Lizrael Update: babbling about the expat life since 2004
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What we learned at kindergarten today.
“So what happened at gan today? Did everyone like your new backpack?” “Yep.” “What did you eat for lunch?” “שעועית” “Beans? And?” “Pasta.” “Beans and pasta!” “And shnitzel. Shnitzel shnitzel shnitzel.” “What else happened in gan today?” The thing about pretending everything is fine, that we have to keep acting ‘normal’ so the terrorists don’t…
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FYI: Ways to help and donate to citizens of south Israel and IDF soldiers
Groups are starting to collect goods and supplies for both people stuck in bomb shelters in the south, and reserve soldiers stuck at the border of Gaza, waiting for the next move. You can see the original Facebook event post here, and below. Personally, I’m trying to collect in Tzur Hadassah (if you’re local and…
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Fifty-Two Frames: Flash
On the way out, I snapped a picture of the row of military helicopters (too hard to see I realize now; maybe it’s for the best). A surreal hour later, we heard about the targeted Jabari killing. Week 46: Flash And in a sun-covered flash, they were gone.
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Goodnight, siren.
There was only so much pacing and checking the news that I could do. And then when I finally snapped at Koala, I knew it was time. I had been 100% sure there was no need to tell him about the rockets or warn him about sirens before yesterday. But then the rockets reached Tel…
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When a rocket reaches Tel Aviv.
Almost nothing should stop a Jew from making a chatan and kallah happy on their wedding day… Which is why, despite how difficult today was, I was determined to join the celebration in Petah Tikvah tonight. Started the car, radio came on. ‘And a siren was just heard in Tel Aviv…’ Oh. Started driving out…
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Don’t you forget about me (what it’s like to not hear from you during Israel crises)
I’m hurting. And frustrated. I don’t want to put anyone down. I’m not trying to guilt anyone into feeling anything. I just have an honest question to ask. Why is that I feel… forgotten, or isolated by peeps from abroad? I guess by ‘I’ I’m actually referring to people who live in Israel. People. Not…
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Israel Air Force by proxy: swearing-in ceremony, sabras, and planting roots.
It’s a little surreal reading up on your country’s military air strike operations in real time as you drive back from your brother’s air force swear-in ceremony. But then again, it’s often surreal living here. We made the three-hour trek down to the Ovda Israel Airforce Base to see my brother’s טקס השבעה or swearing-in…
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Book Review: Hot Mamalah is chicken soup and cocktails for the Jewess soul
It’s amazing how after nearly eight years of living outside Jew York, I’ve kinda forgotten my roots. My New Yawka bagel-and-lox-don’t-kvetch-Fran-Drescher-would-want-it-this-way roots. But then, Lisa Alcalay Klug is here to remind me, there’s no chance I could ever fully get away from what I suppose most of us really are (even those of us halfbreed…
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What Gaza rocket attacks look & sound like in southern Israel (kids included)
The mainstream news isn’t reporting it, or when they do, they’re not giving you much of a personal picture. Whether it’s their job or not, or they’re fatigued or not, or this is what the readership wants or not – well, it leaves it up to the rest of us to paint the terrible but…
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Fifty-Two Frames: Up/Down
Learned: parks are a great place to capture the Up/Down theme. There are many others on the cutting room floor (that may have been even better; not totally happy with the sun there but who am I to argue with the sun?). Week 45: Up/Down Boy goes up, sun comes down.
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My NYTimes debut: experience of an expat Staten Islander during Sandy
My New York Times debut: A journalist found my post on my experience of helplessness as a Staten Island expat, far away during the Hurricane Sandy disaster. After some emails and a phone call, my Staten Island-based mama and I became the lede of his article on New York expats taking action during crisis. Here’s…
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How I call America from Israel for free (and sometimes pennies)
Dear new dual citizens of Israel, I wanted to share some info about the communication situation on the Mediterranean side of the Atlantic. I can actually say it’s a whole lot better than your North American friends and family have it back in the motherland; for other dual nationals, I can’t say for sure. It…
Questions? Comments? Advice?