Lizrael Update

Lizrael Update: babbling about the expat life since 2004

  • You don’t mess with the Arab-Israeli conflict.

    Last night I watched 3/4ths of Adam Sandler’s You Don’t Mess With the Zohan. Really, it was like any other Adam Sandler character acting film; Little Nicky, Waterboy. His extreme characters are not his strongest point for me (I’m more of a Billy Madison/Happy Gilmore fan). I’m always able to enjoy the twisted nature of…

  • The difference direction makes.

    The recipe for aliyah success is a complicated set of characterstics; not because what is required but because I think attaining what is required is seeded way before making aliyah. I’ve mentioned creativity, open-mindedness and flexibility before. One other major ingredient in this recipe, I’ve discovered, is direction. Now, direction is an ingredient for many…

  • Chillest fire department ever.

    So there we are, my roommate and I, out on the mirpeset for a romantic start-of-the-weekend dinner of shippudim when I look up and see… a fire. “Hey, that wasn’t there before, was it?” Indeed, it was not. And it was growing by the second. It was a fire started in some trees, right outside…

  • Tzur Hadassah made it to… Plurk?

    Call me a geek, but I found this cool. I just signed up for a Plurk account (I’m still not sure what it all means) but when I was changing my settings and filling in my location, I clicked my country as ‘Israel’, than my region as ‘Yerushalayim’ and, ready to settle on that, I…

  • Slice of the Tzur Hadassah commute, minharot style.

    Driving home to Tzur Hadassah through the minharot (tunnels) is not always peaches. On our way home today, passing Husan, Beitar and Wadi Fukin, we found soldiers everywhere, cracking down, probably on the hunt for someone specific from a tip-off. We were greeted by this right as we were getting to the machsom (checkpoint), literally…

  • A new reason for aliyah.

    There are plenty of reasons to make aliyah, but I just heard the most amusing:

  • The Israeli rabies experience.

    Well, now I know what it’s like to wonder if you have rabies from a stray cat… in Israel. Last night, hanging out in the hood, a small kitten – probably two months old – ran into our friends’ house and after several other attempts, we were resorted to chasing it into corners, until it…

  • Tonight's rally for the release of Gilad Shalit.

    Amidst the cries for Olmert to quit, be embarrassed and work harder towards the release of the kidnapped soldiers, there was plenty of emotion to go round. Of course, the major focal point of sentiment came from Noam Shalit’s short but necessary speech to open the rally outside the Prime Minister’s residence in Jerusalem. It’s…

  • Waiting for Shalit.

    Today is two years from the day that Gilad Shalit was kidnapped by Hamas on the Israeli border during non-war time. There will be a rally held outside the Prime Minister’s residence in Kikar Paris in Jerusalem, from 7-9pm. All day I’ve been reading Facebook status updates and Twitter messages from people who are waiting…

  • Katamon drama: Not just for new olim anymore.

    I’ve come to respect homemade Israeli television. It’s creative, it’s bizarre, it’s actually pretty good sometimes. Hey, there’s a reason why Jews rule Hollywood, right? Here’s the latest from Yes, coming to a televisia near you: סרוגים (as in, kippa sruga, or the yarmulke associated with the dati-leumi universe), a drama about the religious dating…

  • A slice of weekend life 'round here.

    It’s Sunday today, which really means it’s Monday – aka, the beginning of the work week – aka, I miss the weekend already. Here’s a slice of my weekend so we can all treasure it together and breathe through to next Shabbat:

  • The creepiest thing about where I live.

    Not many people know just how far my imagination goes or how morbid and crazy I can be. With that said, I would like to introduce you to one of the freakiest, creepiest things about Israel for me: The teleport at Emek Ha’ela – a valley about five minutes outside of Beit Shemesh – completely…

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