aggressor? How would you like it if the attacks in Paris were reported as “8 Muslims killed in Paris”?

As to the first, I read two interesting articles that said that said all the other violence was reported, but that readers ignored it. On top of that, coordinated terrorist violence in Paris is not the norm and because Paris is one of the top tourist destinations in the world, people can relate to it more than, let’s say, Beirut, Sinai, or, as of yesterday, Nigeria and Mali.
(Article 1 and Article 2)

As to the second, while having some truth to it, I find it cold, callous, and in short, stomping on the people of Paris. There is a time and place for accusations of media bias, the few days after an attack is not one of them. We don’t have all the facts, human beings are in shock and grieving, so let’s bring up media bias? Way to set an example of showing humanity and choosing life.

Expanding the logic of the two articles in light of Thursday’s attacks in Israel where 5 people died including an 18-year-old American, it would be disheartening to think that the world finds violence in Israel normal and that they cannot relate to Tel Aviv as a city or Israelis as people.

I’m working on my own theory. In two words: underdog and anti-hero. I’ll expand on this in another post.

Jonathan Pollard

He was released from prison on Thursday after serving 30 years of a life sentence for espionage (read: spying for Israel). To some people in Israel and the US this is a Very Big Deal. They’ve been campaigning for his release for a long time saying that the sentence was wildly excessive. Now they want him to be allowed to come to Israel – he was granted Israeli citizenship 20 years ago – but his parole requires him to stay in the US for 5 years and wear an ankle monitor. I think the real story and all the various details will never be fully known. We’ll have to see what happens.

Pacman in Jerusalem

In good news of people who come to Israel even during these violent times: Manny Pacquiao, world boxing champion. What’s his favorite city? Jerusalem! (Of course!)

Screen capture from Manny Pacquiao’s Facebook page.

Happy Thanksgiving! Let’s all be grateful for our blessings and give thanks!

THANK YOU!

My trip to Talpiot

November 13, 2015November 13, 2015 / IlanaB / 2 Comments

A natural reaction to a chilly, rainy morning.

This week’s post is a “day in the life” story. Join me on my trip to Talpiot – a neighborhood known for being the place where people shop for basics at no-frills stores at discount prices.

On Sunday morning I had an appointment in the neighborhood of Talpiot. Just as I arrived at the bus stop, bus number 34 arrived. It wasn’t crowded and I could have taken a seat if I wanted to. I arrived half an hour early and had a chance to visit the newly remodeled mall in the neighborhood.

I never liked that mall in the past. It was dark, dingy, and somehow seemed to retain noise and bounce it off the walls. It felt old and oppressive. I had to steel myself for a mission if there was any reason I had to go there. But now, it was a different world!

Every mall has metal detectors and security guards. They are more worried about what you might bring in, not what you might take out. At the entrance, I handed over my bag and noted that the security guy was talking to a mall cleaner and based on his accent I guessed that the cleaner was Arab.

The mall was just starting to open, so there were not many people and most of the stores were in the middle of opening their doors. The coffee shops were quite busy already, because it’s not possible to start the day in Israel without coffee. At first everything seemed the same, so I strolled around. Hey, there’s a proper food court! Oh, look at all the new stores! They’re having a sale!

Then I noticed an escalator where there hadn’t been one previously, so I went up. A second floor! Here were the big name brand stores that were never seen before in Talpiot. There was a seating area with a lovely view that I never knew existed from Talpiot. Wow! Jerusalem is beautiful from every angle, even from Talpiot!

As I was walking around the nearly empty second floor, I heard two young men speaking Arabic behind me. I found myself wondering if it was possible that they would stab me in the middle of a mall. Was I safe? Well, maybe they were just ordinary thieves. Should I hold my bag closer? Then I was troubled by my own thoughts. Why would I assume that just because they were young men speaking Arabic that they would either be terrorists or thieves? As these thoughts crossed my mind, I noted the thoughts and kept my slow strolling pace and held my bag in the same way I had been holding it before. Paranoid thoughts were not going to get the better of me.

They were walking faster than I was and passed me. Walking close to each other as friends, they were talking happily about something, and went down the escalator ahead of me. They didn’t give me a second look.

After my appointment, I took the bus home. Again the bus was not too full, but Talpiot is early on the bus route. My trip would be nine stops. At the third stop, a soldier got on the bus. He was in uniform with an automatic rifle slung across his chest with his hand on the pistol grip. He walked the length of the bus and got off. His partner was waiting outside at the stop. At the fourth stop, the same thing happened. At the sixth, seventh, and eighth, a soldier got on the bus leaving his partner outside, walked the length and got off.

It was a security check. Back in the days of bus bombings, we had security on the buses all the time. Even today, we have security on the light rail. But this was the army doing a security check. One could guess that they had a viable threat and they increased security on public transport to counteract it.

Epilogue

On Monday, two Palestinian pre-teens (12- and 13-years-old) stabbed a security officer on the light rail in Jerusalem. Half an hour later a 37-year-old Palestinian attacked guards at the Damascus Gate in the Old City.

The Arabs I saw at the mall just want to do their work and get on with their lives. But that doesn’t make the security threats any less real. I don’t enjoy the fact that the army is doing security checks and that living in Jerusalem requires being in a state of alert. On the other hand, if your city is struck by a crime wave that involves individuals using knives, cars, Molotov cocktails, and rocks to cause chaos, you do what you have to do.

How did I feel? I’m glad the army is responding to threats. I don’t feel particularly nervous when soldiers are obviously doing a security check on a bus with their weapons at the ready. At the same time, I know that they are looking for potential threats and they are profiling. They are profiling the same way I profiled in the mall just an hour before. The only thing that gave me pause was that the security threat seemed to be heading toward my neighborhood.

Do I live in a police state? No. I live in a place where the nation’s sons and daughters proudly serve in the army. The soldiers I saw on the bus are someone’s son, brother, husband, or father (some looked older than regular soldiers so they are likely reservists). And they want to keep all of us safe.

A Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Week

October 16, 2015 / IlanaB / Leave a comment

If last week was bad, this week was worse. Tuesday was a terrible day. A glance at Facebook told me that two nearly simultaneous attacks took place in Jerusalem and two stabbings in Ra’anana (a suburb of Tel Aviv). This is the age of instant images so there was almost immediate video and photos of the attacks. Most of it was too graphic for me to watch. Other days were not much better.

There is simply too much going on for me to process in any coherent way, but I would like to refer you to one article that analyzes the situation concisely and accurately. Yesterday’s op-ed in the Wall Street Journal.

For my part, I can share my thoughts as someone who lives in Jerusalem. I’m cautious. I don’t go out unnecessarily. However, I am not walking around in a paranoid frenzy. I see people out and about. They’re smiling. Traffic still backs up on a particular road in my neighborhood and people still get annoyed about it and honk their horns. Life is going on, just a bit more cautiously.

The problem with these attacks is that they are random. You never know who might attack or when something might happen. The sales of pepper spray are off the charts. Self-defense courses are springing open. Videos of what to do in case of a knife attack are available on the internet. I’ve taken a self-defense course (before I went to Thailand) and my study of Tai Chi, believe it or not, helps me to feel a little bit more secure.

An email I received giving me links to information that can help during this wave of terror

At the same time we’re hearing news of terrible things going on, I’m also seeing news of friends getting married, getting engaged, having happy moments with their children, sharing good times with friends. People go out on purpose to show they are not afraid. Life is still precious and with glasses clinking, To Life!

The political stuff

Two political points – I won’t ramble on too much about this, but I think they are important.

If you see a headline that says “Man stabs several people in the street,” you might think that the guy probably had a psychotic break. If you see that headline a few more times and come to “Wave of stabbings occurring day after day,” you might start to wonder where the police are and what the heck is going on. It’s a crime wave and something needs to be done.

If the headline is then “Palestinian stabs Jew,” the first thought should not be “Oh, well, alright then, he’s probably enraged about the settlements/Temple Mount/occupation/etc.” If the stabbings in the earlier headline are troubling, the new designations should not change the shock and horror of the violence. (“Jew stabs Palestinian” is equally horrifying and also not excused by rage over the situation.)

The worst is “Israeli police kill man after attempted stabbing.” That is a headline with an agenda. It is a true headline, but fails to mention the part where a Palestinian was the one trying to stab the police officer. If the majority of people read only headlines, then Israel does indeed look like a violent police state. In the screen capture below, the reporter also said that the guy was unarmed, but in stills, it is very clear that he has a knife in his hand.

Point #1: Read the article. The headline is probably misleading.

The reporter misrepresented the situation and was corrected on air. But that doesn’t change the headline.

You might have heard about the 13-year-old boy who was mentioned by Mahmoud Abbas as a child executed in cold blood by the Israelis while he was alive and well in an Israeli hospital. Besides the politics of that situation (we’d be here all day for that), I wonder why no one seems to be asking why a 13-year-old boy is stabbing another 13-year-old boy.

Where is the outcry about using this kid as a child soldier? Who put the knife in his hand? Is a 13-year-old legitimately enraged about the settlements/Temple Mount/occupation? And if he is brainwashed to hate Jews, isn’t that a form of emotional and psychological abuse? Who advocates for him? Where are his human rights?

This is one kid in one situation. I hope he is not a model for the next generation. Palestinian activists point their fingers at Israel, blame Israel for the situation and claim that Palestinian lives are miserable, but I wonder why these same activists don’t take a nuanced approach and start asking who puts knives into children’s hands, sends them out to shed blood and encourages them to risk being shot by Israeli police.

Point #2: The situation is complicated and there are no easy answers. Look at the big picture.

Let’s all have a Shabbat Shalom! We could really use it.

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