Looking (Slightly) Beyond the Veneer

Observations from the Holy Land:

1. People on road signs in the United States are sticks: faceless and shapeless. In Israel, they are basically the same except for one important difference: some of them have wide brim hats on as if they are black hatted Ultra-Orthodox Jews. One must wonder, especially after understanding some of the internal politics of Israel, whether this was a concession by some Prime Minister to secure the votes of one of the ultra-orthodox sects. Seems likely. Either way, the hats people wear here in Israel will keep people-watchers entertained.

2. One thing you should try if you ever make it to Arab parts of the country is kunefeh. It is a cheese-based dessert served warm and made with vermicelli and syrup. It’s then topped with a small amount of crushed pistachios. It is colored orange much of the time, which makes ones think it might be citrus-flavored. But it's nuttier and creamier than that. Each place has its own different spin on this traditional dessert and some towns do it better than others. I would say which town takes the kunefeh, but I wouldn’t want to bias your opinion. At least not on desserts...

3. Bedouins are a very interesting group of people. There are things which the tribes have in common, such as their historically nomadic lifestyle, but they also differ from each other and often fight each other. At least in the past. Presently, their traditional way of life is changing rapidly.

The traditional life in desert tents has been swapped for living in desert towns. Many of the towns are in the Naqab (Negev) desert in the south of Israel. The Bedouin Arabs have faced forcible evictions, population transfers, demolition of homes and destruction of property, and confiscation of their lands since the founding of the State of Israel in 1948. This is according to a report written by a commission headed by Eliezer Goldberg, former Israeli Supreme Court Justice.

It has been a difficult transition from nomadic to pastoral to urban life. Life in the desert is hard, but with the hardship comes independence. Certainly there is less of a worry about administrative hang-ups like applying for permits to build structures. If you would have told some of these Bedouin’s ancestors, even a century ago, that they would a) give up the traditional lifestyle and live in houses, and b) that they would then be denied permits from a new state to build in their own desert, they would have kicked you out of the oasis.

The Fourth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, part of the Bill of Rights, states “the right of the people to be secure on their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated.” This is one of the foundations of liberty in the U.S. The same protections are not being afforded the Bedouins in Israel. Of course this is a different nation and each country needs to act according to its own situation. But even Justice Goldberg said, “There is no justification for the state to treat the Bedouin residents in these communities differently from the way it treats the rest of the citizens of the state.” There is a lot more information about these people and their plight in southern Israel. Check out pictures of al-Arqeeb, a Bedouin village that has been repeatedly demolished, here.

Eitan's Internship at Yad Izhak Ben Zvi Institute

I am [finishing up] my internship at the Yad Izhak Ben Zvi Institute. The Yad Izhak Ben Zvi Institute, or Yad Ben Zvi for short, is located in beautiful Rechavia, Jerusalem. The Rechavia neighborhood was founded in a communal, moshav-like spirit and its architecture and culture reflect those ideals. Rechavia is known for its beautiful gardens and narrow, inviting streets that are conducive for getting to know your neighbors. Yad Ben Zvi is in fact located in the apartment complex that used to belong to Israel's second president, Izach Ben Zvi. Today the institute has expanded from its original location in that apartment to include parts of three adjacent buildings. They are building a new facility that will house the bulk of the institutes offices and archives.

Yad Ben Zvi's mission to research and do advocacy on behalf of the Jewish communities of the East; that is to say any Jewish community that is not Ashkenazi or of European descent. Yad Ben Zvi is also a leading institute in documenting the history of Jerusalem. The Ben Zvi Institute is associated with the Hebrew University and has partnerships with the Yad Vashem Institute for Holocaust Research. Many of its foremost researchers teach in universities in Israel and abroad.

The focus of my internship with Yad Ben Zvi is looking at how World War II affected the Jewish communities living in North Africa. While the policies of Nazi Europe were not wholly applied to North African Jewry, those communities experienced many hardships during the war and that experience has not been documented as thoroughly as their European counterparts. The aim of the project is to broaden the narrative of the Holocaust in order to foster a more communal response to the Holocaust amongst Jews, while filling large gaps in the academic literature.

Israel..you will be missed..

I have not taken the time to post my own entry thus far because I have been so busy enjoying every minute of this wonderful country. I will try to summarize my experience as best as possible but it will be hard to include all of the incredible things we have been through here. The first two weeks of this program were phenomenal. I learned so much and felt like I really immersed myself in the unique culture of this region. The impromptu debates between our tour guide and our speakers, the amazing cuisine, and the overwhelming hospitality we received from everyone has made me fall in love with this country. The following four week internship was difficult in that there was so much I wanted to experience and see and I felt like my time here was so short. While the the work I did at my internship was interesting the weekend adventures were the highlight of my week. Our first weekend trip to Haifa was so relaxing and fun. The people were incredibly nice, the food was amazing as always, and the beach was beautiful and relaxing. My favorite weekend however was when we ventured down to the south of Israel to Eilat. The first day we were down there we hopped over the border to Jordan to visit the ancient city of Petra. I would tell anyone who ever comes to Israel that you cannot leave without visiting this place. It was magnificently beautiful and the history and ancient architecture was just amazing. It was also really great to experience Arab culture which was warm and hospitable. On our second day in Eilat we went on a relaxing boat cruise on the Red Sea to a coral reef where we went snorkeling. Going back to our internship after this weekend was tough so we planned a relaxing trip to Tel Aviv for the following weekend. It happened to fall on the evening of White Night where the whole city of Tel Aviv stays up all night putting on concerts in the streets and the beach. It was so much fun and a great way to truly experience the vibrant nightlife of Tel Aviv. Our trip was cut short when I came down with a bad case of food poisoning, however I can now tell you that the hospitals in Israel are fabulous. We are spending our last week here finishing up all of the final things we wanted to do in Jerusalem and I am looking forward to spending my last day wandering the Old City. Israel is an amazing country and this program has been such an incredible experience. I can't wait to come back and visit again!