Tightening the Social Fabric Some More

I just blogged about how Obama and his policy wonks are trying to rip the social fabric of Jerusalem apart in the name of 'liberal' idealism.

Well here's a quick thought for Bibi and Mayor Nir Barakat if they don't want to see the city divided one day: We need more Arabs in municipal jobs in this city. And by municipal jobs I don't mean street cleaners and construction workers. We need more Arab clerks in the various city offices and agencies, more Arabs in the Fire Dept. and maybe even in the Police Force if the security aspects of that could be adequately worked out through rigorous screening and assigning non-weapons holding jobs.

In fact, Arabs make yup roughly 30% of the city's population - I think we need a program in place that tries to get their representation in municipal jobs to an equal level to their overall demographic numbers. Not only is this the right thing to do, it will go a long way towards assuring a greater participation in the city's civic life and make sure Arab residents are as opposed to splitting this singular city in two as most of Jerusalem's Jewish residents are.

I Want My Vote Back, or, Why the Light Rail Will Keep Jerusalem United

I try not to get too political here - arguing one political side or another is the opposite of common sense and can often be pure verbal masturbation. But Obama has crossed the line. For someone who claims empathy to Jews, demanding only Jews stop building in Jerusalem is the epitome of Chutzpa. Thus far, Obama and his policy wonks have done nothing but set back negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians by choosing to focus entirely on Israel's actions even though we have sought peace incessantly for the last 16 years and counting, and building up Palestinian expectations to unrealistic levels so that Mahmoud Abbas now refuses to meet with Netanyahu despite numerous exhortations from Bibi. Furthermore, Obama has failed to draw distinctions between the West Bank and Jerusalem leading to the alienation of even most of the Israeli Left (not that there was much of one left after 16 years of Palestinian rejectionism in the face of countless peace offers).

We pray facing the Temple Mount, Muslims turn their backs to it and face Mecca. Jerusalem isn't even their 2nd holiest city and when they last had control of our holy sites, we were denied access to them and were forced to liberate them in a heavy price of blood in a war we preferred not to fight.

Re-dividing Jerusalem is the worst possible solution ot the current conflict. For someone who claims to be a unifier, Obama sure seems to want to put up a lot of walls and boundries between Israelis and Palestinians. The good news is we don't give a shit what he thinks anymore. So he can continue to verbally masturbate all he wants.

Driving on Bar-Lev Street, bringing my brother back to his dorm where he's taking Arabic at Hebrew U. this summer, driving on what was the old border until 1967, past the site of Old Mandelbaum Gate, passing Nablus Road, Salah Din Street, Damascus gate and the Old City walls and back to my neighborhood in East Talpiot south of the Old City, I get a veritable history lesson several times a week. With the Big O ordering us not to build in Jerusalem anymore until he says we can (unclear if he will ever give us that green light again), it dawned on me that the new light rail system which is slated to run down the very street that used to divide the two peoples that inhabit this great city has the purpose of uniting us for once and all. For no one in their right mind would build a train and spend 100s of millions of dollars on what will ultimately turn out to be a border street. The plan is simple: keep the city united, 'whole', continue bringing people together - Jews, Muslims and Christians - make the social fabric deeper, more intertwined. Build a state of the art transportation system on the street that used to divide us, for the use of all the city's inhabitants.

That's what Jerusalem ('Yeru-Shalem') means - 'city of peace' but more accurately also united city. If you think about, calling a city the 'united' (or 'whole', 'complete') city is an odd thing to do - but it isn't if you know the history. People have been trying to unite this city for 3,000 years, from the time the Jebusties lived here and King David tried to unite it up until today.

And now obama wants to put a wall up between people and keep them separated. How very liberal and enlightened of him - it worked really well in Berlin. If it's a lack of knowledge of the other that is primarily responsible for creating a level of fear and animosity between disparate peoples, how can we overcome that with a wall between us?

And this really is one unified city. I walk on the Tayelet near my house, overlooking the Dome of the Rock and Temple Mount, and the Arab ladies from the next neighborhood remark at how cute my son Erez is. It's a favorite picnic spot for both Jews and Arabs - should one of those people no longer be allowed to congregate there in the name of peace? I've experienced only pleasantness there - no violence or hatred. The guy who often fixes various problems in our apartment, Atlee, lives in East Jerusalem - maybe he shouldn't be allowed into this side of the city anymore to earn an honest day's wage. Instead he should only know Jews as people on the other side of a fence, and believe whatever lies he hears because he has no first hand knowledge of the other to combat them. And the same goes for any Arab-hating Jews out there who at least now have the benefit of seeing and interacting with the 'other' on a regular basis to combat their ignorant hatred.

When I studied in Ulpan (intensive Hebrew language seminar) after moving here, I befriended several Arab students in my class who were preparing to enter Israeli universities or technical schools. At the time I worked at the Jerusalem Report magazine and penned a piece asking the city not to cut funding to our Ulpan since it served as a bridge between Jerusalemite Jews and Arabs. The city ultimately decided the program was too valuable to cut. If Obama has his way, no Arab and Jewish members of Jerusalem will ever interact again. How very liberal and enlightened of the Great Unifier.

Life Can Be Cruel

So I was at the funeral of my Mom's first cousin today (i.e. my first cousin once removed). She passed away yesterday after collapsing from a heart attack. She had been having symptoms for a month leading up to yesterday, was told to see a cardiologist which she never did, had several of the risk factors, etc. but none of this is the point. Rivka was, in my brief encounters with her, a very sweet woman, very dedicated to her parents and kids, a proud grandmother, and as a fellow member of her moshav, Benaya, said today, 'Maleh anivut ve'tzniut' ('extremely humble/unassuming and modest').

What made me really sad was seeing my great aunt, Erzika (that's Hungarian in case you're wondering). Her husband passed away 10 months ago at the ripe old age of 90. Now she lost her only child. I noticed the tattooed number on her arm at the funeral. Also, I noticed on Dod Yaakov's (her late husband's) gravestone that his mother's name was Rivka too. So this daughter of theirs, their only child, has the namesake of her paternal grandmother who I imagine perished in the holocaust (actually my mom tells me she passed away before when Dod Yaakov was very young).

Instead of some sense of comfort in her old age, Doda (aunt) Erzika has had her husband of nearly 60 years and her only child pass away - and suddenly at that - in less than a year's time. It's more than anyone should have to bear. May she know only comfort from now on.

Tennis as a Metaphor for Life?

Just finished watching another fantastic Wimbledon final (who thought you could top last year's Federer-Nadal epic?!) - definitely one for the ages. Federer finally passed Pete Sampras for most major championships ever, but not before a 16-14 5th set thriller against a resurgent Andy Roddick (who definitely wins the hotter wife competition vs. Roger in straight sets). Watched with my brother Mo (who I watched almost the entire fortnight with - was awesome not having to watch most of those matches alone, and with someone who really understands the game), Ben Feuer (of Jerusalem Pridefest 2009 reporting fame) and was in phone contact with my brother Yaakov in NY, BRon, Oren Nidam and Jason Rousman at various points throughout the match.

Is tennis, or sports in general, really a metaphor for life? I always thought this notion was kind of silly while enjoying it at the same time. If it's true, what's the message?

Well, if you're Roger Federer, the message is a simple uplifting one: keep trying, give it your all and even if it seems doubtful or bleak at times, you'll always somehow come out on top.

If you're Andy Roddick, the message may not be as fun or uplifting: No matter how hard you try at something, or how much you improve yourself, there will always be someone just a tiny bit better than you to put you in your place.

Personally, I would have been happy to be in Roddick's shoes. I play tennis every week pretty consistently and while I think I can string a good point or game together, I don't have the psychological fortitude to win point after point in tough spots like both Federer and Roddick did time and time again today. Sometimes, the best you can hope for is to throw it all on the line, give it your all, and hope that's enough to somehow achieve the result you want.

In sports, it doesn't really matter if that end result is winning or losing. And I find in life it often doesn't matter either - the effort and intensity you bring is what ultimately determines how you feel about it - not the end result. I hope Andy Roddick takes some comfort in that when he looks back at today's match for the ages. He couldn't have possibly given more of himself and that's got to be worth something. A hell of a lot, actually.
ESPN's Greg Garber sums things up really nicely here...

Gay Yartzeit Pics and Commentary - Thanks Big Gay Ben

So I promised to provide pics from Thursday's Gay Yartzeit. Here they are courtesy of 'Big Gay' Ben Feuer (formerly 'Big' Ben Feuer, aka Benjamin Bluebeard) (Ben's not really gay but he took on this persona for Thursday's event to get an 'inside' view of things). He's actually very much available for any ladies that have loose morals and are looking to party (0527864349).


'Queens on King David Street', where Israelite Kings once ruled.
Two revelers dressed up as border policemen.
Israel has no 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell' policy and as such, lesbians are integral part of our armed forces.

Trannies galore! No LGBT event is complete without 'em.
The sign reads 'I don't tell you how to live!' A religious participant with a pink yarmulke. Big Ben reported that there were several religious gay groups that participated - only in Jerusalem!
Rainbow flag with Israeli flag superimposed in corner. New national flag candidate?
An overview of the procession.

Thanks Ben and good luck with the ladies!

Gay Yartzeit

Happy Gay Yartzeit everyone from Jerusalem! We have two excellent events overlapping today in the holy city: The Lubavitcher Rebbe's Yartzeit and Gay Pride Parade. So I'll be lounging with vodka and midori sours, checking out all the hot guys shuckling back and forth, and marching to the beat of meshichist sexual liberation. I'm talking the Rebbe in a rainbow-colored bekeshe, men's only simcha dancing and pronouncing things with a Yiddish sounding lisp.

Common Sensorium correspondent 'Big' Ben Feuer will be there capturing it all on film. Hopefully I'll have some videos for ya'll early next week. So let your freak (rainbow/mashiach) flag fly, because days like this don't come around very often!

Time to Teach Irresponsible Dog Owners a Lesson!

It happened again on Friday. I stepped in dog shit! This is the 2nd time this has happened in a month. You'd think I'd be used to steering clear of dog poop growing up in Riverdale - the dog shit capital of the world. But no dice. I'm pretty sure my current neighborhood - Jerusalem's East Talpiot is the dog shit capital of Jerusalem. And our street is hands down the dog shit capital of E. Talpiot. So if you ever visit Rechov Mordechai Elkachi, you need to seriously watch out.

Walking home from Shabbat lunch, I bitched about Dog shit and the kind of sociopaths that let an animal relieve itself pretty much where ever it pleases until Simone had to cut me off and say why don't you blog about it - I really don't want to hear any more about dog shit. Plus my almost 3 year old, Erez, was starting to use the term too.

But seriously, what kind of person let's their dog shit in the public domain? Is it just laziness, or is it their way of giving society a big middle finger. And I bet people that let their dogs shit in the middle of the sidewalk never step in it themselves, in the same way a thief is much less likely to get robbed. It's only us poor unsuspecting saps that don't think to look out for it that end up tracking it up 52 stairs across their dining room and kitchen 15 minutes before the guests show up for Mexican Friday night (which by the way was awesome - Ben, Bron and Michal, I want my half a bottle of tequila back ;-).

Anyway, the next time you see a dog shitting mid-sidewalk, owner by its side, not a care in the world, walk up to them and ask them if they were planning on cleaning that up? When they say no, grab the nearest plastic bag, scoop it up and start chasing them down the street with it (not recommended where there is a pit-bull or rottweiler involved). Another alternative is to follow them home and bring your 3 year old to their front door for a potty training session. I guarantee that will be one dog that doesn't shit mid-sidewalk ever again.