Unforgettable Short Stories by Ayelet Tsabari

Ayelet Tsabari's short stories, published under The Best Place on Earth were a literary revelation for me. My aim was to purchase her recently published memoir, The Art of Leaving, but got a bit lost into the recommendations of my Amazon algorithm and challenged by the descriptions of some of the stories. Convinced, I purchased the short stories first and since then - yesterday afternoon - couldn't put them down.

I am not a great reader - and not a writer either - of short stories. I am in love with big, long stories and I rarely get the literary enthusiasm for couple of pages only stories. Especially when it comes to accounts defined by a specific identity and geographic realm, I prefer those boundaries to be journalistically clear, simple in order to allow in the good filling of the story. 

Ayelet Tsabari succeeded to achieve it in a very entincing, I dare to say even addictive way. The stories do have a clear geographical reference - Israel - and a frame - Jewish life, mostly of Jews of Mizrahi (Oriental) origin, specifically Yemeni. Within this matrix, memories are created, unique stories are told and existential crisis or questions are occurring. At the end, frequently the reader is left out, as it seems that once you are reading the next one, in the previous one there is still a life going on, you are not privy to. Thus, expectations and inner discussions are created. 

There is always a tension - mostly between the new and old, the traditional lifestyle versus the modernity liberation, the silent revolt against the Askenazi establishment - around which each of the stories are created, but those tensions are gently, fuel the story and nicely make the balance. 

After becoming familiar with Tsabari's writing, I am very curious to read more about the sources of her writing, her own life story and therefore can't wait to start reading her memoir. 

Rating: 4 stars

Let's Talk Moral Lows

For a long while I am trying as much as possible to keep myself away from the poisonous nonsense. Either in politics or personal affairs. It doesn't make me feel good and as long as I consider that my power stops in the front of other people's bad will. All shall pass, after all.

However, being active on social media - a serious sourse of yetzer hara both for the political and personal wellbeing - the ways in which some public intellectuals position towards certain sensitive topics cannot be ignored by someone so much into fine analysis of human goods and wrongs.

I know that the example I am about to mention is not new, doesn't have any chance of changing stances in the next decade or so. I also know that I personally cannot stop from being involved, even so randomly lately. I am still optimistic that my words can one day bring change, for me and other people. One word plus one word plus one word can make a strong outstanding sentence.

In one of my rare moments of procrastination, I was lately scrolling some Twitter and Instagram accounts, of people that at the first sight might look the kind of persons I would love to talk with about politics, Middle East, arts and science. PhD holders, with a good research position in European universities. Some of them do have a background from countries that say every couple of minutes that want to destroy Israel. But they go visit Holocaust memorials in Europe and are impressed about the extent of the annihilation that was planned by the Germans.

But they also have a steady obsession: Gaza. Free Gaza! Resistance! Take down that Wall! Resist! Are the short, from the bottom of the heart messages uttered by those civil vigilants. Poor Gazans! Cruel inhuman Israeli Army who is killing babies! Stop the war! Once in a while, when it is the case, the border their profile picture taken in sunny European places with a widget in support of those poor people from Gaza.

However, there is nothing on the profile of those brave public intellectuals about the children killed in Yemen, or those in Syria, or the girls kidnapped in Nigeria by the Islamic militants. Nothing about the horrors of ISIS in the Middle East or the way in which gay people are treated in Gaza by Hamas. They do not adorn their smiling pics with a ribbon and the moral outrage is completely absent. Of course, it might be they are too busy counting what they call the human rights violations of poor Gazans by Israel. 

Of course truth, especially when it comes to conflicts is not black and white and there are so many nuances and special circumstances to be taken under consideration. I am always ready to openly discuss Middle East politics and its interesting stage this part of the world is going through. But I prefer to have such discussions with people with an open mind, whose long years of intellectual dedication for science or humanities taught them how to use their mind to abhor any kind of propaganda and put themself outside their comfort zone and think, think, think. With their own mind. Those kinds of people I can't wait to have as friends.  

About the Failure of Taking Stances

When I watched Munich, I was sure that this is the 'best' you can get in terms of creating an artistic reality which is so edulcorated and 'politically correct' that it completely distorts the artistic value of the movie. When you approach a political topic, or a topic with a high political implication, from a literary and visual standpoint, it's obvious that taking stances is important. Based on research the film director or author must take a certain position. I know there are some very early Marxist or neo-Marxist writings that are still hidden in a private corner of my head, but I think it is impossible to create something valuable artistically when you just want to present in a very easy going way very complex historical facts. 

I've heard first about 7 Days in Entebbe one year ago, when it was presented to the 68. edition of the Berlinale. I wanted to watch it but I've read some reviews that were not favorable and needed some time to completely detach myself from them and evaluate the movie with my own mind. Finally tonight I took the chance for keeping myself busy for over 1h watching it on Netflix.

The movie covers the 7 days in the life of the passengers of the AirFrance Flight from Athens to Tel Aviv, hijacked at the end of June 1976 in a joint operation of representatives of the German terrorist organisation Baader Meinhof and terrorists of the Organisation for the Liberation of Palestine. The two organisations had a quite good collaboration at the time, with Baader Meinhof members permanently training in the OELP camps in the Middle East. They were trained to attack and perpetrate acts of terror very often for a Palestininan cause, not to plant flowers or collect money for sick children.

There are two Germans (Wilfried Böse, played by Daniel Brühl, and Brigitte Kuhlmann, played by Rosamund Pike) looking to add a sense to their life, naive, intellectuals aiming to put into practice their theoretical revolutionary talks. There are Palestinians looking for revenge and not trusting the Germans - because, the movie says because of them Jews come to 'Palestine' and started to 'oppress them, doing what the Germans did' (very deep). When the intellectual level is so high, the fact that over 200 peoplewere kidnapped and brought to Uganda - not the 'eretz Uganda' of the Zionist Congress, but the Uganda of Idi Amin. 

In Israel, Shimon Peres and Yitzak Rabin, later portrayed as active supporters of the dialogue with the Palestinians, as it was necessarily a direct connection to the Entebbe case, are rather keen to send dozen of Israeli military to rescue the hostages, regardless of the risks, than to give up to the requests of Palestinians. Yoni Netanyahu's death is somehow the cause of Bibi's entry into politics - most likely not. 

The film avoids violence, which is inherent to such a situation, avoids taking stances, avoids clarity for ambiguity because you better avoid being so direct with your thoughts, in the end, maybe you are not right. Carlos the Jackal was also portrayed - according to a very long and boring movie - a kind of Robin Hood, a revolutionary misunderstood by its times. 

The only moments who are really dramatic and worth watching are the dance insertions admirably played by the dancers of Batsheva Dance Company.

My life didn't change for good or for worse after watching 7 Days in Entebbe. I don't like art with a thesis, as I don't like obsessive neutrality. If you are smart enough - and also not a real sympathizer to a cause but trying to hide it - you can create an interesting moral case and push the public to further thinking. If not, you just avoid anything and assume that wars are done for candies. Peace and love for the revolution!

Rather Laugh Than Cry: Stories from a Hassidic Household

With a detachement and a sense of humour only someone having to deal with an overwhelming daily challenge could have, Malka Zipora is sharing her wisdom and experience about being a Jewish Orthodox mother. Far from being a memoir, her short stories collected under Rather Laugh Than Cry. Stories from a Hassidic Household, are not only interesting for the information shared - from little cooking tips to parenting and insights about the observant life - but also for the good waves and inspiration sent to the reader.

At the very big sense of the world, the stories could be considered short fragments of a memoir, with personal accounts being the base of her writing. But even if you take them as just stories and personal accounts, it does not diminish at all the quality of the writing. 

Born in Israel to Hungarian Shoah survivor parents, Malka Ziporah lived in Australis and New York before settling to Montreal where she is raising her family. Her book was on my to-read list for a long time, first because I was very curious to check a woman author with a very traditional background. Although in the last years, more women from Hassidic families are taking the challenge of becoming writers, many of them might share mostly their religious and personal struggles. 

Malka Ziporah also has lots of struggles to cope with round the day, but her emunah and resilience place her on the other side of the stories, where life was accepted already as it is and her desire to write doesn't contradict her status of a Hassidic woman. Her faith is a source of inspiration and strength and by sharing her experiences she is opening up her usually reclused world to an universal audience. The authenticity of her voice is part of her contribution as a writer to displaying an unique sparkle worth being included to the literary experiences. 

My biggest regret was that the book finished and there are not other books by Malka Ziporah I can keep reading to remain in this world, in her world.

Shtisel

The haredi - ultra-Orthodox - world is often portrayed in literary or visual representations - either done by people that left the fold or are insiders, as a massive homogenous block. The members of the group are either perfect and self-righteous - the insider's view - or oppressive and intolerant towards any manifestation of difference and secular knowledge - the outsider's. 

Shtisel - a movie I am binge-watching on Netflix since the year of 2018 - makes a difference by creating and adding nuances to the extreme descriptions and creating realistic characters and stories. Based in the Geula ultra-orthodox neighbourhood - Mea Shearim is one of the many of them in Jerusalem - it develops around the Shtisel family. Each of the characters, regardless the age and gender, they have their own struggles and problems, either with the society or the other members of their family. They have passions and need to make choices, are doubting their mission or just don't stand each other. 

Interesting is also the different aproach on religion and the switch of traditions, from the Yiddish-speaking culture to the Hebrew traditions, or the positioning towards the Israeli state and the secular holidays and world in general. 

There are honest depictions that contribute to creating good and memorable stories, with individuals whose life and decisions you would be curious to follow from an episode to another. Some of the characters are also very well played, and my favorites so far are Ruchami (played by the very talented Shira Haas) and Akiva (played by Michael Aloni) representing complex personalities with a very strong will that are facing unusual situations that require decisions that are sometimes suprising. The scenario was written by Ori Elon - who also wrote the Srugim (Hebrew series featuring dati leumi singles in Jerusalem) and Yehonatan Indursky that studied at the Ponevezhn Yeshiva in Bnei Brak, an experience that he featured in a movie.  

As far as I know, it is the first time when the world of Haredi Jews is revealed to the outside world and it might be a surprise both for Jews and non-Jews. It is also the first time when probably this view is non-judgemental, wrapped as art and offering a largely realistic outlook. 

As for now, there are only two seasons available, filmed in 2013, but it seems that there will be more coming up, probably with the location of the movie moving to Brooklyn. I, personally, can't wait the new adventures of Shtisel family.

Bringing (kosher) Lust into the Relationships

There is a certain interest both within and outside the Jewish (more or less Orthodox) world about the issues regarding physical intimacy and the religious approach to pleasure. Although not always offering high quality advice but rather excuses for looking for marital pleasure, there are books that entered the public space lately aimed exclusively to the Orthodox, practicant young audiences. 

Rabbis and practicant people are becoming experts and utter public opinions about issues that are usually forbidden to mention in the strict environments, such as sexuality. The approach is more common among the 'modern Orthodox', especially a religious group that is trying to adapt to the challenges of modernity. Among them, Rabbi Shmuley Boteach ''America's Rabbi' is at the forefront of this new trend. Boteach was not only very close to Michael Jackson but authored several books aimed to support the need and religious support for a more open-minded manifestation of desire and sexual fulfillment in marital relationships. He even wrote a book about this topic together with Pamela Anderson. Let's skip the part of comments and thoughts about it and jump to the concepts.

Kosher Lust is an interesting although not innovative way to encourage search for intimacy in marriage. Based on various examples both Jewish and non-Jewish, it is clearly targeting a group of practicant Jews more open to the modernity including in its marital aspects. It asks the man to oblige and the woman to openly express and communicate its desires which in the strictly Orthodox environments is relatively impossible as sometimes the words are missing as well as the easiness to express things not common within the community and its sources. The Biblical references are mostly well chosen, but added the author's interpretation that it is not necessarily original. I am also sure that the average liberal Jews will not buy easily the explanation of separating spaces for women and men as well as some details regarding the impure period of time of the month. 

I personally found the book relaxing, useful for changing the shift from the eternal search for love to the simple enjoyment of the moment of lust which makes the marital life much easier. However, I am not sure that would love to read all the book in the series and browse all the variations on this topic. It is a thing good to know but not too know all about it.

Rating: 3 stars

  

Book Review: I Am Not a Spy, by Michael Bassin

As I already mentioned in a previous post, Jews in Gulf States, many in countries until a couple of years only, rabid critics of Israel, are anything surprising or new. Most of them were brought there by contracts in the oil industry or various architectural projects developed in the area, and they succeeded to keep their identity hidden while little by little creating a kind of discrete normality of celebrating Jewish holidays and various events. 

Most of those Jews are mostly for work and getting openly involved in public diplomacy initiatives is out of question, for various reasons - personal security being one of them. However, the young Michael Bassin made a different decision. As a young American Jew he decided to educate himself and then discover with his own eyes and mind the Arab world in order to eventually change the conflict in the Middle East. Obviously the conflict concerns more than the local Israeli-Palestinian conflict as third-part actors from the region are always getting involved with money and propagandistic support against Israel - which doesn't mean necessarily on behalf of the Palestinians. 

Michael Bassin started to learn Arabic and applies to scholarships in Arab countries. He is open about being Jewish even though it means that automatically he is the target of suspicions and various verbal abuses. He has to say more than once: 'My name is Michael and I am not a spy'. Which does not mean that his fellow students will really believe he is not one. Ignorance, brainwashing and the comfort of an easy mind are what convinces more than having an open mind and trying to understand the other person, be it him an 'enemy'. Those students are not better than the people from the poor countryside indoctrinated by thei religious leaders to hate the Jews. Jews are the most convenient enemy in this area and when things go awry or wrong they are the one to target, even many of them never seen any in real life. And someone apparently so nice and genuine as Michael Bassin, they are going through an existential crisis because could a Jew be trusted? A classical circle of hate and denial which is not only specific to this geographical region but I've personally encountered among middleclass Europeans as well. 

After spending more than enough time studying or travelling through the Middle East, Bassin decided to put his experience and language skills in the service of the peace. Where else can he learn better about the conflict than in Israel ? He is enrolling in the IDF, trying to grasp the conflict from inside. And there are many lessons learn from this, including the fact that sometimes, people may come along much better than the news about the conflict shows - for instance the fact that repairing your car in a Palestinian village is saving time and deliver quality to the inhabitants of Efrat. 

I've personally found the first part of the book - featuring the experiences in the Arab-speaking realm more entertaining and interesting - but it could be because I am more hungry for those experiencec than for things that I've personally experienced already in Israel.

Written partly as a travelogue, partly as a memoir, I Am Not a Spy by Michael Bassin is an useful yet easy reading for anyone curious to understand the basics of the tensions in the region and the slim although realistic chances of a certain change in the next decades. 

Rating: 3 stars