CELEBRATING
SIX-MONTHS AFTER ALIYAH: A MILESTONE!
A Personal
Reflection
September
30, 2016, Marks My Sixth-Month Residence in Israel
As of September 30th, I was
officially a half-year citizen of Israel, and this milestone begs for
acknowledgement, reflection and sharing. I have been taking account of my new
life and will do my best to express my experiences and insights, which some of
you have been curious about for some time.
Honeymoon
Is Over!
The honeymoon period ended as soon as I
moved into my new home in Be’Er Ya’acob. A home means many things – security,
comfort, balance, restoration and more great things, yet it also means
responsibility. Building my first home in Israel has been crucial for my
adaptation, and the turning point for facing real life. Good morning, Israel. I
still can’t believe I am here!
My
Relationship with Israel
I wish to think of my relationship with
Israel as an intimate bond between mature lovers. They love the other unconditionally,
and both are able to recognize the other’s strengths and weaknesses. Between
the two, love and respect are never in question. Whatever I may say to about
Israel, believe me, I love Her dearly!
Israel’s strengths far outnumber her
weaknesses. The motto “Only in Israel” conveys well the notion of uniqueness,
distinctiveness and unparalleled attributes, nowhere else to be found, except here,
in Israel.
A couple of days ago I heard an elderly religious
man say – “the Country is great, the
problem is with the people.” I think this man hit the nail on the head. His statement allowed me to better understand
Israel, the Place, the Center, the Land, the Home, the Country, in short, the
Heart of Jewish life and hope. People
flow into this Promised Land incessantly, and while diversity and pluralism
remain core values in the young State, society undergoes constant change and
challenge. Change can go both ways, for
the better, or for the worse.
Israel:
The Only Face of Democracy in the Middle East
Medinat Israel, the Country, is a beacon of light in the world, not because
Jews say so, but because it is a fact.
In spite of being surrounded by enemies that wish its utter destruction,
it continues to be a land of welcoming, justice, equality, diversity, tolerance,
pluralism and respect for all people.
Did you know that in 2015 Israel welcomed
over 30,000 Olim (new immigrants)?
http://www.cbs.gov.il/www/hodaot2016n/21_16_157e.pdf
One must not under-estimate the massive socio-economic
and political implications of uninterrupted aliyah (immigration), yet the doors
and the heart remain open. I am living proof of it! I take stock of this fact when I travel by
bus, or walk on the street. I am able to witness first hand, the expression of
democracy at its best. Israel opens its
arms incessantly to thousands of immigrants from every
corner of the world who keep on flowing to the young and challenged state in
search of a home that offers them safety and security. Everyone has equal
rights and the social tapestry includes everyone, from Sudanese, Ethiopian,
Russian, French, Latin American, English, religious, secular, Jewish, Arab or
Christian. Everyone has the right to be, to live, to believe, and to be happy
and free.
The
Sun, the Sky, the Wind, the Ocean, the Produce, the People and the Hummus!
I can say it all in one word. INTENSITY!
Israel is a place of heightened awareness, raw emotions, unleashed temperaments,
boundless caring, unparalleled creativity, centuries-old endurance, unparalleled
unity, and inexhaustible faith, prayer and hope.
I believe that in Israel my five senses receive
a daily boost. I have never seen a sun
as bright and a sky as blue; I have never smelled a wind as sweet blowing, the
scent of spring, spices in the shuk
(market), cheese borrecas, falafel in the frying pan. I have never bathed in an
ocean as effervescent, walked in sand as soft as talc; I have never heard as
many greetings and shaloms, loud conversations, giggles of children playing,
friends having fun, blessings from strangers, and calls for action in the event
of an emergency; I have never tasted such bounty of flavors, the salads, the fruits,
the pitta, the cheese cake, the ruggelah, the coffee, and of course, the best hummus.
Israelis live each day intensely, as if
there is no tomorrow. Boredom does not
live in Israel. Passion and intensity do. The streets are full of pedestrians,
the shops full of merchandise, the cafes packed with young and old, the markets
stocked with best produce and shoppers eat, buy, spend and live it up. What better way to say it than in Hebrew –
“la’asot Haim,” (to make life happen), or in Spanish, “Viva la Vida.” Israelis love to live life to the fullest.
!! לעשות חים
The
Dog, the Cats, the Flies and the Mosquitos
The fact is, very few Israelis clean after
their dog’s excrement. I am appalled
at this, but it is a fact. The overall
feeling is... who cares? I have spotted a
person cleaning after his dogs once, in six months, and I thought I was
dreaming. The evidence is everywhere, on
your path, in front of homes, sidewalks, parks, and everywhere. I get angry and
disgusted to see the mess in my path and worry about the environment, diseases
and, of course, the mediocrity of a society that allows for such abuse of
public space. It is a sad fact!
The cats
of Israel deserve special attention. How could anyone travelling to Israel not
be bewildered by the amount of wild (homeless) cats roaming the streets? I used to be upset at this, worried that
these cats reproduce without control, live on the street, and lack food supply. I have come to understand that cats in Israel
are a staple of neighbourhoods. While the
weather allows them to live on the street, many actually mark their territory
and are sort of adopted by particular house/store owners who feed them
regularly. Often, the cats get adopted for good. In fact, every household
worries about feeding cats, so believe me, most of them get fed. I still think
that animals deserve a better life, and these street cats must have many lives
before they get their needs met. I have also seen them searching the trash, or
eating birds or rats. How
disgusting! What about bacteria,
illnesses and uncontrolled feces all over the place? These cats are so cute and need a home so
badly. On the other hand, if anyone
wishes to adopt a new cat, just look out and in no time you will see a cute
baby cat hiding behind a fence learning to survive. Some of them are adorable and tempting. Don’t
be fooled. They are street cats!
One day I ran into a group of ten cats
gathered in a back lane and could not help to think about the Broadway musical
“Cats” that offers an amazing characterization of Jellicoe cats who display the
same traits as humans. What a brilliant play!
Enjoy these cat shots. I love them.
As to the Israeli flies and mosquitos,
they are here to stay. If you stand on a
street corner you can feel their kisses all over your legs, especially in the
summer hot months. I get disgusted with
this, because I think that flies are dirty, and mosquitos are wicked. Both
carry bacteria, and being allergic to mosquitos, I suffered bitterly during the
summer months. They love me and their
bite first caused me a hive and then a painful blister. I had to get used to
it. These insects got here before the Jews and the Arabs, so why do I have anything
to complain about?
The Cars,
Motorcycles and Bicycles
I remember hearing that according to
statistics, more people die in Israel in motor vehicle accidents than in
defending the Country. While I ignore
the veracity of this statement, I have been able to understand it fully. It is not that driving in Israel is hard, but
rather, that Israeli drivers are clueless about road signs, parking
limitations, road access, speed limits, you name it. To best explain this, let’s say you are on a
main road and can’t find parking. No problem. Just drive into the curb, and
park your car on the sidewalk oblivious of the fact that you are blocking foot
access or entry to a parking lot. In the
case of motorcycles, they too, own the road, and often drive on sidewalks. Youngsters
bike all over the place without helmets, while they talk on the telephone. In
more than one occasion I felt the wind under my arm and before I realized it, a
bike flew by my side. Had I moved a
centimeter, I would have been hit. The
rule of the game is – I do as I please and don’t give a damn!
Directions,
Finding Street Names and Numbers
If you think that directions in your home
country are hard, think twice. In Israel, one road can suddenly change its name
or its direction. If you are looking for a house number, may the Lord help you.
They are nowhere to be found, to the extent that even the tenants don’t know
them and can’t find them. I often thought that Israelis must be extra smart,
because they seem to find their way intuitively. As to the tourist, newcomer or
visitor, good luck. Street signs,
direction, and numbers are confusing as hell.
Ah... forgot to say that each city in Israel has the exact street names. For example, there is Ben Gurion, Herzl or
Ben Yehuda in every city. Thus, Google
Maps will find the street you are looking for in no time, but will give you ten
choices, from Beer Sheva to Haifa. I
cannot tell you how many times I boarded the wrong bus going in the opposite
direction. And if you ask for
directions, nobody knows the names of streets adjacent to their own domicile.
Impatience,
Abruptness and Rudeness
I cannot tell you how many times I have
been mistreated in a shop or café.
People in Israel are just plain rude, clueless of what it is to work
with the public. Here are examples of
what rudeness looks like.
I am standing in front of a clerk waiting my
turn politely. The clerk avoids eye contact, ignores me and finally says in a
tone of doing me a favor: “What do you want?” While I am ordering, he gives attention
to another customer or staff member. I am made to feel like chopped liver and wonder
what to do next. Eventually, he gets back to me and if I ask a question twice, he
raises his voice and throws the merchandise at me.
I once went to a hardware store to find the
famous adaptor for my computer. In my limited Hebrew, I approached a man who
was obviously an employee. As I tried to
explain what I wanted, he interrupted me and walked me down the isle to show me
a product, which by the way had nothing to do with what I needed. As I made an
effort to explain better, he got restless, and shouted the following: "Madam, I told you what you need, but
you don’t believe me. You think you know better. You are wasting my time as I
have more important things to do." I walked out of the store feeling insulted
and mistreated. By the way, I did buy
the cable he suggested, and it was not what I needed.
Now, imagine this happens at the Home Depo
in Vancouver. All you have to do is go
to the manager and the clerk will be summoned, if not fired. Here in Israel, this behaviour is business as
usual. The manager is likely to have a
similar behaviour. Individuals, in general, have a short fuse, little patience,
an attitude of "I know best," and the worst part, "I don’t give
a damn."
I have been advised that to survive in this
society, I should not take this kind of attitude personally, or else it becomes
my problem. Expectations and standards in Israel are non-existent. I came up with these mottos.
Customer Service in Canada: The customer is
always right.
Customer Service in Israel: I don’t give a
damn!
Littering,
Dumping, And Trashing: Business as Usual
As discussed in my previous blog, the
garbage problem in Israel is by far what bothers me the most. I have not come to terms with it because I
see it every day and witness littering before my very eyes. Public spaces are dumping grounds for every
type of waste imagined, and the scene looks plain depressing. Having discussed with many Israelis about
this (who might themselves be litterers), they have justified it as follows.
Seven
Myths About Littering
1.
Israelis dump because they have
a Holocaust survivor mentality, and littering is insignificant compared to what
they endured.
2.
Israelis litter because they
have a lot on their mind, the economy, politics, the taxes and the terrorists.
3.
Israelis litter because Israel
is a young country, and people haven’t yet learned to be civilized.
4.
The problem is with the
City. They have to come more often to
pick up the litter that people throw on a continuous basis.
5.
I got used to the garbage on
the street and it no longer bothers me, as long as it is not in front of my
house.
6.
The problem is not with
Israelis, but with the new immigrants, who bring bad habits into the Country.
7.
Littering? Where?
Really?
My
Conclusions About Littering
1.
The majority of Israelis are
entitled individuals. Most lack awareness on the rights of others, and respect
for the environment, public space and the very land where they built their
home.
2.
Israelis are self-absorbed,
desensitized individuals, whose priorities don’t go beyond their nose.
3.
Israelis disown the problem. If
others litter, then why should they make an effort to be different?
Decode
English Translation
All of us love the Internet and Google is
our best friend to look up a million things. What happens when you need to
visit an Israeli website and the text appears in Hebrew? No problem, just activate Google
translate. Don’t make me laugh. The translator takes word by word at face
value, and makes a directional mess of the translated text. So here comes an important decision to
make. What is better, struggle with the
Hebrew, or decode the English. I think
the first is more reliable than the second.
Good luck!
What
About Professionalism and Accountability?
I have had many experiences in Israel that
reveal a sad truth. People who represent
important institutions are not professional or accountable. Here are a couple of examples.
1.
I arrive at the bank and need
to discuss financial issues. I proceed to follow protocol by taking a number
from the bank machine, but it is not working.
I try to tell a teller that the machine is not operable, but no one
seems to be available. When I finally
talk to a lady, she first questions my ability to get the number, and
eventually admits that the machine is out of service. Then she starts talking
to another customer and ignores me for 10 minutes. I still don’t have a number,
a turn, or anyone’s attention. I feel confused and don’t know what to do. Eventually she summons me to sit down. I wait
and wait. By then, the machine starts
printing numbers, and the clients get called to the teller, everyone except me,
even though I was first. While I am
about to explode, I hear a customer screaming to another teller: “What, don’t you see me. I am here before her. What is going on here? Are you blind?” Another
teller, who has become my favorite, has been watching me waiting for a while and
decides to call me in. She apologizes
for the wait, but then as she tries to help me, other customers walk into her
cubby, and she turns her attention to them even though they don’t have a number
and just showed up. She finally turns to me, and attends to my inquiry. I
finally walk away with my issue resolved, some 45 minutes lost, and I am
feeling upset and ready to kill.
2.
Another example. During my
training at Berlitz, the very director promised to come by the center to return
payroll forms to the prospective teachers. The week went by, she never came or
apologized. Her word did not count, and
it was ok.
In my experience, in Israel there is hardly
any accountability and professionalism in the business world. Everyone is
entitled to say what they don’t mean, or say what they mean and then change
their mind, and that is perfectly acceptable.
Smoking
in Israel
I have never seen so many smokers as in
Israel. The smoking habit is an Israeli way of life. People start smoking as
soon as the wake up, and smoke everywhere, anywhere, even as they walk. I have
found little refuge from smokers, because they are everywhere, even though
smoking is prohibited on some areas. I
can tell when a woman smokes, because her voice becomes masculine, rough and
raspy, and I find it very unbecoming.
My
Experience with Men in Israel
In the six months I have been in Israel I
haven’t met a man that deserves my interest.
On one hand, I don’t look for anyone, and on the other, what I see is
not of my liking. I have the impression
that Israeli men, as a rule, are the domineering, macho type, and I have no
time for them. I also sense that they
behave like predators, always looking over a woman’s breasts or buttocks. As I
enjoy people watching, I have spotted many dirty old men giving young sexy
girls a dirty look of desire. I find it revolting.
Now comes the truth. In my six months various men have approached
me, but please don’t get too excited.
One of them is an attractive tour driver.
After I showed him a little interest he invited me to spend the weekend at a
hotel in Jerusalem. I could have said
that I came all the way from Vancouver just to sleep with a stranger. Instead, I erased his number from my cell.
Two others picked me up on a cafe, and
admitted being married and needing a girlfriend to have fun. A young
aesthetician introduced me to a friend of hers, whom she introduced as a great
catch. I agreed to go out on a date, even though I had some reservations. The
man had zero conversation, kept offering me candy, and confessed being married
to a wife who is sick.
Once, at an appliance store, the manager,
an 80-year old sweet man by the name of Eli, in the middle of my inquiry,
interrupted me and asked me what I was doing at night, and whether or not I was
bored and alone in my apartment.
Another, a new immigrant from the US, asked
me out, but I turned him down. He would be the last man I would consider.
During my time in Tzfat a man showed interest. He sat with me at lunchtime and ate half of
my meal, even though he said he wasn’t hungry.
Finally, comes the most interesting
experience that is worth telling. I was on a bus on my way to Tel Aviv and saw
a robust, middle-aged Hassidic man running to catch the bus. During the trip I spotted him looking at me,
and I ignored his looks. When we got to the Tel Aviv Central Bus Station, I got
off the bus, as did many others, including this man. I did not realize his presence until he tapped
me on the shoulder, a touch that startled me since it came from a religious man. This man had a full face, rosy cheeks, and
intense deep blue eyes. He introduced himself
and told me he was on his way to Jerusalem before the Shabbat. He inquired about my whereabouts and I
answered confidently, thinking that I was safe talking to a religious man. As we talked, he said repeatedly that he had
been looking at me on the bus, and could see my goodness. His actual words were: “you are so good, you are so good, but you
don’t know it.” I was taken aback, and
thanked him for seeing goodness in me. I asked him how come he was able to
recognize this. He replied – “I just
know it.” As I got myself ready to say
goodbye and Shabbat Shalom, his look penetrated me through his sky blue
eyes. He said something like... “I would
love to meet with you. Can we talk?” I
could not believe what I was hearing. I
kept silent until I knew what to say. I
then said: “I am feeling a bit confused.
You are a religious man, you are not supposed to touch me, and yet you
touched my shoulder, and now you are asking me out on a date. I have never had a religious man approach me
before, and I am feeling a bit overwhelmed.
Why do you wish to meet with me?
I am not religious and our lives are very different.” His answer was. “Yes. I know.
All I want is to talk.” I added, “talk
about what?” He replied, “just talk, I
just want to sit down and talk, but I sense that you are not comfortable with
it.” I said, “That is true. I am not, and I think it is better that each of us
goes his own way. “I am touched by your comments and interest, and wish you a
Shabbat Shalom.” As I moved away, his eyes followed me and his expression was
intense and grim. He looked sad and disappointed as I moved away. Who was this man and what was he after?
A
Matter of No Boundaries
I think Israel is a difficult and
challenging place to live in for the many reasons I have stated above that I
can best express as follows:
The State of Israel does an amazing job
protecting its boundaries. Within Israel, Israelis respect no boundaries when it comes to social awareness and basic rights and responsibilities.
The end.
I Dreamt and Dreamt About You
I chanted your hymn by heart 
Blowing mighty wind
Your sky is bluer than sapphires 
In your coveted soil
In all seasons you thrive 
You know who you are 
Only you turn deserts into orchards
Your sky is bluer than sapphires 
In all seasons you thrive 
You know who you are 
Only you turn deserts into orchards
