to hang up before the other person answers

winter started this week, ushering in cold air, cups of tea, haredi riots, sunday morning rain, a gay pride parade, and stress over midterms.

my first paper is due thursday (november 9, a significant day in the history of the world) on different responses to Herzl's zionism. critical review due next week on The Arab Awakening and Islamic Revival. I really need to buy a rechargeable battery thing and rechargeable batteries. Hebrew tests every day but I switched back down to Bet so things are more bearable.


this is my favorite view from Hebrew U. I love the orange house.

in Jerusalem, everything is white stone upon white stone, built up and up and so many stairs and apartments, all of white stone.


here, color exists.








The Jerusalem Pride Parade is scheduled for this Friday. Ultra-Orthodox Haredim in the city have been protesting vehemently for the past few weeks. Trash is littered throughout Mea Sheariim, a Haredi neighborhood, trash cans are lit on fire in the middle of the street, rocks are thrown at policemen, and buses take a different route around the neighborhood. Is marching as a gay the greatest of sins? When seven year-olds, ten year-olds, fourteen year-olds throw in more trash to the flame, do they know what they are protesting against? Do they know what gay means? Are they enticed by the heat of the orange flames or by the pushing of their fathers?

It saddens me to see the haredim litter, desecrate, and destroy their own neighborhood.
It saddens me that Israel claims to be a free, democratic country - but not all citizens are treated equally.
It saddens me that 12,000 policemen and women have to be called in to stand guard as free citizens of Israel walk by.
It saddens me that I am afraid to go to the parade because of the violence.
It saddens me to see such hatred, animosity, and utter lack of understanding or will to understand of Jews towards their fellow Jews.

We must think differently, look at things in a different way. Peace requires a world of new concepts, new definitions.

The 11th yarhzeit, anniversary, of Yitzhak Rabin's z"l death was earlier this week. Author David Grossman spoke at the memorial service in Tel Aviv.
It is impressive how much times passes yet how little progress is made.

This is a course which is fraught with difficulties and pain. For Israel, there is no path without pain. But the path of peace is preferable to the path of war.

in close, an insight into modern israeli culture through a vocabulary lesson.
l'zelzel: to ring
l'natek: to finish a conversation
new hebrew word-
l'zentek: to hang up before the other person answers.

taking eight grade prank calls to a whole new level.