Month: February 2007

  • A clockwork smartness.

    “It’s always good to remember where you come from and celebrate it. To remember where you come from is part of where you’re going.” Anthony Burgess That’s Answers.com‘s quote for today and, at the moment, pertinent for me. Yesterday we attended a Shabbat meal that spurred a conversation – like most conversations these days –…

  • City feature: Herzliyah Pituach

    Feeling a pitzy homesick. Departing from New York tomorrow evening. Meanwhile, I’ll reminisce over summer 2004, before I made aliyah, when I spent 2 months living in Herziliyah Patuach, a gorgeous coastal city between Tel Aviv and Netanya.  

  • Acceptable for all ages.

    I call it: Early Skepticism I’m wanting to express my religious frustrations but haven’t yet found the words, so this early photo expresses enough… The dual-feeling, the creeping skepticism, the blind acceptance, the sigh that wins over at the end of the day. Ok, fine, it was just a first-grade siddur party. But I do…

  • Deliberate this.

    I’m not a particularly nice person. And certainly not always thoughtful, either. But I guess leaving New York and living in Jerusalem for two years has ingrained in me a greater sense of respect; at least, respect that transfers from words to actions. So that’s why I was stunned when an old guy got on…

  • …But money can buy morale.

    I’m in New York. I found a two-way ticket for $499. Actually, the ticket found me, and just in time. No shock that I’ve been feeling jaded and weary lately. I don’t know if it’s aliyah fatigue or general Israeli fatigue. It’s not easy living here, even if you do have food to eat and…

  • Fire power.

    Today we had one of those office moments when the whole staff has to join together in the lunchroom for a corporate-sponsored education session. The topic this time was: how to use a fire extinguisher (in case of a smaller fire). And all I want to note is that it seems Israelis just want to…

  • A belabored love song.

    Are we falling out of love? Remember in the beginning: it was so lovely; every moment was a gift, a lesson, a pleasure. That’s what it was, you and me, pleasuring each other constantly. And then we normalized, you and I, our relationship matured and we felt strong in our solid state. Something happened, though;…

  • City feature: Sfat

    I’ve never spent an extended period in Sfat, which is likely to be a holier city than Jerusalem and warrants more time-spending. The amount of time I spent there allowed me these shots, however:

  • My mood.

  • Hollywood, Israel.

    There is a girls’ school up the block from me that is focused on artistic ability. For kicks they posted this sign at the top of the school:

  • Al Jazeera has arrived.

    Al Jazeera has an office inside my building. My journalistic side is curious and intrigued. My Israeli side is annoyed; why do they get to freely tramp around the country as professional journalists and Israeli citizens can’t even step foot inside most Arab ones?

  • Keep in touch.

    There are two things present in this photo I took (circa 3 years ago) that I miss… Can you guess which?