There's work to be done
I haven’t been myself lately. I keep on getting emails and text messages from Rabbis for Human Rights that volunteers are needed to help Palestinians harvest olives because they cannot harvest the crop if their groves are too close to Jewish settlements, there’s emails from the Committee Against House Demolitions and the Olive Tree Movement and Gush Shalom and All Nations Cafe where meetings are held every Tuesday and food is shared and music is happening. I missed the Interfaith gatherings at the American Colony Hotel with Seeds of Peace. They celebrated Eid Al Adha (early) and Christmas and Chanukah. I missed the women’s interfaith group to celebrate the same holidays in someone’s home in Jerusalem. I get more and more emails. And I sadly delete them. I can’t join in any activities.
My apartment lease has expired two weeks ago and the landlord is asking when we’re leaving. We have no idea. We haven’t yet bought a place. It’s difficult when you’re attached to a husband who doesn’t like anything.
“This is too small”
“this is too big”
“What do you need two gardens for?”
“This is too old”
“This is too ugly”
And so, everyone, we are stuck, and angry at the Old Man for forcing us to join him in his indecisiveness. My daughter quipped last night “You know, if you really get mad at him, you can dunk his teeth in the toilet!” That’s the spirit dearie.
So we can’t move, and I can’t join in any interfaith/peace activities because every day I am out searching for the perfect apartment/cottage with Hubby. Thinking he does like something – finally – he took me out to see his architect buddy who lives in the charming picturesque neighborhood of Ein Karem. He lives in a former Arab home.
“Did the former owners every contact you?” I asked. This does happen in the former Arab neighborhoods of West Jerusalem.
“Yes” he told me. “They came from the US with the grandfather who had lived here. The grandfather sat in the kitchen and he was very angry. He didn’t say a word.”
“Of course he was angry. He was forced to leave his beautiful home in one of the most beautiful neighborhoods in Jerusalem”
“But his kids and grandchildren were friendly. The family pointed out what used to be where, but the grandfather was angry that I made changes to the place.”
I shrugged. I felt bad for grandad. What can you do. Aren’t a lot of us uprooted? Our family was uprooted from Austria and Poland, although I have no burning desire to see my ancestral European homes. They no longer exist I am sure. But I understand the grandfather’s grief because Jerusalem isn’t Poland or Austria or any other place. It is Jerusalem. And there is no place in the world like it. If I were uprooted from here, I would grieve too.
I look at his neighbor’s home which has a Star of David engraved in the outer wall of the pre-1948 home. I pointed it out to the architect.
“Yeah, that was originally a Jewish home. Ein Karem had a mixture of Arabs and Jews living side by side.” And in really close proximity too. What a dream that would be for me.
I guess that’s why we haven’t yet found our dream home. Perhaps it exists only in our dreams…
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Hmmm… I have to look for an apartment in the next 2 months. Bugger I hate it… rent is either too high or the neighbourhood doesn’t look safe… ahh driving me nuts.
Want to move to downtown Toronto, but rent is really high there even in the dangerous parts. I have to work something out or my head will explode… I hate moving and I hope it doesn’t snow when I move… I hate snow.
Well, you have a sympathetic ear. What have we not done to and for one another?
Check the rennovated areas are Nachalot. No views…but mixed in with the junk are some very interesting places.
Prices in Israel…esp. Jerusalem are outrageous.
Hehehe, wife just found us the perfect place – 2 bedrooms + a huge roof with sofas and tables and everything… about 2 minutes walk from Shenkin street and about 10 minutes walk from the sea, for a very reasonable price. Tel Aviv, of course – I can’t imagine why you’d actually want to live in Jerusalem. Unless you can order a tasty, huge cheeseburger 24/7 to your home, the city’s worthless
And yeah, there were lots of mixed ‘hood. The Jews didn’t fare too well in them – my family are still telling horror stories about assorted attacks and pogroms.
No no no!! You’re acting like my gay brother-in-law who said the only thing good about Jerusalem is the road to Tel Aviv.
Where would I have interfaith meetings in Tel Aviv??? TA is too homogenous. Unless all the foreign workers from Sri Lanka and Africa joined in on the meetings, but I think they work too long hours to be bothered.
Besides my evil daughter had shrimps the other day in a Jerusalem restaurant with her Armenian friend who lives in the Old City. But your place in Tel Aviv sounds terrific – I’m off Sunday. Can I visit?
Jina, I hate snow too, which is why I moved from Toronto in the first place. It is absolutely horrible. I’d spend an hour getting thermal undies on and gloves, hats, scarves, boots – shovelling snow around the car so you can get out of the driveway. I dare not visit TO until the snow melts – and that is in May.
Thanks Edo for the sympathetic ear. I can use them all!
Howie, I can’t afford Nachlaot. It’s quaint and charming and affordable places have two rooms – not enough space for my brood. They need the ‘burbs.