Meirav's posts with tag: israel
On the website of Galei Tsahal (Israeli radio station) they've got a poll asking people about Israel now that it's 60 - is it (a) a good place to live in? (b) a difficult place to live in? And then they give a third option to say you don't live there anyway.
I'd like to tick all three!
The fact that I'm not living there right now doesn't mean I don't have an opinion about what it's like to live there (in fact, being Jewish I'm entitled to at least one and a half opinions) - I lived there not so long ago, I go for regular visits, and I get daily updates from my niece.
And the fact that it is a difficult place to live in doesn't mean it's not a good place to live in. If it's home then it's home. If it's your country then you moan and grumble and love it anyway. Sure, it's difficult. It's hot, it's full of tension, you live constantly surrounded by people trying to kill you (and I don't mean the mad drivers on the roads), we have turned bureaucracy into an art form, we constantly stick our noses into each other's business, we are rude and impatient, and still - still it's our country and it's special. It's the only place in the world where you don't have to explain to anyone what it means to be Jewish, it's the only place where if you're Jewish you don't have to explain what you're doing there, it's the only place that is ours.
In many ways living in England is easier. Here when two people bump into each other, each one will say "sorry" and that will be the end of it. In Israel each one will shout, "you idiot, can't you look where you're going", and we'll have a nice row. Driving in England means hardly remembering where the horn is - in Israel they get plenty of use...
But on the other hand, if you get onto an Israeli bus and ask the driver to tell you where to get off, in two seconds you'll have the whole busload getting involved and offering directions - there's no such thing as "minding your own business".
And in Israel when someone tells you your dress is nice, you know they mean it. When someone invites you to come round for a coffee, you know they mean it. And it's okay to just pop round uninvited - in England with most people you have to check your diaries and make an appointment weeks ahead.
And of course there's the food - but I'd better not get started on that... shewarma... mmm... rugalach... mmm...
Today my country is celebrating its 60th birthday. Its birth 60 years ago was an amazing miracle, and its survival despite constant attempts to destroy it is a wonderful sign of God's faithfulness. The Arab armies attacked us as soon as we declared independence, and we had a chance once again - as happened with the Maccabbees so long ago - to see how a tiny bunch of people with God on their side can win a war against armed multitudes! God had promised to bring us back to the Land and he has been fulfilling his promises - not because of anything good in us, not because we deserve it, but because he is faithful.
Only a few weeks ago we celebrated the Passover, telling how in every generation our enemies have tried to destroy us but God has brought us through - and here we are, on Independence Day, and sadly as a nation we do not on this occasion make a point of thanking God for his deliverance. We are good at telling the old stories, but not so good at seeing what's going on under our noses right now. Without God, how could we possibly have won the War of Independence in 1948? But then without God we wouldn't have got to 1948 - what nation has survived 2000 years of exile and remained a nation? We exist because God has a plan and a purpose for us. We survived not thanks to our brains or our fighting spirit, though these are useful gifts that God has given us - we have survived thanks to God's grace. Let's remember to give thanks!
Oh, I do get excited about small things sometimes... Recently I was sad to discover that my local Waitrose has dropped its kosher section, which for me was a great source of nostalgia food - things I miss from home, things with the taste of home, like Israeli hummous for example which is nothing like the stuff you get in normal supermarkets here. Not to mention Israeli halva!!! But God is kind to me and in my shopping expedition today I discovered something else that can give me a bit of a flavour of home in my cooking - flat leaf parsley. Flat leaf parsley is what in Israel we regard as normal parsley - I didn't even know there was a different kind when I was growing up there. The flavour is so utterly different, and now and again I've bought a bunch as a special treat, but buying it fresh is obviously expensive and also it's a bit of a faff chopping it up and I don't believe in spending too much time and energy on food preparation. So excuse me whilst I do a few somersaults and dance around shouting halleluiah, because in the supermarket today, amongst the usual selection of Schwarz herbs, I found... yes... I couldn't believe my eyes... flat leaf parsley! Yippee!!! Okay, I'll go and calm down now...
A really good article on the Gaza Strip situation from the Jerusalem Post. Very interesting. (Too interesting to leave this on James's site, where I found it.)
I'm back. England welcomed me back with cold rainy weather, so there's no mistaking where I am. And so it's bye-bye once again to my country, to the rugalach and the shewarma, to the delicious cheeses and the massive variety of aubergine dips and salads. And hello once again to this country where I have set up home but will probably never really feel at home. Three weeks at home was enough for me to get used to Israeli ways again, to expect people at the airport to respond to Hebrew, to be surprised once again to discover the separate taps for hot and cold (in the kitchen we have what the Brits call a mixer tap, a new invention to them, a tap which enables you to wash your hands without freezing or burning your fingers and which in Israel is perfectly normal), and also enough for my finger to go to the wrong key when I'm looking for the @ sign, which on Israeli keyboards is where the Brits keep their quotation marks. Flying El Al meant prolonging the Israel experience just a little bit, hearing Hebrew from the air stewardesses, smiling at the way we behave - especially the bit at the end, when we're told to stay seated even though we've already landed, and of course most Israelis pay no attention to that. Yesterday someone got told to sit down when he had got up and started reaching for his hand luggage whilst the seatbelt lights were still on. The guy sitting next to me - an Israeli but a slightly better-behaved one - told me an apparently old joke about an El Al flight landing in December, with a message on the tannoy saying: We would like to wish our passengers a happy Christmas, and those who are already standing - happy Channuka to you.
Flying back to England tomorrow - can't believe three weeks have gone so fast! And I can't believe how cold it's going to be there - looked it up on the internet and it says 6 degrees tomorrow!
Anyway, it's been good to catch up with family and friends, even though I couldn't see everyone I'd have liked to - there never is enough time for everything.
It's a good job the airlines have a weight limit only for the luggage and not for the passengers, considering the amount of rugalach and poppy seed cake I've managed to get through...
But it's time to say goodbye again to my beloved country and return to what I loosely refer to as "normal life".
That's all for now from your correspondent in Israel. Next report from England - brrrrr....
An old story I heard yesterday:
A scorpion asks a frog to help him cross the river. The frog isn't sure, because he's heard of the scorpions' deadly sting, but the scorpion assures him: I promise I won't sting you if you carry me across the river. I'll be so grateful, I wouldn't dream of stinging you.
Half way across the river the scorpion yields to his instinct and stings the frog.
'But you promised you wouldn't,' says the frog.
'Ah, yes,' says the scorpion, 'but this is the Middle East, you know.'
Funny how from one visit to the next I forget what it's really like here. Yes, it is possible to feel cold here, especially at night, as the houses aren't heated the way British homes tend to be, so when it's a bit cooler the house can feel really cold. Mental note for future: yes, it is worth packing the odd jumper, and my warm slippers - Israeli floors are made of cold tiles, which is lovely in summer and up to about a week ago I so enjoyed walking around barefoot, but now it's socks or slippers (thank God I did pack a few pairs of socks, just in case). I'm not complaining - I am grateful that it's not as hot as it was when I got here. People in England always expect me to be used to the heat because I grew up here, but somehow I've never really got used to it, especially the humid heat of the coastal area, which is where I come from. When I arrived it was hot but not humid, which made it much more bearable. But still I'm glad it's over. I can't believe I've only got a few more days here before returning to the UK. I wish I could put Israel in my suitcase!
כל פעם שאני מגיעה לביקור מולדת, אני שומעת את החידושים האחרונים שבשפתנו. יש דברים שמעלים חיוך על שפתיי - חיוך המברך על היצירתיות המתבטאת בביטויים החדשים - אבל יש דברים שצרמו לי. מה צרם לי? מילים שנלקחו מאנגלית אך מבוטאות בצורה שאף אנגלי לא יזהה אותן, כמו למשל אותו חלק מאד חשוב לבטיחות האוטו: אמברקס; או אותו דג שמציעים לכם לפעמים במסעדות תחת השם סלומון. אבל מה שאני קולטת עכשיו פתאום זה שאני סתם שופטת את השפה שלנו על שהיא עושה מה שעושות שפות בכל העולם - זה בעצם נורמלי לחלוטין. גם האנגלים (או אולי יותר נכון לומר: בעיקר האנגלים) גונבים מילים משפות אחרות ומאנגלזים אותן. ואם אתה לא יודע את השפה האחרת, זה נשמע לך בסדר גמור. אבל אם אתה מכיר את המקור, זה צורם. כמו למשל איך שהם מבטאים את המילה ליקר, ששאלו מצרפתית - הצרפתים לא ירצו אותה בחזרה אחרי מה שהאנגלים עשו לה... אז פתאום אני מסתכלת וקולטת, שבעצם יש בי איזו סנוביות אינסטינקטיבית נגד מילים שאנחנו שואלים מאנגלית, למרות שבו-זמנית נראה לי לגמרי טבעי וישראלי-גזעי להשתמש במילים ששאלנו משכנינו הערבים, למשל. תיסלם זו מילה אחלה ישראלית, לא? אבל לא, עכשיו כשאני מסתכלת על מה שכתבתי כאן, אני מגלה עוד רובד: רובד החידוש. הרי השתמשתי כאן בלי להניד עפעף במילה סנוביות וחברתה, המילה אינסטינקטיבית. אבל אלו מילים שגנבנו מזמן, והן כבר הפכו לחלק מכובד בשפה העברית. אז אולי זה פשוט עניין של זמן? אולי פשוט צריך לחכות שנתרגל לשימוש במילים כמו אונליין, או הפועל הנפלא לסמס, או מה ששמעתי בחדשות ונהניתי ממנו כל כך - הידיעה שהספייס גירלס מתקמבקות. אני יודעת שיש אנשים שזה עושה להם חררה - אבל מאיפה באה המילה חררה? זו מילה בעברית צחה? ראיתי פה איזה ערב בטלויזיה ראיון עם מישהו מהאקדמיה ללשון העברית (שעדיין לא מצאה לעצמה שם עברי...) - נדמה לי אפילו שזה היה נשיא האקדמיה - לרגל זה שניתן איזשהו פרס עולמי לבן-יהודה, מחייה השפה העברית. המראיין שאל אותו מה הוא חושב שבן-יהודה היה אומר על מצב השפה העברית כיום אילו היה בחיים. התשובה היתה ממש לא מה שהמראיין ציפה. במקום קיטור מסיבי על התדרדרות השפה, על הסלנג והמילים משפות אחרות, קיבלנו בעצם את ברכת האקדמיה לתהליך המאד נורמלי הזה. בן-יהודה, אמר האיש, היה שמח מאד לראות שהשפה כל כך חיה ותוססת ומשתנה עם הזמן - זה מה שקורה לשפות שמשתמשים בהן בחיי היומיום! אז יאללה, תיסלם, בואו ניהנה מזה, בכיף. יעני, בואו נסמס את חברינו שיבואו אתנו לאכול המבורגר או פיצה (תראו כמה מילים כבר השתרשו כל כך שאנחנו שוכחים שהן לא עבריות!) ואולי לראות טלויזיה ביחד, או איזה די.וי.די. אני עוד כמה ימים טסה חזרה לאנגליה, והפעם אנסה את הסידור החדש של צ'ק-אין אונליין - למה לא? יאללה ביי. 
As an Israeli living abroad I get asked all sorts of questions about my country, about the history of the conflict between us and the Arabs, etc. Obviously I don't know everything, but here are some good sources of information I've come across: http://www.peacefaq.com/warindep.html#werent for facts about the 1948 War of Independence, addressing questions such as: How did so many Arabs become refugees? (plus links from there to other related issues) www.thelandofmanynames.com and also the book "The Land of Many Names" by Steve Maltz http://www.shoebat.com - a brave Palestinian's point of view http://www.honestreporting.com for the truth behind media reports Don't believe everything you hear on television. Read. Think. Ask some questions. And by the way, I do not believe that my country is always right. Israelis are not perfect. Of course not. We're human. And we have been in an impossible situation for a long time, surrounded by those who want to annihilate us and who are prepared to use any means towards this goal. The fact that we are still in existence despite all this is thanks to God.
For those who read Ivrit, here's an interesting article. Oops - looks like this link doesn't quite work. When you get there, look for the article תרדמה מוסרית by כלב מאיירס.
Okay, so it's taken me two weeks since coming back till I suddenly realised that actually I have some useful information to share... One handy tip for anyone flying to Israel for a visit to Yad Hashmona - take a Nesher taxi from the airport. These are large shared taxis, with room for luggage, which cost 45 shekels per person instead of over 200 which you'd pay for an ordinary taxi. They operate from just outside the terminal, and drop you off right outside the guesthouse reception at Yad Hashmona. I used an ordinary taxi going there as I wasn't sure about the Nesher service, so paid much more and also had the added joy of having to hope that the taxi driver could find the way - whereas the Nesher drivers do this route regularly and won't look at you with a big question mark on their forehead when you say Yad Hashmona (Yad ha-what? where's that?). I used a Nesher taxi for getting back to the airport at the end of the conference - you can ask at reception and they order one for you for the time you need, and you are picked up from outside reception. Your luggage goes in the boot and you are then deposited with your luggage outside the terminal at Ben Gurion Airport. An excellent service! Yad Hashmona is a small place and not everyone has heard of it. It's a lovely place with a good guesthouse. Unfortunately I didn't have time to explore the Biblical garden or the surrounding area, but I did enjoy the beautiful scenery and the lovely Jerusalem pine-filled air. Even the heat wasn't so bad there - in my part of the country you sweat all day in summer, but in the hills near Jerusalem the air is dry, which makes a huge difference. The guesthouse is what they call chalet-style, which means the various parts of the guesthouse are sprawled around, not all in the same building - this means if you're not particularly fit you need to take into account that getting from your room to the dining room, for instance, may involve a short but steep uphill walk. (For me the real downside was literally the down-side, as I'm not very good at walking down hills - my vertigo kicks in. Anyway, I survived!) The rooms were nice and comfortable, with an en-suite bathroom, a kettle (but disposable cups), a small fridge(!) and a television. (No real milk in the rooms though - just dairy-free coffee-whiteners. Liz, who had arrived with a bit more time to spare, ventured to a village nearby and bought some milk.) There was also a phone, which can be used for speaking to people in other rooms (useful when there for a conference) but I think you have to ask if you want an outside connection. At reception there's a computer with internet access which is provided for free, but they ask people to limit their use to 10 minutes at a time so that others may have a chance to use it. Reception is also where there's a lobby area with tables and chairs where you can sit and chat, and hot and cold drinks for sale (including bottled water, which I found essential as the tap water just didn't taste drinkable to me) and a small gift shop (which also sells chocolate bars - how can you survive a conference without chocolate...). The food (kosher) was good and very plentiful! And the approach to mealtimes is very laid back - no need to turn up on time as it's all self-service. Breakfast is Israeli-style, i.e. eggs, cheese, salads, etc, but also cereal and bread. Lunch and supper are both meat meals. There was always a choice of a few different main course options (beef/chicken/fish), and always tables overflowing with salads. (The downside of it being kosher is that at lunch or supper there's no milk for your tea or coffee in the dining room, just those non-dairy milk-replacements. But in the lobby you can have real milk.) A very good place to stay if you want to be near Jerusalem. http://yadha8.co.il
Have survived my first IMJA conference - actually met lots of lovely people and am really glad I went. IMJA is the International Messianic Jewish Alliance and I was one of a delegation of three from the British Alliance. Funny being an Israeli representing Britain. Also quite weird being in my own country for a conference, being confined to barracks with an intense schedule of meetings meetings meetings, not being able to do any of the things I normally do when I go home for a visit - but at least we were in a nice place (Yad Hashmona), in the hills near Jerusalem - with gorgeous scenery, and had lots of nice Israeli food. And the heat wasn't too bad as it's not humid there like it is in my part of the country. And flying El Al meant nice Israeli food on the flight as well. But why do the air stewardesses keep addressing me in English and not Hebrew? Do I look so un-Israeli? What should I do to convince them - hold up my blue passport all through the flight? or just shout a lot?
Hi, I've unashamedly copied this from my friend Richard's website as I'd like to make this available to everyone. A Messianic Jewish teenager in Arad made a video of the persecution of Arad's Messianic Jews by the anti-missionaries. This video was shown in the High School Auditorium in Arad to several hundred students and parents. There are English sub-titles on it. All sides are interviewed and the background to the conflict explained. This is a great introduction to the uninitiated to the plight of Messianic Jews in Israel's southern town of Arad. http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-6985238613573695293
From Israeli Television (channel 10) with English subtitles. An eye-opening report on Messianic Jews in Israel. Not a pretty story! mms://mpbwm.webcastcenter.com/mpb/mbp_b4ilnews.wmv
Link: http://igeret.listen2myradio.com/My friend Rachely's radio station is now back on air after a short absence, broadcasting Sun-Thu 10am-Midnight Israel time. (That's 8am-10pm UK time.)
Read the fantastic true story of the Israeli soldiers and the grey cat under the heading Divine Emissary in the article here. (You'll need to scroll down to get to it.)
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