Monday, June 14th, 2010 at 5:57 am
The Sea Dancer, The Forbidden Video, And You
by Jerry Waxman
As things are winding down, other things are winding up. View and I have only a few more days before we go to Thailand. We are trying to experience as much of Israel as we can before we leave. It may be a while before we return.
The operative words above are "experience Israel." There is no other place like it. What other country ever receives global condemnation for protecting its borders? There's a whole host of inconsistencies that the nations of the world have heaped on Israel. And then there are hosts of things the world often turns to Israel for.
By the way, the video down below was banned by You Tube. Allegedly You Tube banned it because of copyright infringements. There's plenty of evidence that that is a bogus issue. Anyway, take a look at the video, and have a laugh.
We went to the beach this afternoon. The highlight of our day was watching a man facing the sea. He danced a mean dance. It looked funny, but there is a lesson there somewhere.
I'm reminded of that part of the Torah where Balaam spells it out very clearly. "Praise Israel and you'll be praised. Curse Israel and you'll be cursed."
If that's true - and there are a lot of people in all corners of the world who believe it is - where does the international community stand today? What'll happen to everyone if the good old Messiah suddenly shows up. (If I was the Messiah's advisor, I'd tell him to wait a bit more. But that's another story.)
About this video:
It's a parody of a song that was written for a different reason.
Enjoy ther song.
Make this life an adventure.
Keep a smile on your face and dance in your feet.
Jerry Waxman:
|
Friday, June 11th, 2010 at 5:41 pm
Sderot to Surat; A Sad Happy Story
by Jerry Waxman
In 2008 I gave up a pretty good job and nice place to live to come to Israel. Sderot was my choice because kassams were scaring people away. We can't all act scared. We do what we can to defy those who would tell us to leave our land.
I guess my determination to have some impact here didn't work out too well. For two years I looked for a way just to make a living. Still alive, so things didn't work out too badly.
This will be my last Shabbat in Sderot for a while. I finally found a job in a town called Surat. It's not in Israel. It's in Thailand.
It has been hard to reconcile this part of the journey. I got a post office box to retain some kind of presence in Israel. I'm leaving much of my belongings here. My sites are continuously on returning. I believe I will, before too long. What would I do with this website outside of Israel?
That's all I have to say for now. Will continue to post to this site from Thailand. Anyone that wants to come there, drop us a note.
Make this life an adventure.
Keep a smile on your face and dance in your feet.
Friday, May 7th, 2010 at 5:39 pm
Images of Israel – An Embedded Dream
by Jerry Waxman
Sderot Israel
It’s been difficult, but enlightening; trying to show Malka what I see in this place – why I came to Sderot – why I stay in Israel. To her, my home should be in America, where my family is.
On the surface there is nothing to make the case that I belong here – neither in Sderot nor in Israel. I knew nobody in this town when I came here. I hardly knew anybody in the country. I have not found a job,so there’s been no income. The prices on everything here are really high, especially with our financial straits.
|
 In comparison to what Malka is used to, the people here are rude. Some are scary. And of course, there is always that constant danger looming at Israel’s borders. Malka’s images of Israel are not too complimentary.
Malka’s question begs an answer. It’s a good question. In a day when people worldwide are talking about boycotting Israel’s products, freezing Israel’s building, and generally using any reason to criticize Israel, I cannot blame Malka for not seeing what I see – images of the real Israel – glimpses of a 3300 year old dream. We have always said, “Next year in Israel.” Now that we are here, maybe we have the responsibility to our ancestors, to live the dream that they couldn’t.
Jerusalem Day is coming soon. Today I happened to see some “Life Magazine” photos of Israel in 1948.  There are pictures of people escaping the Arab Legion. There are pictures of Jewish refuges both from Jerusalem and frome Europe.
It’s an amazing story! We are part of it. WE – who feel a deep connection to the struggles of our own people. We cannot expect others to feel the same connection. It hasn’t been stamped in.
There are more photos of Israel in 1948. There is the destruction of Jerusalem when it was surrendered; how it burned; how the Arabs looted and destroyed homes where Jews had left. The Arabs came and conquered, but they never really had a connection to this land like we have.
Last night Malka told me that she is starting to like this place. She took a walk around some remote parts of Sderot, where it is even quieter than where we live.  And she said, “I feel like I’ve been here before.” Could Malka be awakening to a sense of coming home? Is Israel finally starting to grow on her like it did me several years ago? Maybe she is beginning to feel she is just aa much a part if this “image of Israel” as I am.
Keep a smile on your face and a dance in your feet.
|
