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Showing posts from 2013

The Stuff of Memories

Stuff - we all mostly have too much...by we, I mean those reading this, those of us privileged to live in the first world, the developed world, the consumeristic and over-consumptive world. I showed the kids this video and we talked about it a little bit. We try hard to manage the stuff we acquire or are given, not just because we don't have a lot of space, or because many products these days are really just junk and wasteful, but also because we really don't need that much stuff and we don't want our kids to be so consumption focused. But some things are imbued with a value, with a memory that elevates the item above its intended purpose. Obviously family heirlooms or items of significant value are already imbued. I'm talking more about the every day items we have, that we have brought into our lives, that intentionally or unintentionally are varnished with an extra layer of meaning. So then, when we use these items in the course of our daily lives, the use of these...

Holding On...and Letting Go

It was a great summer stateside for the family, and it was a challenging one, for a variety of reasons. And then we returned to Israel to move into a new house and reconnect with all (well, most) of our worldly belongings. All of which lead to some deep thinking and personal evaluation. Western culture (I can't speak beyond that) has developed a strong tendency to hold on - to hold on to everything. To save, to keep, to horde, anything and everything. 10 for $10 is the sale at the grocery to get you to buy more; digital cameras allow for unlimited picture taking at basically zero cost; $1 for the first month will rent you a self-storage unit for everything that won't fit in your house; make payments, nothing down for big ticket items; unlimited talk/text/data. And so we do - we keep everything (well, my mom doesn't, but lots of people do) because we never know when we'll need it, or want it. And the wanting and needing continue and the consumption and consumerism gr...

Don't trip!

You have to be courageous in life. But you have to be careful not to cross the line from courageous to stupid. The line between courage and stupidity is thin, sometimes transparent. Don't trip. I think about this a lot here in Israel and in life as a woman. I think that for women being courageous comes across differently than it does for men - girls are described as bossy and boys are leaders, for displaying the same behaviors. And in Israel you can be rude and offensive or firm and decisive about what you want - and the gender lines seem to be less black and white here, too. Being far away from the US has afforded me a certain level of perspective on the Democratic process of governance in the United States. At the same time, my level of awareness is lower because I am not 100% tuned in to the 24 hour news cycle there. And I would say I am getting about the same level of engagement and awareness here in Israel with my limited reading skills (and time) for the news. What I am s...

Tolerance - Couldn't Have Said It Better

The whole uproar over the Women of the Wall (WoW) continues in the media as each month they gather for the Rosh Chodesh morning service at The Kotel. Recently, in The Times of Israel there was an excellent piece by Hannah Katsman on Tolerance . Her point is just outstanding and articulates well what I have not been able to articulate for years. It's important and nuanced and needs to be internalized. I recommend reading her whole piece. But I'll attempt to extrapolate from it here a bit. Asking others to meet your stricter religious observance in fact is a level of intolerance. There has to be room at the table for everyone. The problem with the protests of the WoW is that they are being told that their presence and prayer are offensive to the most religious and that we must cater to the needs of the most religious to make space for everyone at The Kotel. But that ends up ONLY making space for the most religious and not leaving room for the less religious who find spiritu...

Building or Breaking?

With the momentum I just created for myself with the last post, and given two huge issues at play in the Israeli media (and I suspect more broadly), I want to offer up an analysis. I get my news in a variety of ways: what I hear and understand on the radio when I happen to hear the 2-5 minute newscast in Hebrew at the top of the hour what my friends post to Facebook (which is really quite diverse, I have an amazing array of friends who read all manner of great news sources, thank you!) what I read in bits and pieces at The Times of Israel on my own what I read in bits and pieces at The New York Times also on my own By no means is my understanding of the current events comprehensive as I am usually interrupted mid-read by a small child or other matter requiring attention. I do my best. This is part of what has spurred me to start writing this blog - the explosion of news sources and the immediacy of the internet based news cycle can make news overwhelming and so quickly out d...

Slowly, slowly, slowly

I can't remember the number of times I have use this phrase in Hebrew - all things related to settling into life in Israel go this way - slowly. It takes patience, which is remarkable for a country totally lacking in patience! I've put on my daily to do list to write this post numerous times since I started this experience. And, shockingly, it's gotten pushed off a bit. But I'm persistent, if nothing else. First of all, thank you to everyone who wrote back to me with kind words of support and encouragement. My mother wrote with an insightful and thought-provoking point. And so I'll use that as a jumping off point here. She wrote to me: "I would also ask why you are writing to the audience you pick and what you want to tell them." Easier said than done! To answer the first part, I don't have an audience in mind in particular. I have shared this with everyone in my address book and invite you all to share it on further. The absence of a specific ...

Where To?

Not to set my standards too high with two posts in one day...don't get used to it. Tonight begins Israel's Independence Day (יום העצמאות)*. As I am writing this I am watching the ceremony at Mt. Herzl and also listening to the music of the crazy street party two blocks away, as if I were there! The ceremony is remarkable and moving: 14 individuals are selected nationally to honor the State by sharing their personal story and contribution to the advancement of the country as the 12 torches are lit. This year the theme is focused on the advancement of education and culture for future generations. The representatives are an impressive cross-selection of the country - from all parts of the country, old, young, immigrants and native born Israelis. Additionally there are musical performances by kids, famous performers, dance groups, and the Army performance troupes. It has a strange football halftime show quality to it crossed with a military parade. ( Good story here ) Buildin...

An Introduction

"We're here for an instant in an eternity and all that really matters is what we do with that time." - Diane Feinstein, US Senator, California in the movie Miss Representation . Hearing these words in the documentary Miss Representation has reminded me that there is no time like the present, there is no time to sit idly by and wait - we have to take life by the horns and make of it what we want. (Did i get enough cliches in there?!) I've been mulling a lot of things over these days - and for a while now. I have arrived here, at a new blog. I'm entering this world of personal blogging (as opposed to our family blog with blithe and pithy updates mostly to share photos of the kids) with a bit of trepidation. I'm not one to put myself out there publicly like this. So here goes. I just finished watching the documentary Miss Representation , from where the above quote comes. It's a powerful piece. I strongly recommend you watch it - it took me three sitting...