More on the song here.

Below are my photos used in the video and the locations and artists when I know them.

Found in Brooklyn from Gaia Street Art, on flickr

Ame 72 in Inside Out Exhibition at Tel Aviv Port

Resistance is Fertile sticker found in Amsterdam

Jerusalem Street Art / Stickers

We’re All Custom Made Tel Aviv Street Art / Stencil

Tel Aviv, Smiling Bag Productions, on flickr

C215 in Amsterdam

Tel Aviv Stencil

C215 in Amsterdam

C215 in Amsterdam

Amsterdam

C215 in Amsterdam

Inspire Collective in Jerusalem

Tel Aviv Street Art / Stencil

Postdesigner in Tel Aviv

Amsterdam

Tel Aviv

Hanna Skull Head by Dreck in Tel Aviv

Ame 72 in Inside Out Exhibition at Tel Aviv Port

Tel Aviv Street Art – Golda Meir and Theodor Herzl

Jerusalem Street Art – Dexter

Amsterdam – Black Money at Wolf & Pack Gallery

Inspire Collective in Tel Aviv

Amsterdam

Inspire Collective in Tel Aviv

Dreck in Tel Aviv

Amsterdam

Brooklyn

Tel Aviv

Kufsoshor by Kufsened in Tel Aviv

Warsaw

Ame 72 in Inside Out Exhibition at Tel Aviv Port

Jerusalem

Know Hope in Tel Aviv

Tel Aviv, Smiling Bag Productions, on flickr

Zero Cents in Tel Aviv

Know Hope in Tel Aviv

Amsterdam

Tel Aviv, Buy Nothing Day

I brought back an external hard drive with me from my recent trip to NY. It is filled with all sorts of randomness including scans of assorted ephemera including this recipe for shakshouka written in Hebrew from my time living in Tel Aviv.

On Ibn Gvirol Street, where I lived, every other shopfront seemed to belong to hairdresser. Among these was Yossi, a sweetheart, who I would drop in on from time to time. One day while I was hanging out, he made the most amazing shakshouka. The owner of the kiosk nearby brought some fresh bread and the group of us had a great meal dipping the bread into a communal shakshouka.

If you happen to be in Israel, you can always go to Dr. Shakshouka in Yafo for a nice meal. Or if you come across a Hebrew recipe you want to try here is a link for translating Hebrew or Yiddish spice names.

Ingredients:

• Olive Oil
• Sliced Chilli Pepper
• 3 Garlic Cloves (however you like them)
• Salt
• 1 Cup Water
• Tablespoon of ground paprika
• 4 Grated tomatoes
• Eggs (2-6)
• Additional Chilli Pepper (optional)
• Red and/or Green Bell Peppers (optional)

Preparation:
1. Fry oil, chili pepper, garlic, salt, 1/2 cup of water, ground paprika for 10-15 minutes.
2. Add 1/2 a cup of water and the grated tomatoes.
3. Cook on large flame for 5 minutes.
4. Turn down the flame and break the eggs over the mixture.
5. Cover the pan and let cook for a bit.
6. If you want it super spicy you can add an additional chilli pepper. This dish also works with red and green bell pepper strips or pieces thrown in.
7. Serve in the frying pan with a thick white bread for dipping.

For thos of you who can read the recipe you will see it is not very specific. I find it hard to tie people down to specific amounts when they are dictating a recipe they have made for years. This is the case with the next recipe I will post, an Oznei Haman recipe from my mom. Posted belatedly, but I do want to have a Food Friday post written for every Friday of this year.

Ivri Lider

Went to see Ivri Lider perform at Ivri Lider at Avalon in NYC 2006-11-11. Photo set here.
Video from that gig on youtube.

Ivri Lider performing I Kissed a Girl. (I prefer his version of Barbie Girl. Leave a comment if you want an mp3 of him performing Barbie Girl.)

Rita’s “Bo” performed in English as “Your Soul” accompanied by footage from Yossi and Jagger. Two guys kiss in the video so you have to confirm you are over 18 to youtube to watch it.

Link to a short radio show he did on Galei Tzahal 13-November-2008 with the band as it is on the album and touring: Gilad Shmueli – Drums, Amir Rosiano aka Jango – Bass, Yehonatan Fridge – Guitar, Adi Goldstein – keyboard. Songs only download of the radio show here.

Setlist:
Beketzev Ahid Betnuot Shel HaGuf – בקצב אחיד בתנועות של הגוף
Mitorer – מתעורר
Metayel Australi – מטייל אוסטרלי
Yoter Tov Klum – יותר טוב כלום
Hadrachim Ha’arukot – הדרכים הארוכות
VeUlay – ואולי
Hakos Hakhula – הכוס הכחולה
Aluf Haolam – אלוף העולם.

More Ivri Lider on Israboot here.

Ivri Lider online – official site, myspace, facebook, youtube, wikipedia, emusic, amazon mp3.

Confirmed on Bezeq’s website it is the standard 4G that have been the first releases.

The prices in Israel are terrible – They will be sold for 1436 ILS (approx. $400) including Windows XP for new Bezeq ADSL customers.

Existing Bezeq customers who upgrade their speeds will have to pay 1796 ILS (approx. $500) and the ones released later with Linux will cost 1800 NIS (approx. $500).

So Windows is being subsidized by a telecom – it’s not even Widnows XP (misreported in the article) – According to the Bezeq site it is Microsoft Windows Home. This seems like a poor man’s google distro gone wrong, and Israelis are getting screwed on the price of a 4G.

I would hope most Israelis who would be interested in the machine won’t be “friars” and will find some way to get this from the US.

By furtive glances, I noticed her eyes and that she was dozing a bit as I do in the mornings with her bags in her lap. Her two gloves were mismatched colors (dark blue and black) and underneath her long dress as she got off the train I noticed she had on white socks.

Told my Israeli coworker Naomi about this….her response: they’re crazy….I said it was similar to religious Jewish women covering up….she agreed but retorted….they’re crazy too….they are alike….

So we just have to get people to see their similarities…or an ingenius plan I heard in a recent documentary I went to see Encounter Point about workers for Peace in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict….make all the smokers get their cigarettes from either the territories or Israel whichever is the home of The Other and people will get along in service of their nic fits…

I think it’s neat that except for a glance or two, at the odd sight of it, people went about their business. It’s one of the things I like about NYC…The countdown to leaving has begun so of course I have to appreciate it before I go.

Bjork at Radio City

Randomly had a hotel room not far from the show for the night through work. Watched some Bravo before going, an episode of Project Runway [Finale of Season 2] and Shear Genius which I had never seen before. Headed over to Radio City,

Bjork at Radio City

Row F in the orchestra is way further back then it should be because Radio City is one of these venues with double letter rows before single letter.

Konono N°1 were the opening act. They were ok if a bit repetitive by the end of their set. Made me yearn for the Afro-Cuban All Stars.

Björk was great but the venue was really wrong for her. I remember seeing her at the Tibetan Freedom Festival and much prefer seeing her outdoors. A lot of the crowd was dead and the energy of the hardcore people got lost.

One of the more bizarre points in the evening was when I told the guy next to me I think she has a wooden leg attached. The beats were really cool and I literally could have sworn for a bit that she had a third leg on that she was using to bang on the stage and create the extra beats. I took a bunch of photos focusing on her legs to prove / disprove the notion. It was actually a bit of fabric hanging form the dress that I was misinterpreting. It’s kind of funny that I didn’t think it too weird for her.

RCMH setlist is below. I am a bit jealous of those who saw her at United Palace theatre because they got Hunter and Immature (and Bachelorette and Hyperballad). Though we got All Is Full of Love and Jóga so I guess it balances out.

Setlist:

01 Earth Intruders*
02 Venus as a Boy
03 Aurora
04 I See Who You Are**
05 Oceania
06 Dull Flame of Desire***
07 All is Full of Love
08 The Pleasure is All Mine
09 Pagan Poetry
10 Jóga
11 Where is the Line
12 Army of Me
13 Innocence
14 Wanderlust
15 Pluto

Encores:

16 [encore break]
17 [band introductions]
18 Anchor Song
19 Declare Independence

*With Konono N°1
**With Min Xiao-Fen
***With Antony Hegarty

After the show I was hanging out by the stage door, at first in hopes of taking a photo of the setlist under the false assumption that the hardcore folks who nabbed it would be hanging out.

Saw Idan Raichel waiting around too. Normally I wouldn’t go over to someone famous but what the hell Bjork wasn’t coming out…Ended up talking to him about the Bjork show – he was really impressed by Antony Hegarty [Antony and the Johnsons] and about seeing him perform in The Idan Raichel Project’s very first show in Tel Aviv. I had even seen him perform back in the day when he was the keyboard player for Ivri Lider. It seems he is in NY a fair bit these days because he’s got a gorgeous NYC girlfriend.

Idan Raichel with fans

I channeled my mother for this picture. These two fans came over and told him they were fans. Without asking him if it was ok I asked them if they wanted a picture with him. Then, I said – if that’s ok with you….it would have been assholic for him to refuse just like it was assholic for me to do what I did….It was a bossy, Israeli, Jewish mother – the matter was settled before he was consulted, like I said assholic thing for me to do. The girls got a cute picture…Sorry Idan….it was ridiculous. The price of fame I guess…

Didn’t end up waiting for Bjork. Had a great salad to go from Metro Cafe and got back to my hotel room to watch some more Bravo. I really don’t get the show Work Out.

Just Married

Just Married by director Ayelet Bechar was really good. It documents the difficulties of two couples Israeli Arabs who marry Palestinians from Gaza or the West Bank. As of 2002 there is a law prohibiting family reunification.

Suhad and Rabia are a young couple that met at university. To be together Suhad becomes an illegal resident in Jerusalem. The film depicts her change from vibrancy to depression as she stays in her home most of the time so she is not caught. In a depressing bit of circular beaurocracy, her husband Rabia (the one with legal status in Israel) requests a permit for her and is told he must file for Family Reunification but that no requests are being taken at this time and she cannot be given any other sort of document because she needs the one of family reuinification.

For the older couple on the film Kifach and Yazeed, the solution is to stay in Berlin until the law changes and they can go home. Kifach struggles to learn German and at the same time, she must be in Israel for part of the year so she does not lost her status as is threatened in one municipal office. She had been very active in the struggle for coexistence in Israel and has many photos with major Israeli political figures such as Shulamit Aloni and Ehud Barak. Her husband views Barak as slime and does not want to see the photo, there is elegant symmetry in the film as Kifach later confronts Barak at a conference in Berlin about this law keeping families apart.

There is also a beautiful symmetry as the film ends with both families giving birth to children.

It is a complex issue. The situations these people are in are terrible. They are being kept from having a family with the person they love in their homes. The Israeli government believes that this horrible law may be saving someone’s life; it feels it must ignore the fact that it is also adding much misery to many innocent civilians.

The law was ammended so that women above the age of 25 and men above the age of 35 may now apply for family reunification. The director was at the screening and gave the update that Suhad was about to have her birthday and would more than likely obtain family reuinification and that Kifach’s struggle continues as well.

It makes me feel lucky that all I have to deal with is a bunch of paperwork and a $1000 fee for a fiancee visa to the UK. Our revolution was a really long time ago. (Though, it does suck that the price doubled as of April 1st of this year.)

There is a great summary of the Israeli law involved from a recent Jerusalem Post article (Background: Terror plot may have blown family reunification By DAN IZENBERG, April 11, 2007) :

“Prohibitions on family reunification were first introduced by the Interior Ministry on April 1, 2002, following the suicide bombing at the Matza restaurant in Haifa’s Neveh Sha’anan neighborhood in which 15 Israelis were killed. The driver of the car bomb was a Hamas terrorist who had married an Israeli and carried a blue identity card.

Initially, the freeze on family reunification was total. No Palestinian who married an Israeli could begin the five-year process for obtaining residential rights or citizenship, and those who were in the middle of the process could not advance.

On July 31, 2003, the Knesset turned the administrative decision into a one-year law, which was periodically extended.

On July 27, 2005, the law was amended so that Palestinian women above the age of 25 and men above 35 could live with their Israeli spouses if they met security criteria. Younger Palestinians were still barred from living in Israel.

On March 21, 2007, the law was amended again and extended until July 2008. The current law provides a humanitarian committee to consider exceptional requests for family reunification from women under 25 and men under 35, but toughens the security criteria and extends the restrictions to spouses from countries classified as enemy.

The law in all its forms has been harshly criticized by human rights groups in Israel and abroad. In May, the High Court narrowly rejected a petition to overrule it in its second version. The Association for Civil Rights in Israel, Meretz MK Zehava Gal-On and the Israeli-Arab rights group Adalah have already declared they will petition against the newly amended law.

The human rights groups claim the law violates the fundamental right of every citizen to a family and is motivated by Jewish demographic concerns. The law prevents roughly 20,000 Palestinians from living in Israel with their Israeli spouses and also prevents them from raising families in Israel.

The government insists the temporary law is based on security considerations. Granting Palestinians Israeli identity cards and the right to unrestricted freedom of movement throughout Israel is dangerous, officials say.”

UPDATE: 29 Oct. 07: Israel to approve some 3,400 requests for family unification in one-time action

Songs:

Korin Allal and Eran Zur – Cshe’zeh Amok – Hebrew Lyrics
Korin Allal and Eran Zur – Tmuna Impressionistit – Hebrew Lyrics
Eran Zur – Parparei Ta’atu’a – Hebrew Lyrics
Eran Zur – Leilot Shel Yareah Maleh – Hebrew Lyrics
Korin Allal – Motek – Hebrew Lyrics
Korin Allal – Ein Li Eretz Aheret – Hebrew Lyrics – Was kinda fun to listen to this song in a roomful of Israelis who have chosen to live in NYC.
Korin Allal – Hataba’at Nafla – Hebrew Lyrics
Korin Allal – Zan Nadir – Hebrew Lyrics – Not Zan Adir
Korin Allal – Eretz Ktana Im Safam – Hebrew Lyrics

Dateline Israel: New Photography and Video Art

Went to a preview of Dateline Israel: New Photography and Video Art at The Jewish Museum. Got free tickets through Dor Chadash. Went with Jocelyn and we both agreed to go in quick, check out the stuff, and leave before anyone gave a speech.

The image in the postcard is Pavel Wolberg‘s “Qualqilya (Outskirts)”, 2002. It is a small exhibit with some quality stuff. Though “New” is a bit relative here, most of the works are from the early 2000′s, I had seen many of the works in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem when I was living in Tel Aviv from ’99-’03. Among the artists featured are Pavel Wolberg, Miki Kratzman and Gillian Laub. I was surprised not to see any works by Adi Nes and I’m pretty sure I was at the protest featured in the film by Amit Goren.

The museum has free admission on Saturdays if you want to check it out through August 5th, 2007.

Khalifa Natour

Saw In Spitting Distance a one man show written by Taher Najib, performed by Khalifa Natour and directed by Ofira Henig as part of the Israel Non-Stop Festival 2007. Official description: “Winner of the first prize in Israel’s TheaterNetto Festival, this moving and ironic personal drama touches on all the complexities of the Israeli/Palestinian situation. Experience a rare collaboration between Israeli and Palestinian artists in this humorous yet painful story of a Palestinian actor with an Israeli passport trying to travel from Paris to Tel-Aviv to Ramallah on September 11, 2002.”

Winning first prize at the Theaternetto festival is a big deal. It is a really amazing international theater festival in Tel Aviv for one-person shows.

The show itself is funny, in the everyman against spirit-crushing beaurocracy to the point of the absurd where the only reaction you can have is to laugh in the face of it. Reminiscent of this recent story about US immigration officials. I could definitely picture it as a short film (the words and acting were really vivid) and told the actor so after the show.

Ofira Henig the director and Khalifa Natour the actor were on hand for questions after the show.

The first question, more of a comment, related to what big important statement they were making = how wonderful…She said: “I am an artist before I am an Israeli.” This had me wondering how long it takes before you can say that earnestly without a shred of self-doubt. So at this moment I wanted to hate her but I really enjoyed the rest of the comments so good on her. She commented that they did not want to be seen as an example of coexistence – a thing she believes does not exist. This is their story, a personal story, art, no conclusions should be drawn to either side from it and this is the most important political act they could do.

The next question asked if the play wasn’t too kind to the horrors that exist in the region. Her response was that this was a Palestinian’s playwright’s story. She was not directing the story of the Palestinian People, only the story of Taher and Khalifa. She continued to the questioner: You are looking for a demonstration, maybe. But Art shouldn’t be propoganda, it shouldn’t give answers. It should be more complicated than that and should make you ask questions.

Khalifa joins the conversation a bit late. They both relate that in Palestinian theater the question of who is telling whose story is important. They would like to perform the play more but they are both involved in other projects and the play was produced independently, not as part of a theater company’s repertory.

She likens theater that demonstrates its politics to being sick on an audience. She does this less so in her later work even though she feels she is more radical than ever. She feels you have to touch the audience. You can’t punch or browbeat them. You need to make them feel something. I appreciate this sentiment a lot. I hate being at a performance and feeling like I am being hit over the head with a sledgehammer with the MESSAGE. She continues that they both work on works by Oscar Wilde, Chekhov and Shakespeare. Again she views this as the most political act one can do. That there should be issues of aesthetics and sophistication in art not just what you think.

When asked about the minimalism of the direction she responded it was a lesson in modesty. Not everything has to be Broadway. A good actor, text, lighting and music – you don’t really need anything else.

When asked about the play’s effect on Israeli and Palestinian audiences (It is performed in both Hebrew and Arabic) the response is that it has a big effect on Israelis because of the questions it raises within them. Is it about them, it makes them smile, theyr elate to it. That enjoyment raises questions and it’s quite strong though usually it is the people who are already convinced who attend.

The Palestinians feel immediate empathy. At the Arabic premier in Acco (Acre) there was a full house and from the very first word the audience was with him, identifying with his character immediately. They laugh really hard and empathize. They are laughing at themselves.

In Switzerland was the first performance they ever had abroad. There was complete silence. There were no Israelis or Palestinians in the crowd – all Swiss. They were panicked. It turns out they were really into it. They remembered every word but they didn’t allow themselves to laugh at the situation and to find the irony and humor in it.

There is a fine tradition of Gallows Humor. While this play is about facing beaurocracy rather than death – it comes from that same place where you can cry (with defeat or rage) or laugh so why not laugh or at least giggle hysterically.

PBS site here
Reviews here and here.
ITVS page with discussion guide
Film Credits
DVD for Sale
DVD for Sale

The Darien Dilemma

Then I went to see a great documentary, The Darien Dilemma, at Makor as part of their Reel Jews festival. A father and his filmmaker son explore the previously untold story of 1,000 Viennese Jews stranded on the frozen Danube River in 1941 as they awaited their would-be rescuer, Ruth Klieger, an agent of the newly created Mossad.

Erez Laufer weaves together interviews with the survivors, archival film, dramatic re-enactments (including scenes of the actors’ preparation – it seems like they stand in for the audience while they get inside the characters’ heads.) and footage of his father the screenwriter.

The director Erez Laufer was at the screening. He notes that the footage of a ship in the film is actually from a ship that set sail a few months prior to the Darien that was shot by a Hungarian sailor, but photos (of youth groups and a massacre) are original and directly linked to the story. Both in the film and in person he explains that his father started looking at archives to find out more about his own history and how his mother escaped Europe with him as a small child.

His father then became intrigued by this story of Ruth Klieger and partially with her reported beauty and alleged affair with David Ben-Gurion. She remained in Israel, worked as a PR person for shipping company ZIM and died in Tel Aviv in 1979.

The film is about her, and not less so about the filmmaker’s father. Through this film many survivors who were interviewed learned a fuller story of what happened when they were brought to Palestine.

It is worth seeing – it is made in an interesting way and tells a compelling and little-known story. Note to documentary filmmakers: Include your notes, interviews, arguments with your father the screenwriter…realize how much central characters may not know about what happened to them….You can buy tickets for December screenings on Makor’s website.

After the film I met Jocelyn and Lee at Bistro 60 for dessert. We had Tarte Tatin – Apple tart with crème fraîche. This is an amazing dessert. We devoured it – moaning all the way. Learned that Hebrew for “to moan” is גניחה – Geniha. Lee was shocked we didn’t know this word. Jocelyn’s response – I’m more of a screamer.

my flickr: The Beautiful South at Cake Shop

Dear Friends and Supporters,

The High Holy Days are upon us and we wish “Ramadan Kareem” to our Muslim readers, I wish I could write to each of you personally, but must be content to write to all of you collectively.

…

Below you will find some of my thoughts on Rosh HaShana Eve, however, I must unfortunately begin with an urgent funding appeal. We have been “victims of our own success” this past year. Our successes have required unbudgeted expenses. Because of the generous financial component of the Niwano Peace Prize we had sufficient funds for this year. However, next year our projected income falls some $160,000 short of what we need just to maintain existing programming. There is a very direct and harsh relationship between cutbacks on our part and peoples lives:

Our lawyer in Hadera preserves the economic lifeline of the poorest and weakest Israelis whose support is threatened by the Israeli Wisconsin Plan. We were just asked if we could run a similar program in Ashkelon. However, our lawyer does not have enough hours to represent everybody who needs her in Hadera. A lack of sufficient hours translates directly into more Israelis going hungry or literally reduced to begging in the street.

Our Olive Tree Campaign allows Palestinians to access lands they had not been able to reach for years. In order to fulfill our obligations to the expanding list of villages that ask for our help, we are going to go $20,000 over budget this year on transportation alone. Again, the formula is harsh. When we are not present, people do not get to their land. When we are not present, people get hurt.

There is a waiting list of pre-army academies who want us to run a year long course on Judaism, democracy and human rights based on Tractate Independence. Each of our students will be a soldier who will face moral dilemmas in the course of his/her service.

When our legal department intervenes, home demolitions are prevented and complaints about settler harassment are taken seriously by the police. This in turn translates into a change in settler behavior. If our lawyers aren’t available, more homes will be demolished and more Palestinians will be harassed.

The true test for RHR may be our impact on policy, but our successes this year changing the State Budget and winning a High Court victory regarding agricultural access are directly related to our grass roots work in Hadera and in the olive groves.

Your financial support (In the U.S. tax deductible through RHR-North America) directly and concretely translates both into policy change and making people’s lives better. If you can make a gift now it will influence our planning and budgeting discussions over the next few months.

Two thoughts for Rosh HaShana:

1. On Saturday night the slikhot service where I prayed was one of the most beautiful and moving I can recall. However, I couldn’t help but notice that most of the prayers and piyutim were asking God to intercede and wipe out our sins. We recited the rote vidui (confession), but there was no commitment to changing our ways or rectifying the wrongs we have done to our fellow human beings. (The Rosh HaShana prayers will address the changes we need to make, and Yom Kippur even more so.)

I don’t know whether the authors of the slikhot services were more interested in pardon than in genuine change, or whether they felt that our sins are so overwhelming that there was no possibility of sufficient change and therefore the only hope was begging for mercy.

Many of the prayers implore God to hear us. I couldn’t help but wonder, with all of the thousands of words that many of will pray through Yom Kippur, whether we will find the time to hear God. I hope that, as overwhelming as the changes are that we need to make both on the individual level and the societal level, these coming days will be a time of clarification for us. I pray that we will come through this period with a clearer sense of what we must and CAN do to effect tikkun (repair.)

I hope and pray that we will neither run from the words of the Makhzor (High Holy Day prayer book) nor let them get in the way.

May each of our souls be open to hearing the God of justice and compassion.

May we feel that we are a part of God’s Unity that unifies all human beings and all creation.

May we utilize these precious days to gain a clearer vision of how we can give that Unity _expression in our personal relationships, in our relationship to the earth, and in the way we build a society that honors the dignity and human rights of all.

May we be God’s partners in making this a sweeter year for those Israelis forced into the Israeli Wisconsin Program, for the Dari family and all the others living with the daily fear of their house being demolished, for foreign workers being forced to work in reprehensible conditions, for the women forced into prostitution, for the growing number of victims of the resurging nfor Palestinian farmers kept from their land because of the Separation Barrier or settler violence and army collusion, for the residents of unrecognized villages and the S. Hebron Hills being threatened with expulsion, and for the single parents, elderly and others whose pensions and allocations are far from what is needed to live with dignity.

May our commitment to giving _expression to this Unity lead us to sweeten the lives of those whose neighborhoods became killing zones this year in Israel, Lebanon, Gaza and so many other places around the planet.

2. Humility. This has been an amazingly successful year for RHR and an extremely difficult year for the Middle East.

In the past year RHR made significant changes in Israel’s state budget improving the lives of many of the poorest and weakest Israelis. RHR and our coalition partners opened an office in Hadera, allowing us both to impact on the public debate on the “Israeli Wisconsin Plan” and to help individual Israelis to preserve economic safety net. RHR, along with ACRI and local councils, won a major High Court appeal regarding the state’s obligations to provide and protect the access of Palestinians to their agricultural lands. (See the following links regarding just how important this victory was: Haaretz Article 1; Haaretz Article 2 (link to Akiva Eldar column in Hebrew from August 29th, see second subject)

Our Olive Tree Campaign is now helping over 30 villages. RHR’s legal project has changed the behavior of both police and settlers. Our educational programs continue to expand and influence a widening circle of Israelis, many of whom find themselves in key positions in Israeli society or the army. Our work received recognition through the prestigious 2006 Niwano Peace Prize.

I speak of our successes with a sense of humbleness. Although I continue to believe that the human rights work we work on at the micro level affect the macro issues of peace in our region, we saw this summer how the macro can overwhelm us, overshadow and even reverse in an instant achievements slowly attained after years of hard work. I thought of the old Spike Lee film, “Do the Right Thing,” in which the relations between the residents of an African American neighborhood and the white pizza parlor owner who had stayed long after all other white people had fled, unravel in an instant. As we prayed on Tisha B’Av in a Kiryat Bialik bomb shelter and then handed out toys to children, we were reminded that no one individual or organization can control all events or effect Tikun Olam by themselves.

For this reason, our High Holy Day liturgy envisions us forming Agudah Ekhat L’Asot Ratzonkkah BaLevav Shalem, “A United Community of Faith and Purpose dedicated to doing Your Will with all our heart.”

At this time of crisis, when much of what we have dreamed and prayed and worked for is being called in to question, I am urgently asking for your renewed and strengthened commitment to a United and Powerful Community of Faith and Purpose dedicated to building the Israel we believe in. In light of the tremendous expenses of this war and recovery, the promises to allocate additional resources to the poorest and weakest Israelis are being forgotten. We must be a Community of Faith and Purpose to ensure that the poor are not forced to disproportionately bear the burden. Our High Court achievement held out great promise, but the post-war national mood is likely to be much more tolerant of settler violence, home demolitions and the prevention of Palestinian access to their lands. We must be a Community of Faith and Purpose ensuring that the missiles that rained down on us dם not continue to explode in our hearts, destroying our humanity and our ability to honor the Image of God in all. In a country searching for answers, our Community of Faith and Purpose must be able to reach as many Israelis as possible through our educational programs, especially those for soldiers and those about to enter the army.

We are more aware than ever that we need a partnership with you, our members, volunteers and supporters, in the pursuit of our common dreams.

If you believe that we must be an Agudah Ekhat, please, as indicated above, make an extra effort this year to support us financially as generously as possible. However, please also make an extra effort to write letters when we call upon you, and to join us here to harvest and plant. Please invite me or another RHR representative to your community. If you are a rabbi, I hope to see you at RHR-NA’s rabbinic conference on Judaism and Human Rights December 10-12 in NYC.

For a Sweet New Year United in Faith and Purpose, Shabbat Shalom, and Ramadan Kareem to our Muslim supporters,
Rabbi Arik Ascherman
Executive Director
RHR

Additional information about The First North American Rabbinic Conference on Judaism and Human Rights For Rabbis, Cantors, and Rabbinic and Cantorial Students – December 10–12, 2006 / Kislev 19–21, 5767

Rabbis for Human Rights – Yom Kippur Vidui

Donate money to Rabbis for Human Rights

Paper Dolls

Paper Dolls is a new documentary film by Tomer Heymann (Tomer VeHasrutim, Aviv) playing at the Film Forum through next week. Originally a 6-part television series, it is about Phillipino homecare attendants in Israel caring for old people in the orthodox Bnei Brak who are also transexual and preform drag shows as the Paper Dolls in Tel Aviv at night. It is a really good and touching film. It touches on their status in Israel, the place of foreign workers, has one deportation and one bombing, and most notably the very touching relationship between Sally and her patient Chaim. He gives her the poetry of Yehuda Amichai to improve her Hebrew skills and they have a genuine and beautiful filial relationship. Go see this if you can.

There is a podcast with the director at the Film Forum site.

Kav La’oved is a non-profit that works with foreign workers in Israel.

Do They Catch Children Too? is an amazing documentary on the plight of the Israeli-born children of foreign workers.

Update:

It also seemed to be destined…the show was supposed to take place the previous week as a big Pride show – I couldn’t go because I had a lot of work to get done the following day. Fate intervened – RuPaul apparently had trouble getting her suitcase so it was postponed for a week. Happened to see the ad and decided ok.

Doors were supposed to open at 12.00. Didn’t until about 12.30-12.45. Fine…standard. The ad mentioned two DJs (spinning perfectly serviceable dance music). It didn’t mention they would spin until a quarter to four. [I thought they would come on after the show.] My accomplice for the evening lasted until 3.15.

I stayed because I had been there way too long already (it helped that a guy hit on me and woke me up – there was a point where I was dozing standing up – I’m not much of a dancer – and had gone with a show in mind rather than hours of dancing – was not mentally there)…also it was pretty expensive NIS 160 for entry – just under $40 add drinks and you’re talking about a $50-something evening when I’m making about U.S. minimum wage or just under.

The show: I am stunned that the show was postponed for a week considering the outfits RuPaul wore. My Hebrew is fluent but I felt the need to ask a fellow bystander if I understood correctly and that the suitcase had been found. (I thought maybe these outfits were made in a rush.) Jeans!!! granted with some sparkle on the sides and tops which were just frumpy. [Flickr photo of the outfit at Cleveland Pride in 2004.] There was nothing fabulous about the outfits.

At the beginning you couldn’t really hear her voice. (got better) I can say because of technical difficulties for a few minutes I’m probably one of the only people in the world who’s heard an acoustic version of Supermodel (You Better Work It) well and RuPaul saying “I love Izree’el.” Her part was pretty ho-hum.

Dana International on the other hand was in front of her crowd…(later in the evening an audience member asked her for the mic and told her she was amazing and who the hell is RuPaulette anyway?). She had some beefy male dancers behind her and performed her hits which people knew the words to. (A couple of drag queens knew the words to RuPaul’s stuff but that’s about it). I would recommend a show of hers in Tel Aviv – a lot of energy if you’re willing.

Both sets though (not including the aforementioned DJs) were shockingly short. I left at 5.00 after both performed who knows maybe they came back on – but who has the energy? especially knowing I would be at work the next day…

Is there an icon for feeling really old? (at 27)

Reposted from an RP Journal Entry.

The time has come to harvest olive trees and when Palestinian farmers have been trying to do so they have been harrassed by some nearby settlers. An article by Gideon Levy in Ha’aretz from earlier this month called “Bitter Harvest” describes. According to news reports some settlers have been stealing olives and attacking farmers in a number of locations, with one murdered so far. Yossi Sarid the leader of the opposition in the government wrote a scathing op-ed entitled “Greater Sodom and its daughters.”

Rabbis for Human Rights, a pretty amazing group – everything Judaism should ideally be about, sent out a call for action. Whoever could clear their schedule was asked to join the farmers of Yasuf at 7.00 am. The goal was for Israelis and other international activists to run interference so the farmers could harvest. I woke up at 4.40, took a cab to Ra’anana from Tel Aviv where I got a ride to the gas station at Kufr Kassem where a mini bus took those who had arrived to help. Breakfast was shakshuka (an egg and tomato dish) in a pita (bread pocket) with some hummus (spread made out of chickpeas) at about 6.00 am from a falafel (fried balls made out of chickpeas and spices) stand near the gas station that caters to early rising workers.

There weren’t very many of us. There were a couple of reporters, an independent filmmaker, and a few Israelis.
There was also Diamond the dog, very friendly, and an old hand at activism. We rode from Kufr Kassem to near the village of Yasuf. There was no checkpoint, however there was a road block. The difference being a road block is unmanned. So the mini bus was left near it and we continued on foot. In the distance we could make out a pretty inspiring sight. In the last few days small numbers of farmers had come out. On this day about 300 showed up with donkeys or mules (not really sure what the difference is) to carry loads, men and women (no children), waiting for us to take part in this non-violent action.

As we were walking towards the farmers we were met by Angie Zeltser from the International Women’s Peace Service – Palestine (She is mentioned in the Gideon Levy article “Bitter Harvest” – see above.). She explained that the farmers had gotten official permission to harvest and the IDF – Israel Defense Forces had promised to be there. She pointed out what an amazing sight it was for all these villagers to have come to harvest. The course of action was to be as follows. One representative was chosen from the Israelis to be the Hebrew language spokesperson for the group. The mayor of the village was the Arab spokesperson. Angie was to be the English spokesperson representing the international group. Israelis were to split into groups of no less than two. We weren’t that many so this meant very few groups as the reporters didn’t count. We were to walk around and stay alert for trouble. If anything violent would happen it was agreed among the villagers that they would sit down. The Israelis were then supposed to attempt to be on the outside perimeter.

As we were talking, a settler came by in his truck. He asked what was going on. Our Israeli spokesperson went over to him and explained we were there for a peaceful harvest and that all necessary authorizations had been obtained. The settler responded that this was a long-standing contested issue – that the settlers maintain that these are people that harbor terrorists and who want to kill them [the settlers/Jews] and so should not be allowed to harvest their olives. An Israeli (not the spokesperson) decided to get involved – and asked dramatically – what gives you the right to steal their olives? Does that give you the right to steal their olives? It was not helpful and the response I believe was a somewhat muffled yes.

More settlers showed up. They came with rifles. One man came on a cart with four German shepherds wearing a Kahane (1, 2) t-shirt. Some wore tefillin while holding their rifles. This looked extremely bizarre. Although the English word phylacteries comes from a word meaning safeguard or amulet – and I guess they were being worn as protective gear. Mostly I have seen these only during prayer services and this was far from it. Then we heard there was trouble.

Someone said there had been shots fired. I can’t confirm this. We were told to go and find the problems and keep an eye on them. I ran with the Israeli I was teamed up with. This was on a hill so we could see a settler below pointing a gun at some farmers. The person I was with yelled “Torid et Haneshek” – Put down your weapon. Twice. I did as well once. We started running towards him. He had begun throwing rocks. We got pretty close to him. He threw some rocks at us. And threatened to kill us if we touched his weapon. Mostly this was a very scared man – who didn’t want to hurt anyone and just wanted us to leave. He calmed down eventually. We followed him and other settlers and just kept a watch on them.

We heard the same things over and over from the settlers. You’re here with our enemies. Traitors. Jewish antisemites. They don’t want peace. They don’t want us to be here. We were shot at two weeks ago and the more personal I was shot at. I just want to protect my family – my wife and kids who are scared to travel in the area. Some of the settlers tried to break cameras that were filming. Some were dressed in outfits similar to soldiers so for the uninitiated it took a few minutes to distinguish the difference.

And then there was my favorite, dubbed by the internationals as “Brooklyn” – a settler from my hometown. A young guy wearing a t-shirt in Hebrew that said “I only buy from Jews.” He threatened everyone. I’ll fuckin’ kill you. And other assorted trash talk. All I could think was – couldn’t you have become some disaffected youth in to thrash metal in a black t-shirt with skulls or something? It was a bit less funny when he pulled a knife on someone.

In case you’re wondering where the soldiers were in all of this…there just weren’t all that many of them at first and they were powerless. They asked us to move up the hill and sit down until more soldiers arrived. Also that they couldn’t arrest anyone – only the police could do that so we would have to wait until they arrive for the criminal acts that had already occurred. So there were a few settlers with assorted guns standing. A few soldiers watching them. And a few Israelis and internationals amid a large group of Palestinian farmers sitting down. From what I understand there was another location with exactly the same situation.

This is long but I still feel like I’m painting with broad strokes. I don’t want whoever reads this to think of the settlers as one monolithic group. Some of the settlers seemed to get off on violence. The man who had earlier thrown the rocks seemed genuinely scared. While we were sitting he yelled at his fellow settlers for not staying alert and watching the sitting farmers who in his mind could pull out a weapon at any second. There were some who were there because it was just the place to be in a pretty relaxed and casual way.

As for the activists. Some are unbelievably impressive in the calm they display in the face of threats. And some seem incredibly naive and not all that bright saying things like “I’m everybody’s friend.” or “Peace man” to people in an agitated state who believe that their lives are in danger. And some also get off on the violence and an exaggerated sense of purpose and meaning.

Back to the story – one soldier was chitchatting with an international about which beaches he should visit. Some farmers found it a bit ridiculous. Settlers complained that the soldiers should be watching the Palestinians and not them. One soldier responded to a threatening settler that he shouldn’t mess with him because he (the soldier) is connected to a well-known crime family. One soldier said to one of the religious looking settlers that what he was doing was hilul hashem (a desecration of god) – had he heard of it?

One settler spoke into his walkie talkie to someone back at the settlement (I guess) who asked what was going on. He told him – well there are a bunch of Palestinians who say they have permission to harvest. The soldiers have confirmed that but because we’re here they’re sitting. The one back home asked – well if they have permission why aren’t they harvesting? what do they care if you’re there?. I could’t resist and I told the settler – if he wants to know it’s because you guys have threatened us and thrown rocks and it was deemed unsafe. This was translated to the person back home as “They claim…”

Eventually more soldiers arrived. The police too. I did not see the police but from what I understand five people were arrested. As for the soldiers’ attitudes – I think it was summed up by the obese commanding officer speaking into his communication device – (a rough translation) I’m in shit with crazy settlers, the Palestinians and the worst of the peace makers. Pretty much as far as they’re concerned everyone they have to deal with in this quagmire is miserable.

The other settlers went away. And then after some hours we finally got down to what we had come to do. We harvested olives. Tarps are spread out under the tree. Olives are picked off of the tree and allowed to fall on the tarps to be gathered later into sacks. There were ladders for the upper parts of the trees and olive trees are ridiculously easy to climb so you had people in the tree, on ladders and on the ground. Sometimes one of the men would sing from the top of a tree – I was told he was singing about the land being Palestinian.

I ended up working with one family. With a few words of Arabic, some broken English and the occasional Hebrew we got along fine – with a lot of smiles. There were young married women in their 20s with five children. They expressed sympathy for me because I had come with short sleeves and had gotten my arms all scratched up. It’ll heal, besides I would have been miserably warm in jeans, a long dress and head covering. The funny part was their outfits in concept were not so different from the outfits being worn by settler women.

In the middle of the day it was time for lunch. A large amount of food was brought out. Pitas, hummus and other spreads, vegetables, cheeses, fish and meat and tea. Some of the women picked fresh za’atar which has a really strong and pleasant smell. They told me it can be put in tea for the aroma.

We continued to work. The older mothers with their wide bodies were the most industrious of all and chided their daughters for not being as thorough. You didn’t need to understand the language to get it.

At about three it was time to leave. As we were leaving some settlers returned to make sure everyone was going. The group I was with stayed to make sure that everyone would be able to leave safely. There were a few additional Israelis who had arrived in the middle of the day. The reporters had left early. Someone said they thought they heard a gun shot from the direction of the settlement – I didn’t hear it.

People were asked to stay in the village for the following morning’s harvest. Also anyone with video footage of settlers was asked to share it. The following day, Friday, I had to be in at work and didn’t stay. It was also a bit odd – those who stayed could get a ride back into a city via a settler bus.

In the end we saw that many sacks of olives had been harvested. Many of the families’ livelihoods depend on this. It was useful for us to come out. Ultimately I don’t know how much good it does.

This day did not even make in to the papers. This was just a normal everyday sort of thing. No one was too seriously hurt. Life goes on. The settlers cannot look and see peaceful farmers. And the Palestinians can’t see a better future past the bearded men with rifles.

I came away with some sore muscles, a minor sprained ankle, some scratches and a renewed sense of how awful things are 45 minutes away from where I’m living.

Originally posted in 2002 on terrortubby dot 0catch dot com [do not recommend going to the link -  lots of popups!]

It looked like this on the original site:

I took photos of the actual harvesting (not the tension) with a crappy disposable camera.

I also had a list of links related to the Olive Harvest story on the original website. I’ve updated links where possible and removed the ones that don’t go anywhere.

Settlers attack Palestinian olive harvesters, kill one
By Arnon Regular, Amos Harel, Baruch Kra in Ha’aretz. The article that brought the issue to my attention

Twilight Zone: Bitter Harvest
By Gideon Levy in Ha’aretz.

Greater Sodom and its daughters
By Yossi Sarid in Ha’aretz (op-ed). He is the leader of the opposition in the Israeli government.

Settlers attack olive pickers
By Amos Harel and Arnon Regular in Ha’aretz. I was told by Arik Ascherman of Rabbis for Human Rights that there is an inaccuracy in the article. There were actually about 300 Israeli activists and not the “dozens” mentioned.

Cartoon
By Geva in Ha’aretz.

It’s the Pits – Humiliated farmers, angry landowners, human rights activists and army personnel: A confrontation in an olive grove
By Amira Hass in Ha’aretz.

Settlers injure five in attack on olive pickers
By Arnon Regular in Ha’aretz.

Activists heading to West Bank to support Palestinians during olive harvest
By Malcolm Foster for Associated Press. Via Google.

Olive harvest intensifies conflict
By Peter Hermann in The Baltimore Sun. Via Google.

Settlers defying Israeli law
By Charles A. Radin in The Boston Globe. Via Google.

Olive branch a symbol of strife
By Ben Wedeman on CNN.com. Via Google.

Peace hopes wilt among the olive branches
By Chris McGreal in Guardian, UK. Via Google.

Israeli injured when settlers fire at Israeli and Palestinian olive pickers
By Tovah Lazaroff in Jerusalem Post.

Police question Israeli in West Bank for slaying of Palestinian farmer
By Margot Dudkevitch in Jerusalem Post.

This Year’s Palestinian Olive Crop is Stained by Blood
In The Palestine Chronicle. Via Google.

Families fear bitter harvest
By Jessica McCallin in Sunday Herald, UK. Via Google.

Purim is a Jewish holiday that you’re supposed to get dressed up for. Another custom is bringing food baskets to friends. Just because I had to be at work – didn’t mean I wasn’t going to enjoy it. So of course the rational thing to do is put a plush red teletubby head on as a silly hat and bring food baskets to work along with fuzzy antennas and assorted other props so co-workers could get into the spirit. The rest of my outfit was not as festive. Regular comfort-gear olive green cargo pants, and a black t-shirt. This being Tel Aviv in 2002 – someone thought I looked suspicious.

All of a sudden I was grabbed from behind by a police officer. At first I couldn’t see who had grabbed me and my heart raced about a mile a minute. He asked if he could search my bags and that someone had reported a suspicious looking person in military pants and a strange hat. I asked – what do you mean? Have they never heard of Purim? He said – well, you know with the situation people aren’t celebrating as much this year. He apologized and was really nice about the whole thing.

I’m female and pale, a bit tall, but not usually the first person suspected of things. Made me kinda thankful for that.

So now you know the truth. They’re not gay – they’re a terrorist cell.

I imagine this is what a terrortubby would look like. Maybe a black flag as the antenna these characters seem to require.

Republished from original post on terrortubby dot 0catch dot com [do not recommend going to the link -  lots of popups!]

My first attempt at a website looked like this…

This also happened a few days after I met my husband Kev. I had joined Radio Paradise a few days before this happened. So I tend to think of Purim as the anniversary of when we met. A photo of us from 2005 with me wearing the teletubby head when we met up with some RPeeps in NJ.