Lizrael Update

Lizrael Update: babbling about the expat life since 2004

  • Fanning hatred on the 9th of Av.

    Can someone explain to me how publishing an article about which Israeli demographic hates which other Israeli demographic is supposed to be appropriate for Tisha B’Av? Why so negative, Ynet? Why stir the pot of hatred and conflict and darkness? As a Jew who studied for years and years about Jewish history, as a student…

  • Israel’s real World Cup woes.

    I know this is ancient history already, but a friend sent me this video last week and the song was stuck in my head all weekend. It’s an Israeli parody of the unofficial World Cup song, Wavin’ Flag, by Somalian-born Canadian-rasied hip-hop artist K’naan. The Israeli version laments Israel’s failure to get into the World Cup, for…

  • I live with someone who does this.

  • Being a kid all over again.

    I don’t think I ever really stopped being a kid. There are a few things I always held on to: the covered slide, Disney movies, fruit snacks. Ok, who am I kidding… there are about 20875691346 things I never let go of to become an adult. Anyway, having a kid is a 24/7 excuse to…

  • Short film: Strangers.

    This short (7 minutes short) Israeli film is six years old, and I saw it for the first time today. Thought I’d share it further in case you’re not one of the 1.2 million people who have already watched it… Directed, written and produced by Erez Tadmor and Guy Nattiv. It’s a nice thought. I like…

  • Fancy bathroom lady.

    Isn’t this lady really fashionable? I don’t identify with her. I wouldn’t wear a modern-art slanty skirt to an outdoor public bathroom. And shoulder pads are sooo 20 years ago. Also, I wouldn’t chop off half my head for the occasion. I’m just not that fancy.

  • Modiin’s Anava Park.

    On Friday, I returned with my home-peeps to the poor man’s Central Park in Modiin (for the record, it’s called Anava Park, פארק ענבה במודיעין) for a kid-friendly experience in daylight. The main draw for me was the boating (pedals, row, or kayak). Koala’s mama grew up on an island, his pops is from a bay,…

  • My travel agent’s words of wisdom.

    Today my travel agent (la di da) and I were commiserating over traveling cross-Atlantic with kids. Can I get a hell, yeah? She had some words of wisdom; not necessarily advice but an appropriate sentiment I had not been able to express until she mentioned it: Flying with children is like giving birth – it…

  • Whoa, we get the point.

    Ok, Hebrew-English dictionary. We get it. You have the definition of קוֹקְסִינֶל: This message is brought to you by: Shira, in association with the Morfix Dictionary or מילון מורפיקס, a Hebrew-English online dictionary that is super-passionate about your translation needs.

  • The future.

    Last night I found myself hanging with ‘the girls’ in Modiin. We picnic’d next to a man-made lake somewhere along the road near the mall. It’s like a (very) poor man’s Central Park. In a good way. I watched groups of teenage boys go back and forth in their boats, fighting each other with oars,…

  • Homemade family magnets.

    Don’t know about your kids, but mine loves to play with the fridge magnets. Well, with the fridge, period, but also, with the fridge magnets. I combined that fact with a tip my mother (an early intervention specialist) gave me: show photos of family members to baby or toddler and teach them the names –…

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