What Makes These People Different?

Last night which was New Years Eve, but called Sylvester here, we celebrated with Jerusalem Open House. First of course, since it was Friday night, Shabbat we went to services at Kol-Haneishama, a liberal congregation, the largest in Israel founded by Levi Kelman, a rabbi ordained in the US. Just a bit of politics and non-Shabbat, non-generous comments. Rabbis of Orthodox synagogues, the only official, accepted Jewish religion in Israel get paid by the State. The congregations get money also. But because this congregation is not Orthodox the participants have to pay for their rabbi. They could go to the synagogue next door and have the expenses taken care of. But since they choose to go to this synagogue they have to pay dues like we do. The truth is that this rabbi cannot legally marry anyone in Israel. If two Jewish members want to marry they have to go to Cyprus, get married and then come back as married people that the state recognizes. Think about it. Liberal Jews have more religious freedom in the United States then they do in Israel, the Jewish State. It is almost impossible to wrap my mind around it.

So what made this rabbi willing to sacrifice economic stability to create a liberal congregation in Israel? We saw him and he said hello but we did not get a chance to talk with him and could not get a feel for the kind of man he is. But he obviously had a vision and made it happen.

After services and dinner at JOH a group of us from the tour gathered in the lounge to have a drink and talk. The overriding question for us was, after meeting people who overcame odds you and I can not imagine, made changes in their lives, changed their trajectories, and then turned around and helped those in their communities. The three that we were thinking about were women so we also wondered about men who revolutionize themselves and then work to change their societies. Rabbi Kelman might be one of those but since we did not talk with him, we had no comments.

The first woman we met, U-vey, from the Ethiopia community decided at some point in her life when she realized that she was being discriminated against because she was Black, that she would not let prejudice box her in. If she needed support, then she created her support. And when she was personally strong enough she used her own power to give back to her people. But not only her people. She saw the Ethiopian community as economically poor but with strengths. She also saw other poor people living in the same economically stressed community and developed interventions for all the inhabitants, not just the Ethiopians. As a roll model other young Ethiopian were emerging in leadership roles. Gardens were growing. People were growing.

While in the desert we met with a Bedouin woman, Amal Aljooj Al Sana from the Negev Institute for Strategies and Peace Development. Here was a woman who was the 5th of 5 daughters, a disappointment and shame to her father, but also loved by him. At 5 she learned about organizing when, as a shepherd for the family's herd (since there were no sons) she saw that all she had to do was align herself with the lead sheep. From this vantage she also realized at that time that she did not want to do woman's work. She did not want to cook and care for children exclusively. From then on, after making that decision she fought directly and indirectly the strong patriarchal system that she was born into. She fought and got schooling and then decided to go to McGill for a graduate degree in social work. In her society that was not possible. She could not leave the tribe without her father's permission and he could not give it to her or he would have lost his status in the community. So she found a young man who was willing to marry her and they together went to Montreal. She got her degree, returned to Israel and is working to upgrade the lives of the women in her community. She has worked to bring preschool to an illegal village and is now working to get other resources and to incorporate it with the legal town. She also has created a workshop for Bedouin women to earn money and free themselves from the strong patriarchy. We see here a decision she made on the hilltops in the desert changed her life and the lives of those around her.

The 3rd woman was Amoun Sleem, a woman from the Domari (Gypsy) community in Jerusalem. This group came originally from India and throughout history has been on the lowest social and economic rung of society. They are the beggars and see themselves as beggars. They are Arabic speaking but are looked down upon by Palestinians and other Arab groups. Amoun decided at around 10 years old that there was something wrong with being a beggar. She started selling postcards in the Old City. The other Domari did not like what she was doing and the other Arabs did not trust her. She basically had to fight everyone and everything. He mother was dead and her father was not loving but she did have sisters supported her. Somehow she finished school and then college. She acted as role model for her sisters and other Domari woman. She founded a center to support training in beauty culture and sewing so that the women could earn a living in ways other than begging. I have no idea how this particular woman was able to fight the internal and external forces and change the trajectory of her life. How did she know that she could do better than beg? How did she fight the forces within her community as well as externally to continue her struggle? I can't even imagine.

These stories, particularly the one of the Bedouin hit my heart. I saw a woman who fought incredible odds and a lot of "NO"s to change her life and get what she wanted. I think of my own life and the decisions I made at the same age. I remember one day at 7 or 8 I decided that I was going to be a better wife to my husband than my mother was because she always made my father mad and made him yell. (That's how I saw it). Such a simple thought/decision governed my life. I have done wonderful things but as a young person, when faced with the NOs of society I folded. OK, I can't go to Antartica with a research team because they don't take women, ok. I'll do something else. So accommodating and facilitating became my modus operandi. Don't get me wrong, I have used my skills well. But what I am trying to say is what I saw this week were woman who would not or could not accommodate. Somehow they made different decisions at critical times in their development. And these decisions are making this life better and are the seeds of hope for future generation. I envy them; I admire them. I am in awe.

Shabbat Shalom.

Last Night in Jerusalem

We had dinner at a restaurant that was also a museum and used to be the home of Doctor and Anna Ticho. He was an eye doctor and she was an artist. The irony for me was in my basic Hebrew class that I am taking at the JCC on the Upper West Side we had a 1st grade level reading that I had to translate and respond to. I did not even know that they were real people.

We met with Haneen Maikey, Director of Al-Qaws where she talked with us and fielded questions about the gay, lesbian, transgendered, queer Palestinian community in Israel and the Territories. Although not the first Palestinian we met, her focus was more political that we had heard--clearly focused on the occupation and what that does to her people. Currently she is working on issues that are relevant to her community and is no longer particularly interested in having dialogues with Jews/Americans even if we are LGBTQ. Life for her although she has full rights as an Israeli citizen is much like American Blacks before the end of segregation. They had rights but there were many problems, fewer governmental resources and always experiencing prejudice due to fear. I assume sitting there looking at us with all our privilege must not feel good to her. But I don't really know.

Initially Haneen worked with JOH a Jewish gay group but after a few years she formed her own organization. It was like all of us, we get the idea, and then we have to get strong in our own community before we can give energy to the larger community. And it is particularly difficult in Israel with the occupation as well as the fact that Israeli Palestinians do not get an equal share of the Israeli pie.

Now that was a confusing post, I must say.

L'hitraot, chavarim v'chavarot.

Moshav Near Gaza

Cindy blogged about the Ethiopians and gave more details than I in my previous post so if you are interested check her out at her link at the bottom of the page.

After we left Gedera we headed south to Sderot and Moshe Netiv Haasarah located on the Israeli Gaza border. Again I urge you to read Cindy's blog about the details of the visit and her reaction to being so close to a war zone. Her pictures also depict how vital and prosperous the moshav is.

Being so close to the border it is impossible to not be political. Even choosing this particular place to build the moshav tells you much about the values of these families that live here. The original moshav was in the Sinai but after the agreement with Egypt the moshav was dismantled and the families moved north. Some families resettled in Gaza or the West Bank but Raz's family chose to live in land that was indisputably Israel's land. (based on the UN resolution in 1947). He did not want to move again, assuming at some level that were would be an exchange of land for peace some day. From his family's decision I had the feeling that he was a realist. Some of the land taken in 67 was going into a Palestinian state. Israel could not keep it all.

We got a good understanding of what it was like to live within the range of Kassim rockets and mortars. That people can get killed coming home from work and the worst part: living with the possibility. We toured the area and while Raz was showing us the view of Gaza from the land, soldiers came by and asked us to leave: that something was going on. They seemed to know Raz.

That evening our group discussed our reactions to being so close to Gaza and being around the military. What I found particularly interesting was our different opinions in the group. Some shared in the group, others were reluctant to express; perhaps the fear of not saying the right thing. We all saw that this guy was real; that he chose to live there near Gaza and did not move when things got bad; that he felt he had a right to live there and even by international law he did. These were not the disputed territories. If he couldn’t live here then he might as well live in Italy.

And we all were impressed with how well the members were doing trying to live an ordinary life in a war zone. However, some found our experience highlighted how unfavorable the press is to Israel. That it is not simply a weak little boy David (Gaza) against the evil large Goliath (Israel). That the rockets from Gaza on a frequent but irregular basis was really an act of war and Israel should tell the world this.She needs better PR. Israel is just not fighting with Gaza for the sake of getting rid of Palestinians. Israel is protecting herself; protecting her people.

Others felt Raz should just move away from the border; that he has not right to raise his child that way. Or that they could not live there. It was too frightening. Maybe there would be a rocket attack while we were there. Could we please just leave?

I had another reaction. I personally got a new appreciation of what it is like to live under siege. And it does make me understand Israel’s need to respond to Gaza although in my mind it does not justify the way they bombed Gaza in 2008. But that was my opinion and we did not talk about that particularly. We were more interested in how people lived with the threat. I was not afraid of a rocket attack but in a way I might have just dissociated, thinking it just would not happen. And while some of the people felt comfort from the solders, they reminded me of the solders coming by and telling us to leave when I was with a group planting trees in the Palestinian territories. I had no idea why the solders bothered us. There did not seem to be any activity around the border where we were. I could not help but think that they were using their power. And I wondered how nice they would have been if they had not known Raz or if we were with a guide who happened to be Palestinian Israeli instead of Jewish Israeli. Would then "the policeman be my friend?"

Our different reactions are a reflection of the projective test that we call life. Although we are born with more or less the same brain structure and biochemistry, we have many unique experiences and probably some inborn personality that contributes to create the orientation from which we interpret what we see and hear and do. That may explain why some of us love Noam Chomsky and others love Sarah Palin.

That night we drove over to Kibbutz Mashabei Sade in the Negev where we sojourned for two nights. It was not a 5 star hotel but clean and the food was good. But no internet. Also at the kibbutz was a bus load of people from Anshe Emeth the Reform temple in New Brunswick, NJ near where I grew up. One guy even knew my cousin on my mother's side. Jewish Geography

I am catching up. But there is lots I have missed. On Monday we spent most of the day doing nature. We hiked in the wilderness of Ramon Crater during the day and then spent the late afternoon in Yerucham a town in the Negev settled originally by Holocaust survivors who thought they were going to Jerusalem or Haifa or Tel Aviv but ended up here with other refugees from Arab countries. The town has struggled economically for a long time and considered the end of the universe. I think I mentioned it on another post and hope to get my thoughts together about it when I write again. After Yerucham we traveled out of the desert to two Bedouin villages, one a legal village/town and one an illegal village. Again we met amazing people.

After Tel Aviv

I am really behind in this blogging thing. I was out of internet range for the last few days, arriving in Jerusalem earlier today. I have a lot to say and no time to write. It is after 11 PM and I am exhausted. I keep imaging what it would be like to have a real dead line.

Sunday we headed south, stopping at a town called Gedera where we visited Friends of Nature, a community empowerment NGO to learn about Israeli natives and Israelis of Ethiopian origin working to improve the life of the people in that community. We met with a Uv-y, a woman who came to Israel from Ethiopia when she was 6, walking a month with her family and taking about a year to get here. She was an amazing woman who over the years figured out that there was prejudice against her because she was dark skinned yet used that information to build a personal community and help those in the larger community. She was the first but not the last person we met who took her misfortune and made a concentrated effort to empower herself. She specifically told us that she chose not to be a victim. After she spoke we ate amazing Ethiopian food. Now I don't like Ethiopian food and I found the meal wonderful. I suspect that they held back on the spices.

We then traveled to the Gaza border to Moshav Netiv Haaserah, where we hoped to get some insight into the security complications around Gaza.

I have more to say about that visit but I can't write anymore.

Leila tov, l'hitraot.

Good Morning Everyone,
I had a good night’s sleep and I am ready for the day that has already begun. Standing by the Mediterranean Sea welcoming the day and Shabbat, listening to the rabbi I was able to organize my experience of the last two days. I thought about Pharaoh and his power and slaves and their lack of power or lack of direct power. I remembered the line about God’s hardening the heart of Pharaoh and the increase in the level of violence of the plagues in response to that hardening, the result being that Pharaoh wanted the Israelites to leave and they could not wait to get out of there. I realized that I can easily think about my personal life of when I have no control and when I have the power and I have used it to make good decisions--when I have not hardened my heart. But today I thought more about Israel and I realized that if I used the pharaoh/slave paradigm for Israel I could create a format from which to understand and organize my thoughts.

The bottom, formative line: Jews have been persecuted throughout time and expelled from most countries. Now they are in a land of their own. How do they incorporate their “childhood” experience of being victimized that came before achieving” statehood-personhood?” How does the victim mature and not become the victimizer. Now that Israel has power, how she not become the pharaoh that all abhor? There are psychotherapy and medications for individuals but what about a society? The areas of concern that we have covered in only two days are situations that highlight the problem—how does a diverse society meet the needs of all its inhabitants and show compassion and tolerance, not fear and violence? The social agencies that we met with represent various aspects of the under/unrepresented in Israeli society. Does Israel act with force to threats as if it were still weak and on the verge of annihilation? Is it able to evaluate various threats individually and act accordingly like one would hope of from a mature society? Can they ask, "Is really a dangerous situation or does it just remind us of the past when we were kids and were afraid?" But how does a society make that distinction?

As I wrote what I just wrote, I see the questions as too simple. But for now I am leaving it as it is.

I figured out one of the problems that is emerging for me is the conflict between the strong desire that Israel should be perfect, reflect perfectly her ideals (and mine of course). And of course Israel is not perfect nor should/could she be, being created and run by people. If I can wrap my mind around this basic fact, I can look at the specific issues and examine how Israel is working to fix her problems but also see how she aggravates situations.

This afternoon we saw two instances that bring me hope. First we visited with an ecologists from Zalul a NGO working to cleanup Israel's waters. Water is king here, very necessary, very limited, an origin of conflicts about countries in this area, but could be a focal point for collaboration among the countries in this area. It gave me hope.

Then we visited a mechina (gap year program for students between high school and the military) affiliated with the Reform movement in Israel. These young people live together, study, and do volunteer work in the poor neighborhoods of Jaffa and South Tel Aviv. We had a rare opportunity to listen to them in a large group and talk with them individually. The experience for most of us was one of hope. These young people were willing to talk about the hard issues such as being in the military, and serving in the occupied areas, and poverty. Although young they are maturing into adults who face questions and want to do the right thing. They are being exposed to opportunities that teach them how to make change.

We joined them for havdallah and left for dinner.

Shalom chavarim v'chavarot. L'hitraot.

Erev Shabbat in Tel Aviv--#2

I'm really too tired to be clever. So I will sum up the rest of day and hit the hay. After walking around Neve Tzedek we returned to the hotel and spent the next 2 hours talking Noa Sattath and Hagai El Ad.

Noa is Director of the Israeli Religious Center in Israel (IRAC). IRAC occupies a unique place in the social and religious landscape of Israel, infusing social justice advocacy with the spiritual energy and humane worldview of Progressive Judaism. IRAC, the public and legal advocacy arm of the Reform Movement in Israel, was founded in 1987 with the goals of advancing pluralism in Israeli society and defending the freedoms of conscience, faith, and religion. IRAC uses litigation, legislation, public policy and advocacy to advance civic equality. These activities have established IRAC as a leading Jewish organization working to strengthen the democratic character of Israeli society.

Hagai is the Executive Director of the Association of Civil rights in Israel. This organization is the equivalent of ACLU in the United States.

Just before dinner we met with Moshe Shokeid of Tel Aviv University spoke with us about his attitude about the occupation and how the potential Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions movement impact on the university.

Then a wonderful Shabbos dinner in the hotel including open conversation among us and Israeli guests Noa, Hagai, and JOH friends including the founding JOH member Danny Savitz.

Off to bed. Lyla tov chavarim v'chavarot. L'hitraot.

Erev Shabbat in Tel Aviv--#1

Today was a strange day for me. I did not join the group for the morning activities because I had to go to Western Union. I walked over from the hotel traversing an busy, slightly rundown area. On the way home I walked along the sea, walking in the sand and taking pictures of swimmers, surfers, and even fishermen. I then joined the rest of group at Suzanna's restaurant, the same place Bonnie and I ate our first evening here. The group had gone to Independence Hall and a meeting with Aguda, the oldest gay group in Telaviv. I am hoping someone else will talk about his/her experience and I adding this information as a place holder.

After lunch we walked around Neve Tzedak which I talked about in the first post. Here is some additional information.

Neve Tzedek was established in 1887, 22 years before the 1909 founding of the City of Tel Aviv, by a group of Jewish families seeking to move outside of over-crowded Jaffa. Soon, additional small developments grew up around Neve Tzedek and were incorporated into the contemporary boundaries of the neighborhood.

The residents preferred to construct their new neighborhoods with low-rise buildings along narrow streets. These homes frequently incorporated design elements from the Jugendstil/Art Noveau and later Bauhaus Art movements and featured contemporary luxuries such as private bathrooms.

At the beginning of the 1900s, many artists and writers made Neve Tzedek their residence. Most notably, future Nobel prize laureate Shmuel Yosef Agnon, as well as Hebrew artist Nachum Gutman, used Neve Tzedek as both a home and a sanctuary for art. Rabbi Abraham Isaac Kook was the first Rabbi of Neve Tzedek; he even maintained a Yeshiva there. During his time in Neve Tzedek he became very close friends with many of the writers, especially Agnon.

By the 1960s, city officials deemed the neighborhood - by this time almost a slum - incompatible with the modern image of a busy, bustling city. By the end of the 1980s, efforts began to renovate and preserve Neve Tzedek's century-old structures. New establishments were housed in old buildings, most notably the Suzanne Dellal Dance and Theater Center and the Nachum Gutman Museum, located in the artist's home. This gentrification led to Neve Tzedek's rebirth as a fashionable and popular upmarket residence for Tel Avivians. Its main streets became lined once again with artists' studios, including the ceramics studio of Samy D., alongside trendy cafes and bars, and more recently boutique hotels and shops selling hand-made goods to wealthy Israelis and tourists.