APPLES FROM THE DESERT By Savyon Liebrecht Dramaturgy Packet Theater J - 2012

TABLE OF CONTENTS 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. About the author A Timeline of Israel: 1970-1985 About the Abarbanel Family A Brief History of Israeli Folk Dancing Public Radio in Israel The Edison Theater The Kibbutz Glossary of Terms 3 5 11 21 22 23 26 29

About the author

Savyon Liebrecht was born in Munich, Germany in 1948 to Polish Holocaust survivor-parents. The family moved to Israel when she was a year old, where Savyon was raised and educated. For her military service Liebrecht requested to serve on a kibbutz, and then went to London to study journalism. Dissatisfied with the British schooling, Liebrecht returned to Israel and obtained a BA in philosophy and English literature from Tel Aviv University. She married in her early twenties and started a family. Liebrecht began writing fiction at eighteen but her first and second novels were not picked up by a publisher. By her mid-twenties shed taken a break from writing, channeling her creative energies by studying art and sculpture at a visual arts school. At thirty-five, she joined a creative writing workshop under the guidance of Israeli author and educator Amalia Kahana-Carmon, who recognized her unique talent and submitted Liebrecht's story "Apples from the Desert" to a literary magazine. The publication of that story lead to a deal to publish a collection of short stories, many of which she hadnt yet written. Liebrecht penned half the stories in her first book while in the process of publication. In the years since, she has published many collections of short stories, novellas, novels, plays, and several television scripts and is considered one of the best-known and most highly regarded writers of contemporary Hebrew literature. Liebrects work frequently deals with relevant social issues in Israel. Lily Rattok writes in her introduction to the Englishlanguage publication of the short-story collection Apples from the Desert, Liebrecht's eloquent and fluent linguistic style has captured the unique qualities of various social and ethnic groups, and her stories reflect the diversity of the reality evolving in present-day IsraelNearly all of her stories demonstrate a special compassion for characters who are oppressed or disempowered in society--members of the Arab minority, Sephardic Jews ([often considered]the weaker ethnic group among Israeli Jews), women, children, and aging Holocaust survivors. In fact, this ability to empathize with the victim draws in part upon the experience of the Holocaust, which is at the center of Liebrecht's writing--and her life. Rattok goes on to write about the silent home in which Liebrecht describes growing upa silence stemming from her parents inability to talk about their experiences during the Holocaust. In a 1992 interview, Liebrecht stated as an example her own inability to ask her father about the family he had before the war. Shed seen a photograph in an album of her father with a woman and a young girl, smiling, but she could never bring herself to ask him about these vanished family members. Even when she visited Poland with her parents and her father attempted to speak about his life during a train ride to Treblinka, he started to do so in Polish, a language that she could not understand. Liebrecht rejects the notion that her work should be categorized as womens literature stating, "the hand that writes is genderless." Still, most of her stories are told from a woman's point of view and relationships between women occupy the most central position. Liebrecht often criticizes patriarchal societysometimes overtly, other times more subversively--for having victimized women and denying them positions of power. Rakoff goes on to write, Liebrechts stories reflect her deep yearning for reconciliation between people placed on opposing sides of conflictsThis yearning for reconciliation can be traced to several elements in the author's biography: her exposure to the trauma of the Holocaust, her awareness of the continuous conflict in the Middle East, andfor me, of paramount importance--the 3

fact that she is a woman, therefore acutely sensitive to situations of distress, weakness, and vulnerability. An interview with Playwright Savyon Liebrecht APPLES FROM THE DESERT was your first published story. What inspired you to adapt that story for the stage? When I decided to adapt a story to the stage, the first one that came forth was "Apples from the Desert". I believe that it happened because the image of the main character Victoria, was so vivid in my imagination and I could clearly hear her voice. It was not a rational decision. On the contrary, there were arguments against it mostly because I have little knowledge of this way of life. But Victoria was was so warm and inviting... How is the time period (the play is set around 1980) integral to the story? The story was published in 1986. It was written some two-three years before that. I decided not to change the time when the play was written 20 years later. Firstly because in these circles not much has changed since then, and because I wanted to keep "the age of innocence" with no cell phones; when transportation to distant places was uncomfortable. Do you think that an American audience will receive this story in a way that is different from an Israeli audience? I believe that most American Jews are well acquainted with the Israeli reality and the story will not be as remote to them as it was to the audience in Manila. Still there are nuances that an Israeli will recognize better, especially when it comes to the language which in Hebrew is a very unique one and some of its music got lost on the way to the English. What themes in APPLES FROM THE DESERT are we likely to recognize in your other work, both plays and stories? The obvious theme is the interest in the gaps between different groups of the social-political map and the way people's lives get caught in these gaps. The less obvious theme is, for example, the way Victoria learns new things from her daughter, which is typical for communities of immigrants, where children are the first ones to pick up the language and the new codes; and can teach their parents.

Israel 1970-1985: A Timeline 1970 Israel participates in the Soccer World Cup finals.

Israel at the 1970 World Cup finals in Mexico.

Palestinian terrorists blow up Swissair jet in mid air USSR steps up missile shipment to Egypt Terrorists attack school bus, killing 12 (9 of whom were children), and wounding 24 in Avivim, Israel. 1971 The three millionth citizen arrives in Israel. Egypt, Syria and Libya sign agreement to form Federation of Arab Republics

Assad (sitting on the right side) signing the Federation of Arab Republics in Benghazi, Libya, in April 1971 with President Anwar alSadat (sitting left) of Egypt and Colonel Muammar al-Qaddafi of Libya (sitting in the center)

Egypt and USSR sign 15-year treaty of friendship and co-operation. Syria breaks off diplomatic ties with Jordan following border clashes 1972 Hussein announces plan to make Jordan federal state. Israel, Egypt, Jordan, Libya reject the plan Egypt breaks off diplomatic relations with Jordan because of Hussein's federal plan.

A picture taken on September 6, 1972, shows members of the Israeli team of the Olympic Games marching on the field of the Munich Olympic stadium to attend the memorial ceremony paying tribute to their countrymen killed by a commando of Palestinian terrorists. (Getty Images)

Eleven Israeli athletes are murdered at the Munich Olympic Games by Black September, a terrorist group affiliated with Fatah. (The same group also hijacks a plane en route to Tel Aviv and holds the passengers and crew hostage for 23 hours. The hostages are rescued by IDF counterrorism commandos.) Israel strikes at terrorist bases in Jordan and Lebanon 1973 Conservative Movement's Committee on Jewish Laws and Standards (CJLS) of the Rabbinical Assembly approves minority opinion allowing women to count in a minyan; by 1996, fully 83% of Conservative synagogues counted women in their minyan. Sadat proclaims himself military governor of Egypt, and declares martial law Ephraim Kazir becomes Israel's fourth president.

Soldiers resting during a break in fighting during the Yom Kippur war.

The Yom Kippur War begins with Egyptian and Syrian forces attacking across 1967 ceasefire lines Geneva Peace conference on Middle East opens.

1974 Golda Meirs government resigns, including Defense Minister Moshe Dayan and Foreign Minister Abba Eban, after the criticism of the government's handling of the Yom Kippur War.

Moshe Dayan and Golda Meir in the Golan Heights, during the Yom Kippur War. Photo by Reuters

Yitzhak Rabin becomes Prime Minister. Arab summit conference in Rabat determines that the PLO is the sole representative of the Palestinian Arabs and removes Jordan from a future role in the West Bank PLO receives observer status at the UN. 1975 The 100,000th immigrant from the USSR arrives. Zionism is Racism resolution passed by the UN Israel becomes an associate member of the European Common Market. 1976 The Security Council opens Middle East debate. PLO invites, Israel boycotts the sessions.

Israeli Rina Mor wins the Miss Universe competition. At its sixty-sixth session held in Cairo, the Arab League Council accepts Palestine, as represented by the PLO, as a full member of the Arab League equal to all other members 1977 Maccabi Tel Aviv basketball team wins European championship for the first time. Sadat says he will end the state of war with Israel only after complete Israeli withdrawl and will consider a peace treaty 5 years after last Israeli soldier leaves the territories. 7

Visit of Egyptian President Anwar Sadat to Jerusalem. After praying at the al Aksa mosque Egyptian President Sadat addresses the Knesset calling for Israeli withdrawal and the establishment of a Palestinain state. 1978 Israel wins the Eurovision Song Contest. Camp David Accords include framework for comprehensive peace in the Middle East and proposal for Palestinian selfgovernment. The Camp David conference ends in the signing, at the White House, of two agreements: the first dealing with an IsraelEgypt peace treaty and the restoration of Sinai to the latter; the second, a framework agreement establishing a format for negotions on a five-year autonomy regime in the West Bank and Gaza region. Israel-Egypt peace talks to begin shortly with the aim of signing the treaty no later than 17 December.

Bill Fitz-Patrick/Jimmy Carter Library Menachem Begin, Jimmy Carter and Anwar Sadat in September 1978 after signing the Camp David Accords, which provided the framework for the Israel-Egypt Peace Treaty of 1979.

The Israeli Government approves the Camp David agreements by an 11-2 vote. Commerce and Industry Minister Hurwitz resigns. The Knesset approves the Camp David agreement by a vote of 84 for, 19 against, 17 abstentations. Prime Minister Begin and Egyptian President Sadat are awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. 1979 Egypt-Israel peace treaty signed A revolution in Iran forces the Shah to flee and an Islamic Republic is created under Ayatollah Khomeini. Americans are taken hostage and held for 444 days in the U.S. Embassy in Tehran. Saddam Hussein becomes Iraq's head of state. 1980 Embassy of Israel opens in Cairo. The Israeli cabinet affirms the right of Israeli Jews to settle in Hebron. An Israel-Egypt agreement on tourism is signed in Cairo.

Israeli Lira, circa 1978

The lira is replaced by the shekel (1 shekel = 10 lirot). 1981 Maccabi Tel-Aviv basketball team wins European Champions' Cup. Israel Air Force destroys Iraqi nuclear reactor at Osirak just before it is to become operative. The U.S. suspends arms deliveries to Israel in the wake of the Baghdad raid.

Egyptian soldiers tend to wounded after an attack on the reviewing platform which killed Egyptian President Anwar Sadat in Cairo, Egypt, on Oct. 6, 1981.

Egyptian President Anwar Sadat is assassinated in Cairo. Israeli leaders eulogize the late president. Hosni Mubarak succeeds him. 1982 Israel proceeds to dismantle and remove its civilian settlements in northern Sinai. Israel invaded Lebanon, getting as far as Beirut, and eventually driving the PLO out of Lebanon, forcing them to Tunisia.

Israeli troops move into Damour, Lebanon, in June 1982, near the start of the invasion.

Israeli jets carry out massive air raids on Beirut. President Reagan phones Prime Minister Begin demanding an end to the bombing. PM Begin agrees to halt the raids. President elect Bashir Gemayel is murdered in the Phallange headquarters in Beirut. The IDF is ordered to take control of key positions in West Beirut Hundreds of thousands protest the War in Lebanon. The Cabinet announces its position regarding withdrawal of all foreign troops from Lebanon; peace treaty with Lebanon; exchange of prisoners and appropriate security arrangements for Israel. The UN General Assembly adopts a resolution calling on the Security Council to take action to implement the plan for the establishment of an independent Palestinian state. It demands Israeli withdrawal from territories seized in 1967, including East Jerusalem. Israel rejects the resolution.

1983 Ariel Sharon resigns as Defense Minister in the wake of the publications of the Kahan Commission report on Sabra and Shatilla massacres, which found fault with Israel's actions. U.S. negotiated withdrawal agreement signed between Israel and Lebanon. Syria declares PLO chairman Yasser Arafat persona non grata and orders him to leave the country. Arafat flies to Tunis and calls Syria's action regrettable. Prime Minister Begin resigns and Yitzhak Shamir heads new government.

Yitzhak Shamir, then Israeli foreign minister, talks with reporters in Washington after meeting with President Ronald Reagan at the White House in March 1983.

Prime Minister Shamir and Defense Minister Arens hold talks in the White House and reach an agreement on joint IsraelU.S. strategic, political, military and economic cooperation. 1984 The Government of Lebanon abrogates unilaterally the May 17, 1983 Israel-Lebanon agreement.

Operation Moses

Operation Moses flies 7,000 Ethiopian Jews to Israel. The UN General Assembly adopts a resolution stating, inter alia, that Israel is not a peace loving nation. 1985 Jewish Theological Seminary ordains Amy Eilberg first woman rabbi ordained by the Conservative movement. The government resolves to redeploy the IDF in Lebanon in three stages. Stage one within five weeks will see the IDF withdrawing from Sidon and being redeployed in the Nabatiyeh-Litani sector; stage two will involve withdrawal in the eastern sector and in the final phase the IDF will be redeployed along the international border. There will be a buffer zone where local Lebanese forces, assisted by the IDF, will operate. The Cabinet proclaims an emergency economic program to curb inflation. The budget is reduced, prices rise, an 18.8% devaluation of the Shekel and additional taxes are levied. In first ruling by Israeli court convicting Israeli Jews of terrorist involvement, three Jewish settlers are convicted of murder and twelve other defendants are found guilty of committing violent crimes between 1980-84 against West Bank mayors and others. 10

ABOUT THE ABARBANEL FAMILY In the short story APPLES FROM THE DESERT the Abarbanel family lives in the religious neighborhood Shaarei Chesed in Israel.

Shaarei Chesed is a religious neighborhood at the north edge of Rechavia. The adjacent neighborhoods are Nachlat Tzaddok, Nachlaot and Rechavia. It was established in 1909 as a neighborhood for poor people who had no place to live. The neighborhood was built according to a plan of many attached one-story houses, built on narrow lots, each with a small courtyard, but starting in 1975 there was an acceleration of renewal and people began to renovate with stonework and different pavements. The new houses were bigger than the original structures with additional floors added on. Today, most of the land is zoned for individual houses or two separate apartments. The facades of the buildings are protected to maintain the unique charm of the neighborhood. The area is especially popular with the Orthodox community, and the new residents of the area are mostly wealthy religious Jews from Western and European countries. One of the main attractions are the numerous synagogues of many religious varieties in this small neighborhood Shaarei Chesed is close to the Great Synagogue, many hotels and the center of town. On Keren Kayemet L'Yisrael Street are a high school, pharmacies, stores, and restaurants. Shaarei Chesed was developed by disciples of the Vilna Gaon who insisted on adherence to Torah Law as a pre-requisite of settlement. An American recounts his time in the neighborhood Shaarei Chesed during the 1970s Revisiting the Mishpacha January 1, 2009 All Beginnings Are Hard In the summer of 1970, after our marriage, Feigi and I made plans to spend some time in Israel. This was my second trip, having spent a year at Yeshiva Kerem BYavne in 1965/66. Feigi had never been to Israel. In those days, many girls attended seminaries in the United States, and studying in Israel was far less common. Feigi had attended Yavne Seminary in Cleveland Heights, Ohio, the year before our marriage.

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Rabbi Moshe Sherer, the President of Agudath Israel of America, tried to help us in any way he could. He contacted Rabbi Shaulson, the chief assistant to Knesset Member Rabbi Menachem Porush, and asked him to help find us a dwelling. Rabbi Shaulson met us at the airport and took us to our first home in Israel. It was in the Shaarei Chesed neighborhood. Today, Shaarei Chesed has become gentrified, and homes there sell for a fortune. This was not the case in 1970. Jerusalem of (Very) Old Though it is located only a few blocks from Rehavia and the downtown section, Shaarei Chesed had a totally different character. It was more of a suburb of Meah Shearim than a part of modern Yerushalayim. Rabbi Shaulson had arranged for us to share the home of an elderly Yerushalmi widower, Mr. Zilberman. During the week, he used his room and shared kitchen privileges with us. He always went away to his numerous children on Shabbos and holidays. The house was at the end of the neighborhood, overlooking a valley with the Knesset visible in the distance. We had a kitchen, bathroom, living room, dining room and a large bedroom for $100 a month, including utilities, totally furnished. That seems like a bargain. However, we were not happy with our situation at all. The way to make hot water if one wanted to take a bath was to put wood kindling into the boiler and light a fire. This discouraged us from taking baths too often, as it was a big deal just to get hot water. The kitchen was primitive as well. It was basically a sink and a few gas burners served from a container outside. The refrigerator was located in the living room. Another problem was that we were in a totally Yerushalmi Old Yishuv neighborhood. Most of our neighbors were people who had inherited their homes. I remember walking around the neighborhood trying to find anyone who was like us and feeling lonely and isolated. This made me unable to appreciate that I was living in close proximity to many Yerushalmi greats, like Rabbi Shlomo Zalman Auerbach. I do remember that in Elul Rabbi Shalom Schwadron knocked at our door. When I opened it, he did not say a word, just made some grunting sounds. I immediately realized that he was having a taanis dibbur (refraining from all speech). I asked if he was looking for the owner of the house and explained that he was not home but that I would tell him that Rav Schwadron came to see him. No one in that neighborhood had central heating. We had space heaters that you filled with kerosene and lit. If you didnt leave a window open, you would die from the fumes, and if you did leave it open, you would be cold. Those were the choices. You woke up with soot in your nose. Defining Identity in APPLES IN THE DESERT

A postcard depicting a Sephardic Woman in Bosnia dressed in traditional clothing (1918).

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The Abarbanel family is described as Sephardic and Orthodox. Sephardic Jews are descended from the Jews of Spain, Portugal, North Africa and the Middle East. The classification of Sephardic is often subdivided into Sephardim (from Spain and Portugal); and Mizrachim (from Northern Africa and the Middle East). Until the 1400s Jews were able to move freely throughout the Iberian Peninsula, North Africa and the Middle East. However when the Jews were expelled from Spain in 1492 many were absorbed into existing Mizrachi communities in Northern Africa and the Middle East. For decades, tensions brewed between Ashkenazic and Sephardic Jews in Israel. In the early days of Israels existence the Sephardim were largely absent from positions of political power. Sephardic Zionist leader Elie Eliachar wrote Despite the fact that Sephardim had comprised the great majority in the Mandate civil service, the new government offices were staffed almost entirely without them. Not one Sephardi was found in any position of influence in the political, economic or cultural ministriesNo Sephardi judges were appointed to the Supreme Court, and only a few of the distinguished group of Sephardi judges from Mandate times were given posts in the lower courts. In the early1960s the film Sallah Shabbati, considered one of the first great Israeli comedies, portrayed Sephardic Jews as simple, bumbling, and humorously incompetent. A marriage between an Ashkenazi and a Sephardi is still considered a "nisuei ta'arovet" (mixed marriage) in some circles. The stereotype has been that Sephardim are less intellectual, less well-todo, and less sophisticated than Ashkenazim. On the flip side, the Sephardim take pride in their own unique sense of traditionalism and in the many contributions they have made throughout history towards the study of philosophy, mysticism, linguistics, law, poetry and science.

Signs proscribe modest dress at the edge of the best-known religious neighborhood in Jerusalem, the ultra-Orthodox Mea Shearim.

Victoria and Reuven Abarbanel live in a religious neighborhood in Jerusalem. There are numerous references in the play to Halakhah, or religious law, which determines behavior in every aspect of an observant Jews life. The suggestion is that Reuven, unlike some Sephardic Jews who embrace moderation as a path to modernization (Maimonides called it The Middle Road) enforces strict adherence to these laws. Tensions between the religious and secular communities in Israel have continued to escalate since the time in which APPLES takes place, particularly surrounding the role of women in society. A New York Times article from January 2012 proclaimed, At a time when there is no progress on the Palestinian dispute, Israelis are turning inward and discovering that an issue they had neglected the place of the ultra-Orthodox Jews has erupted into a crisis. And it is centered on women. Just as secular nationalism and socialism posed challenges to the religious establishment a century ago, today the issue is feminism, said Moshe Halbertal, a professor of Jewish philosophy at Hebrew University. This is an immense ideological and moral challenge that touches at the core of life, and just as it is affecting the Islamic world, it is the main issue that the rabbis are losing sleep over.

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The article goes on to list the numerous recent headlines that dealt with this matter: from a conference on womens health that barred actual women from speaking; to the harassment of young women by ultra-Orthodox men whose definition of modest dress grows narrower by the day; to the continual disputes surrounding behavior on busses that serve, or even simply traverse religious neighborhoods--the question of womens roles within the Orthodox community is one that grows only more complex and contentious with time. TIME Magazine Monday, Apr. 10, 1972 Religion: Who's What in Jewry TO non-Jews, and indeed to many Jews, the ethnic and religious variations among the world's 14 million Jews are bewildering. Scientifically speaking, there is no Jewish "race." As Scholar Raphael Patai points out in his book, Tents of Jacob, Jews of one geographical area share physiological traits with their immediate non-Jewish neighbors but much less so with Jews of a distant geographical area. Still, the Jews' long history of wandering as tightly knit communities has dispersed them into a wide range of distinct ethnic groups. By far the most numerous today are the ASHKENAZIC Jews, who became an important group in the Rhineland about the 10th century. They take their name from the medieval Hebrew name for Germany, Ashkenaz. The Ashkenazim, who spread across Europe and to North and South America, suffered most of the casualties in the Hitler years, but still account for some 84% of the world's Jews. The remaining 16% are divided between the SEPHARDIC and ORIENTAL Jews. The Sephardim developed into a community in medieval Spain, where their achievements in arts, government and letters made them the most influential Jewish community of the Diaspora until their expulsion in 1492. Their language, Ladino, reflects their Spanish roots. The Oriental Jews are scattered from North Africa to Afghanistan, usually speaking Jewish varieties of Arabic or Persian, and in the case of one group, Aramaic. Beyond these three basic groups there are several smaller Jewish communities with long histories of their own, such as the Jews of the Caucasus, the Cochin Jews of India, the black Falasha Jews of Ethiopia, and an indigenous population in Italy that dates back more than 2,000 years. Though the Italian Jews have often prospered, their numbers are now diminishing through intermarriage with Roman Catholics. As the Jewish homeland, Israel has Jews of almost every kind, color and Judaic language, although the Sephardic pronunciation of Hebrew has been made standard for Israel. In the U.S., the oldest Jewish community is that of the Sephardim, who first arrived in 1654. They brought with them an ORTHODOX heritage, but many strayed from it in the New World. The first important wave of Ashkenazic immigration from Germany in the 1840s and '50s, on the other hand, brought with it the REFORM movement of religious Judaism, an outgrowth of the Age of Enlightenment. Caught up in the rationalism of the age, Reform set out to modernize liturgy, rejected the binding authority of Jewish law and such key beliefs as a literal Messiah and personal immortality. But it re-emphasized Jewish ethical values. The Reform approach seemed sterile to some Jews, who in the late 19th century began to turn to a compromise between Reform and Orthodoxy known in the U.S. as CONSERVATIVE Judaism. At the same time, waves of Eastern European Jews, some of whom clung to their Old World Orthodoxy, were emigrating to the U.S. But not until the rise of Nazism in Europe did yet another group of Orthodox Jews arrive in the U.S.the followers of HASIDISM, a movement of mystical enthusiasm that sprang up in Eastern Europe in the 18th century. Among them were the Satmar Hasidim, named after the Rumanian town of Satmar, and the Lubavitch Hasidim, named after the White Russian town of Lubavitch. The Satmar sect is fiercely loyal to the U.S. but anti-Zionist because only the Messiah can re-establish Israel. They remain small (about 5,000 families), but the Lubavitcher, who accept Israel and are also staunch U.S. patriots, now have perhaps 150,000 members and sympathizers. 14

At the other end of the spectrum is RECONSTRUCTIONISM, a sort of Jewish equivalent of Unitarianism that grew out of the naturalism and pragmatism of American thought in the 1920s and 1930s. Its adherents number some 2,300 families. Because the question of religious affiliation has been kept out of recent U.S. censuses, the current Jewish population of the U.S. can only be estimated: about 6,000,000. Roughly half of U.S. Jewish families belong to synagogues, and the three major groupsReform, Conservative, Orthodoxnow probably share that membership in approximately equal thirds. Only a massive Jewish population survey now under way will tell Americans just how Jewish they really are. Ashkenazic and Sephardic Jews represent two distinct subcultures of Judaism. We are all Jews and share the same basic beliefs, but there are some variations in culture and practice. It's not clear when the split began, but it has existed for more than a thousand years, because around the year 1000 C.E., Rabbi Gershom ben Judah issued an edict against polygamy that was accepted by Ashkenazim but not by Sephardim. THE LAWS OF SHABBAT By Rav Yosef Zvi Rimon Translated by Rav Yoseif Bloch Milking on the holy Shabbat by a Jew is totally prohibited and a terrible desecration of Shabbat, and Heaven forbid that one take a lenient view of this. There is no other way of milking on Shabbat aside from having it done by a non-Jew. Uncovered Beverages From KOF-K Kosher Supervision, one of the foremost Kosher certification agencies in the United States. In the time of Chazal there was a concern that one should not drink water,1 wine, milk,2 and honey3 that was left uncovered because of a snake whose venom might have gotten into the drink and it will cause the person danger. Today, snakes are not commonly found and therefore, most of klal yisroel are not concerned for this halacha (except for Kiddush, see below).4 However, there are some poskim who says that even today one should be careful with this.5 Some say even for those who are lenient, if the beverage was left uncovered all night one should be stringent.6 The Gra7 and the Chazzon Ish,8 among other gedolim, were stringent with this. It is said that the Chazzon Ish was concerned about leaving yogurt uncovered as well.9 Some say if one is careful with uncovered beverages he will not have foreign thoughts while davening.10 If the beverage is put on a plate too high for a snake to reach it is permitted.11 Some say that within a one floor house which is near a field one should be careful with uncovered beverages.12 Even though beverages left are not prohibited because of gilu, one should not keep them uncovered because some bugs or dirt might get into the drink.13 According to those who are stringent it is noteworthy to mention some of the pertinent halachos in this inyun. A way to avoid drinks being considered revealed is if a person is watching the drink to make sure that no snake drinks from the beverage. The reason why this helps is because snakes are scared to go near a living person.14 One who slept near the drink has not prevented the drink from coming to danger.15 The shiur that the drink may not be left varies. Some say 5-6 hours,16 others say twenty minutes17 and some say one or two minutes.18 Some say one should not leave a dish with food uncovered for the above period of time, but the custom is not like this opinion.19 Those who are stringent with this halacha may not drink the beverage even if the uncovered water etc is butel bshishim.20 What does it mean if Rivka touches Dooby? Shomer Negiah By Jordanna Birnbaum Upon meeting an observant Jew, you may ask, "Are you shomer negiah?" before extending your hand. While the words shomer negiah literally mean observant of touch, the term refers to someone who refrains from physical contact 15

with members of the opposite sex. Originally known in texts simply as "negiah," the practice generally excludes one's immediate family members--a spouse, children, parents, siblings, and grandparents. There is some debate, however, over the issue of touching siblings after the age of puberty. Origins The prohibition regarding touch is derived from two verses in Leviticus: "None of you shall come near anyone of his own flesh to uncover nakedness: I am the Lord" (18:6), and "Do not come near a woman during her period of uncleanness to uncover her nakedness" (18:19). Although these verses seem to be directed towards men, women are equally bound by the laws associated with these verses, just as they are with all other negative commandments. The second of these verses, which prohibits intercourse with a niddah (a menstruating woman), applies not just to one's wife but to any other women as well, married or not (Responsa Rivash 425, Lev. 18:19). The rabbis extend this prohibition to include not just sex, but all touching. And since unmarried women do not go to the mikveh, they are considered to be always in a state of niddah--and therefore always off-limits for sex, or physical contact with men. Maimonides and Nahmanides, in a well-known rabbinic debate, consider how serious an infraction it is to touch a woman who is a niddah. According to Maimonides in Sefer Hamitzvot, "whoever touches a woman in niddah with affection or desire, even if the act falls short of intercourse, violates a negative Torah commandment" (Lev. 18:6,30). Yet Nahmanides' (1194-1270) commentary states that acts such as hugging and kissing do not violate a negative commandment of the Torah, but only a rabbinic prohibition. The Siftei Kohen (17th century) further explains Maimonides by stating that he was only referring to hugging and kissing associated with intercourse. There are several places in the Talmud that the Amoraim (talmudic rabbis) hug and kiss their daughters (Kiddushin 81b) and sisters (Shabbat 13a), and their behavior is considered permissible. Touching in the Subway or Bus Two contemporary issues concerning shomer negiah are shaking hands and sitting next to a member of the opposite sex when traveling on a bus or subway. Rabbi Moshe Feinstein, a 20th century Orthodox legal scholar, looked at the issues of public transportation. He wrote, "regarding the permissibility of travel in crowded busses and subways during rush hour, when it is difficult to avoid being jostled by women: Such physical contact involves no prohibition, because it does not contain any element of lust or desire" (Igrot Moshe, Even Haezer, Vol. II, 14). If the contact is unintentional or unavoidable, then, according to Feinstein, it is "not a lustful affectionate act." It is clear from Feinstein's response that intention is important when dealing with shomer negiah issues. Shaking Hands The issue of handshaking is more complex. The Jerusalem Talmud states, "Even if he is young, lust is not stirred by a momentary act" (Sotah 3:1). It is logical to consider handshaking a "momentary act", and therefore permit it. The Shulhan Arukh forbids many types of interactions such as winks, gestures, and pleasurable gazing, but touching without intention of affect is not one of them (Even HaEzer 21:1). This might also be extended to permit handshaking. In 1962, Feinstein responded to the issue of handshaking: "As far as your having seen even pious individuals returning handshakes offered by women, perhaps they think it does not constitute an affectionate act, but it is really difficult to rely on this" (Igrot Moshe, Even Haezer, Vol. I, 56). According to Rabbi Getsel Ellenson, author of a series of books on women and mitzvot, Rabbi Feinstein's words do not directly prohibit handshaking, but they reflect reservations about the idea that the handshake has become just a "polite 16

formality." Other more contemporary responses allow for handshakes in order to spare the other person from embarrassment. Almost all of these opinions state that when seeing someone on a regular basis one should explain the laws of shomer negiah, so as to not be forced to shake hands each time. Rabbi Yehuda Henkin, a contemporary Orthodox scholar, states: "Certainly, handshaking is not counted among sexual actions (peulot) or lustful actions (darkhei hazenut). Moreover, in both Sefer haMitzvot 15 and Hilkhot Issurei Biah 16 21:1 Maimonides stresses that the negative commandment (lo taaseh) proscribes activities that customarily lead to sexual relations. Handshaking is not one of these" (Hakirah, The Flatbush Journal of Jewish Law and Thought). Besides touching family members, there are other exceptions to the shomer negiah rule, for example, a doctor treating a patient of the opposite sex. The rishonim, halakhic authorities who lived from the 11th-15th centuries, permitted a male doctor to examine a woman even if it involved touching, under the assumption that the doctor is preoccupied with his work (Nahmanides' Responsa 127, Tosafot Avodah Zarah 29a). Ultimately, when dealing with the issue of shomer negiah, sensitivity and respect are of utmost importance. If you'll be interacting with someone who is shomer negiah, respect their decision and treat them graciously. If you are shomer negiah and others are unaware of the laws, do not embarrass or scold them--just explain your beliefs. TIME Magazine Monday, Jul. 24, 1978 ISRAEL: Exemption for the Pious A law to aid religious women, and perhaps draft dodgers too A woman shall not wear anything that pertains to a man .. .for whoever does these things is an abomination to the Lord your God. Deuteronomy 22:5 That ancient biblical injunction returned to haunt Premier Menachem Begin last week. Only a last-minute compromise between religious conviction and military necessity appears to have saved Begin's coalition government from its gravest domestic crisis in 13 months of rule. The issue: Israeli women in uniform. The Premier's troubles began when he agreed to a request by the ultra-Orthodox Agudat Israel Party to amend Israel's conscription laws, thereby making it easier for Orthodox Jewish women to gain exemption from the draft. Orthodox rabbis believe that women should not serve in the armed forces, since they interpret the prohibition against men's clothing to include the khaki trousers and the UZI submachine guns issued to Israel's female conscripts. The law now requires that women serve for two years and men for three, beginning at age 18. In April, the government introduced legislation that would automatically exempt women from the army if they declared they had religious objections. The move encountered stiff opposition in the Knesset from the Labor and Shelli parties and from one of Likud's key coalition partners, the Democratic Movement for Change. At the same time, Agudat Israel threatened to quit Begin's coalition if the bill did not pass. Passage of the new law, its opponents argued, would invite draft dodging on a mass scale by nonreligious women. This would seriously impair the efficiency of the Israeli armed forces, which rely on women to run many basic administrative and support services. Under present law, Orthodox women are exempt from military service only if they can pass an oral examination on their religious beliefs conducted by a board that includes an army rabbi and a representative of the general staff manpower department. Rabbis objected to this system because some genuinely religious girls fail the exam simply because they are none too bright. 17

According to the new legislation, any 18-year-old girl claiming religious scruples would be exempt "without further examination by any board." In the past year the Defense Ministry has already begun operating in the spirit of the proposed law. Result: a 9% rise in exemptions for draft-age women. A report by the Defense Ministry submitted to the Knesset this month predicted that 30% of the 25,283 women due to be drafted this year will claim religious exemptions if the unamended bill passes. The compromise bill, designed to tighten the exemption loophole, would require women seeking exemptions to declare that they do not travel on the Sabbath and strictly observe Jewish dietary laws. Although the girls will no longer have to pass examinations, they will face stiff penalties if discovered to have made false declarations. A girl found lolling on a beach on the Sabbath, for example, will be Liable to serve a term in prison, to be followed by regular army service. The Knesset will almost certainly pass the compromise bill this week. Meanwhile, 20,000 nonreligious high school girls who face conscription after graduation demonstrated in Tel Aviv last week to protest making it easy for draft dodgers. Teen-agers throughout the country circulated petitions demanding equality in the conscription system and urging that religious girls be required to do some useful nonmilitary service for the nation. Unexpected support for the opposition came from the Premier's wife, Aliza Begin, whose two daughters, Hasya, 32, and Leah, 30, served in the Israel Defense Forces. "Why should my daughter be drafted, and someone else's not be?" she asked. "There's injustice in that." Sherut Leumi (National Service) Sherut Leumi is voluntary national service that takes the place of army service. Israeli citizens who get an army exemption and non-Israeli citizens who volunteer are both eligible. Sherut Leumi gives young women an opportunity to get intensive exposure to a number of professional environments in Israeli society. Most are Hebrew-speaking environments, but English speakers are rare commodities whose skills are greatly valued. It may also be possible to request an English-speaking environment for service.

Sherut Leumi volunteers at a soup kitchen.

Sherut Leumi offers programs in a wide range of fields including special education, administration, hospitals, law, geriatrics, nursing homes, health clinics, teens at risk, internal security, education, disadvantaged communities, immigrant assistance, environmentalism and other related non-profit organizations. Applicants are interviewed and are matched as best as possible, via placement organizations, to appropriate positions according to their skills, interests and needs. Each placement organization works within specific fields, so it is advisable to have an idea of the field of interest, and then to find the placement organization that works within the chosen field. One who decides to do Sherut Leumi must register through one of the state-recognized placement organizations. The organization then matches the applicant to the place of service. Service lasts for 12 months and typically requires 30-40 hours/week. Each girl is then assigned to a rakezet (coordinator) who serves as a supervisor and advisor. Obtaining an exemption from the compulsary army service: If you have not received your Tzav Rishon yet, but would like to get the Ptur (exemption) earlier than your draft date, the first step is to go to Lishkat Hagiyus to open up a file. This process may take some time so please take that into consideration. If you have already received your Tzav Rishon, you will not need to do this. 18

In order to get a ptur (exemption) from the army for religious reasons, you must: Go to the Rabanut. For a listing of Rabanut offices throughout the country, see: http://www.rbc.gov.il/courts/search/index.asp. Bring 2 passport pictures. There is a 42 NIS processing fee. While the Rabanut offices open at 8:30am, you may not be seen until after 9. State to the Rabanut that you don't want to go to the army for religious reasons. Some girls are asked to meet with a Rabbi who might pose questions to see "if they are religious", others are able to obtain the letter of exemption without further questioning. Once you have the ptur you have to take it to the Lishkat Hagiyus. If you don't have the ptur before your Tzav Rishon, you must go to Lishkat Giyus on the assigned day anyway. Once you receive the ptur, you are responsible for making sure that the army receives it. Domestic abuse in the Sephardic community A womans honor is her safety By Calev Myers The Times of Israel August 14, 2012 I cannot help but wonder what caused retired prison guard Eliyahu Yihya who is described as a perfectly normal man, to draw a gun last week, shoot his wife along with her son, and then end his own life. What causes men like Eliyahu to turn the home, a place which is meant to be safe haven of warmth, love, peace and protection into hell on earth? Violence against women is a global epidemic, which is spreading rapidly and threatening the wellbeing and lives of women worldwide, from gender-selective abortions, to sexual abuse of young girls, to husbands systematic physical abuse against their wives; not to mention honor killings and female circumcisions which are all too prevalent in our region. Studies show that between 25% to 50% of women worldwide have experienced physical violence during their lives, and according to international statistics: some 55% of women murdered worldwide are murdered by their partner. Unfortunately, many people attempt to justify violence against women in cultural terms. Earlier this year, in a document submitted to the Knesset, MK Nissim Zeev (Shas) wrote that tough legislation that seeks to impose minimum sentences on domestic violence offenders, particularly affects Sephardic Jewish families who may be unaware of the significance of their actions because its considered culturally acceptable. In Zeevs document, he made it clear the he was not referring to stabbing with a knife or severe violence, but rather a slap or an isolated incident of violence under difficult circumstances, for example, when the head of the family is unemployed. Firstly, myths of that nature are inconsistent with empirical studies which consistently reveal that domestic violence occurs in all cultural, religious and socio-economic groups. Secondly, if I was of Sephardic heritage, I would be very angry with MK Nissim Zeev. None of my Sephardic friends beat their wives, and I was certainly unaware of this tradition. If I were a woman married to a Sephardic man, I would be twice as angry at MK Zeev. As far as I am concerned, he is not reinforcing existing stereotypes. Rather, he is creating them. According to Zeev, Ashkenazi men must refrain from beating their wives, but when it comes to Sephardic men what else can you expect? We live in a world that turns women into objects. We see this portrayed every day in the movies, on television and in advertisements. And what do we do with objects? We buy, sell and trade them, and once an object is no longer needed, we get rid of it. It doesnt matter anymore what exactly caused Eliyahu Yihyas violent outburst resulting in the murder of his wife. This tragic and irreversible story is a result of a process which likely began long ago deep in his consciousness. Perhaps it began the day when Eliyahu began to believe that women are the exclusive property of their husbands, and therefore, 19

he is entitled do whatever he pleases with his wife. For men like Eliyahu, these ideas and notions of women are only further reinforced by the society around them. Prostitution is a clear example of the denigration of women by society. Women serve as nothing less than a sexual object designed to meet the needs of men. Today, approximately 15,000 women in Israel work in prostitution, of which a third are minors (the vast majority of women enter prostitution at around age 14). This enormous industry facilitates more than 1,000,000 visits to prostitutes per month and an annual turnover of $3.5 billion a year. Roughly 90 percent of women involved in prostitution were subject to violence and sexual abuse as young girls (particularly from family members) and the chances of early death due to violence and murder among prostitutes are 40 times higher than among the general population. In addition, evidence shows that a married man who regularly purchases sexual services from prostitutes becomes more violent at home, since he is used to getting his sexual needs met on command; and God help the woman who does not obey him. We must call upon our leaders to take heed. It is necessary for Israeli authorities legislative bodies, law enforcement agencies, and judicial systems alike, to deal more severely with incidents of violence against women. Moreover, the education system must educate our children regarding the issues of sexual exploitation and dangers of pedophilia which lurk beyond every street corner and online chat-room. A legislative bill which calls for the criminalization of clients of prostitution passed its first reading in the Knesset in April 2012. It seems that this initiative is currently buried somewhere in a pile of bills that never went on to a second or third reading. While the shocking case of Eliyahu Yihya is still very fresh in our collective conscience, I hope that this bill reaches its second and third readings in the Knesset, becomes law, and ultimately restores a measure of dignity to women, while significantly reducing violence against women in Israel.

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A Brief History of Israeli Folk Dancing by Aaron Alpert

Israeli Folk Dancing, or IFD, is unlike most other forms of dancing which are referred to as "folk dances." Those dances formed within their local communities over many years and generations. IFD, in great contrast, is only about 60 years old, with new dances constantly being choreographed by yotzrim. Also, the style of IFD varies greatly; whereas other folk dances usually follow the regional culture in terms of music and steps, IFD has embraced and incorporated Hebrew, biblical, Yemenite, Romanian, Latin, and many other influences, both in terms of the content and form of the dances. The early chalutzim, or pioneers, who settled the land of Israel did more than just farm. Many of them realized that if they were to one day create--as they hoped, an independent nation--they would need some sort of unifying culture. However, the people who would constitute the new countrythe immigrantswere going to come from all different parts of the Diaspora and therefore bring vastly different cultures. In order to integrate these peoples, the national culture would have to be created from scratch. For the national language, Hebrew, which was a dying language at the time, was revived. New music was composed. And, of course, Israeli Folk Dancing was created. IFD is often referred to as "hothouse culture," because its creators very carefully constructed everything about it, right down to its very namethey chose to call it "folk dancing" because "folk" sounded more inclusive and accessible, and they hoped that Israel would appeal to all Jews worldwide. Of course, the themes they chose for their dances were of the utmost importance. Many early dances revolve around biblical stories (all Jews share the Torah as their common religious text), around Eretz Yisrael (the land was communal; a homeland for all Jews), or around the solidarity of the community. In terms of the styles and forms for their dances, the early choreographers borrowed from other cultures. Yemenite dancing was very popular in the early days. The debka, an energetic dance done in short lines, is originally Arabic. Although many people think of "the Hora" when they think of "Jewish dancing," the Hora comes from Romania. Some other Eastern European styles also found their way into IFD, especially the dance styles preserved by the Hassidim, a sect of ultra-orthodox Jews. Because these dances were designed to encourage community and equality, most had relatively simple structures and a circular formation.

With these principles in mind, the early choreographers began to forge their dances. However, after they'd created a dance, there was not always a forum in which to present it. For this reason, Gurit Kadman organized the first Dalia Festival at Kibbutz Dalia in 1944. The attendance at the event far exceeded estimates; Dalia was a huge success. It also rooted IFD as an art and a cultural form, and it provided a way for dances to disseminate across Israel. 21

Israel Public Broadcasting THE VOICE OF ISRAEL - "ALL THE NEWS" Kol Yisrael, "the Voice of Israel", is a public radio station, set up before the state was established in 1928. The Voice of Israel currently transmits 130 hours a day on eight networks. CHANNEL TWO Since the Gulf War, the station's second channel has become "all-news" and the main source of news and current affairs for Israelis. Its transmissions are on AM and FM around the clock. Apart from news every hour on the hour and updates every half hour, the network puts out current affairs magazines, newsreels and sports, social, economic and entertainment programs. News reporters are deployed on a local, regional and international basis, with specialist beats. The main newsroom is in Jerusalem, backed up by branches at the Tel Aviv, Haifa and Beersheba studios. CHANNEL C (GIMMEL) The Voice of Israel's Channel C was opened in 1977 to broadcast a variety of light music and has set the tone for the Israeli electronic media in this field ever since. From its studios in Jerusalem and Tel Aviv, the network puts out 19 hours a day of non-stop FM music, studio-presented entertainment programs, special outside broadcasts and news on musical topics. THE CULTURAL CHANNELS The First Channel transmits a wide range of plays, literature, the arts, science, Israeli heritage and traditions, folklore, instructional and educational programs, interspersed with Hebrew language songs. It also transmits programs to specific target audiences, such as children and retired persons. The Voice of Music transmits 18 hours a day, on FM stereo, of classical and modern music, jazz, as well as orchestral, chamber and solo performances from Israel and abroad. The Voice of Music transmits a weekly afternoon chamber concert "Etnachta" and performances by the Jerusalem Symphony - Broadcasting Authority Orchestra. In terms of public recognition, these concerts greatly assist Israeli performers and composers. The Voice of Music sponsors an annual music festival in the Upper Galilee, competitions to encourage and discover young artists, and some of the Israel Festival's musical events etc. OVERSEAS BROADCASTS Operating since 1955, the Voice of Israel's shortwave transmissions on Channel Five broadcasts to the entire world. They are also the main link between Israel and Jewish communities abroad. In its early years, "Kol Zion la'Gola" as it was known, was the sole reliable and direct source of information for Jews living in the Arab countries and behind the "Iron Curtain". Administered by the overseas broadcasting division, it transmits to listeners abroad in 14 languages: English, French, Russian, Bukharan, Georgian, Tatar, Yiddish, Ladino, Spanish, Rumanian, Hungarian, Persian, Yemenite and easy Hebrew. Apart from news and broadcasts reflecting events in the country, the channel transmits documentaries on Judaism, the history of the Israeli people, Israeli culture and discussions on immigration and absorption.

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REKA "Reka," a Hebrew acronym for the "Immigrant Absorption Channel" was set up on May 26 1991, the day "Operation Solomon," to bring Ethiopian Jews to Israel, was completed. This was also at the peak of immigration from the Commonwealth of Independent States. Established to help hundreds of thousands of newcomers settle and integrate into Israeli society, the channel transmits 10 hours a day in Russian and two hours in Amharic, along with parallel broadcasts in 10 languages from Channel Five. Reka's main programs are aimed at helping immigrants understand what is happening in the country. Apart from news and current affairs, there are programs that offer counseling and guidance on employment, health, education, social rights, legal advice, help in tracing missing relatives and a "getting to know you" show. There are three daily news bulletins in easy Hebrew and two hours of Hebrew language lessons. CHANNEL FOUR - "THE VOICE OF ISRAEL" IN ARABIC Covering most of the Middle East, the Voice of Israel in Arabic transmits 18 hours a day on two medium and two short wave frequencies. The broadcasts are intended for listeners in Israel, the territories and the Arab countries. The daily output includes seventeen news bulletins, four newsreels, a wide variety of current affairs, entertainment, religious, musical and "phone-in" programs. The Arabic Voice of Israel broadcasts have very high listener ratings. A survey carried out in 1994 showed that more than 80 % of the Arab community in Israel listens regularly. Surveys by international organizations and radio stations in the nearby and more distant Arab countries show that the "Voice of Israel" Arabic broadcasts have a high proportion of listeners beyond Israel's borders and are considered especially reliable. One of the most popular programs for the Arabic audience in the Middle East is "Doctor Behind the Microphone," which has been on the air for more than 20 years. In this program, physicians and consultants answer listeners seeking medical advice throughout the entire Middle East. Many patients from Arab countries, some still in a state of war with Israel, have come to Israel for medical treatment through the program.

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The Edison Theater

Bygone downtown Jerusalem Post 12/09/2005 The destruction of the Edison Theater marks the end of an era. Imagine you come across the backstreet entrance of a popular theater, just before the performance is about to begin. You bump into the star of the evening, dressed in a chic French basic black chemise and you try to understand why, in this exotic country, winter evenings feel almost as cold as they do in Paris. You would certainly feel you're living in one of the "hottest" places in the world, going for another eve of culture and fun of the highest level in a very "in" place. The star in question would have been - s'il-vous-plait - the famous singer Juliette Greco, on a short visit in the Holy Land, 30something years ago. And the popular theater, believe it or not, would have been the Edison, standing proudly on Yeshayahu Street in town-down Jerusalem. Yes, the same Edison Theater that is being demolished this week, to make way for a new neighborhood, a residential center for the virulently anti-Zionist Satmer hassidim. As they say, sic transit gloria mundi. The Edison Hall, according to noted Jerusalem architect and urban planner, David Kroyanker, was built in 1932 and served as a central culture hall in Jerusalem until the 1950s, together with the Zion Cinema (in Zion Square) and the Rex Hall, not far away. But the Edison reigned supreme. The most important performances in town were held there, and the wide range of artists over the years included, to name just a few, Oum Koulthoum, Otto Klemperer, Toscanini and, of course, Juliette Greco. Klemperer, the great German-Jewish conductor, orchestrated in the Edison in a wheelchair, after he had made his way back to Judaism and decided to hold a concert in Jerusalem. The birth of the Edison, together with the other cinema halls and theaters in Jerusalem, was connected to "a certain prosperity in the city, that began around the the '30s," Kroyanker writes, adding that the last cinema hall built in those days is actually the only one that has survived until the present - the Smadar Cinema in the German Colony, then known as the Regent Cinema, "the place" for the soldiers of the British mandate. The Edison was planned by architect Ritten, while the foyer and the inner hall were designed by the most famous architects in the region at that time - Dan and Raphael Ben-Dor. It was considered one of the most elegant buildings in the city, a place of culture with more than a hint of Europe. For Moshe Dadash, the legendary owner for almost 20 years, the Edison was first and foremost a piece of Jerusalem's modern history. "It was everything for us, the people of Jerusalem: theater, cinema, opera - a must in our cultural life here. Whatever important happened in the life of this city it was happening there, at the Edison," he recalls. Dadash admits that while he has heard that Oum Koulthoum 24

performed at the Edison, he has no personal recollection of the concert. "I'm not sure if it's real or just another legend connected to the Edison, but I know for sure about the other "big names" who performed there in those years, during the British mandate and after the creation of the State. He remembers Maestro Arturo Toscanini: "Everybody who was somebody came to the concert. And he recalls the great operas of the time. "Everything you could see or hear in the big cities in the region or even in Europe - we had it here, at the Edison. I'm telling you - everyone came to the Edison," Growing up in Jerusalem, Rachel Dorot, now 83, remembers the best days of the Edison. "All of the 'hevreh' would meet there. We went to movies and concerts. None of us had much money, and we lived simply, but we could afford to go to a concert at the Edison. During the mandate, Jerusalem was a city of culture, with the Edison at its center." But with the end of the mandate, Jerusalem became, until the Six Day War, a relatively tiny and remote place, while Tel Aviv began to emerge as a cultural center. From the '70s, even those events that did come to Jerusalem stopped coming to the Edison - there were other places, more modern. So the Edison became a movie theater. "We had all the westerns and all the best movies," continues Dadash. "Then came the big trend of Turkish and Indian movies. They were a huge hit, and the Edison was the place to go if you wanted to watch one of those movies". But the area of the Edison, contiguous to Mea Shearim and Geula, became increasing ultra-Orthodox. Dadash says that although he is very sad to hear about the end of the Edison, he admits that it was inevitable. "It became a foreign object in the neighborhood," he observes. "It was a matter of time - there was no chance the Edison could continue in an ultra-Orthodox vicinity, there's nothing you can do about that." Actually, Dadash and the Edison suffered from their neighbors for decades. Demonstrations, police, even threats against his life - Dadash has seen them all, including orders not to sell tickets before the end of Shabbat. "We finally decided to give up the first screening on Saturdays, and in those days, we didn't even dream of opening up on Friday nights. So we only had a late show, but we still had problems - the stills outside advertising the movie, the posters. A cinema is not the usual thing that our ultra-Orthodox neighbors wanted to have around." Dadash added that anyway, since the small movie halls in the malls were opened, the era of places like the Edison had come to an end. I personally bid adieu to the Edison while watching Steven Spielberg's' "E.T." I didn't phone home, and the place wasn't at its best anymore, but its past splendor and glamor were still there. The Edison has been closed for years now and the beautiful building has become nothing more than a ruin, serving as a "zula" for homeless young people, most of them known by the welfare department of the municipality, many of them addicted to drugs or alcohol. No one was really surprised to discover that a group of constructors and real estate developers had decided to buy the building in order to build apartments for ultra-Orthodox families. And perhaps the fact that the group is connected to the Satmer hassidim, who still strongly oppose the mere existence of the State of Israel, is also just another aspect of an on-going struggles in Jerusalem. Back in the 1970s, members of the "Eidah Haredit" and the Satmer organized demonstrations against the Edison, helping to promote its decline. Now, 30 years later, they buy up the ruin, in order to demolish it and take over its space.

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THE KIBBUTZ Approximate route from Jerusalem to the kibbutz where Rivka and Dooby live:

The Kibbutz Movement: Then and now. By Rachael Gelfman Schultz Israel's first kibbutz was Degania, founded in 1909 by a group of young Jewish immigrants from Eastern Europe. They dreamed of working the land and creating a new kind of community, and a new kind of Jew--stronger, more giving, and more rooted in the land. The community they founded, and the hundreds more kibbutzim that popped up across the country, aimed to realize the Marxist principle, "from each according to his ability, to each according to his needs." In the early years, kibbutz members worked mostly in agriculture. Instead of earning individual incomes for their labor, all money and assets on the kibbutz were managed collectively. In keeping with the ideal of total economic equality, kibbutz members ate together in a communal dining hall, wore the same kibbutz clothing (and had them washed at the kibbutz laundry), and shared responsibility for child-rearing, education, cultural programs, and other social services.

Kibbutz Gan Shmuel, 1950

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By 1950, two years after the establishment of the state, 67,000 Israelis lived on kibbutzim, making up 7.5% of the country's population. At this time, kibbutzim played a key role not only in Israel's agricultural development, but also in its defense and political leadership. Early kibbutzim were often placed strategically along the country's borders and outlying areas in order to help in the defense of the country. Many of the country's top politicians and leaders in military and industry, particularly in the 1950s and 60s, came from the kibbutz movement. Economic Crisis & Abatement The kibbutz movement continued to thrive both economically and socially through the 1960s and 70s. In 1989, the population of Israel's kibbutzim reached its height at 129,000 people living on 270 kibbutzim, about 2% of Israel's population. But high inflation and interest rates led to economic crisis for many kibbutzim. In the 1980s and 90s, many kibbutzim declared bankruptcy and thousands of kibbutz members defected. In keeping with an increasing trend of individualism in Israel and world-wide, these former kibbutz members sought new opportunities in Israeli cities, and some left Israel altogether. The kibbutz movement needed to redefine itself in order to survive economically and attract new members. And so, at the start of the 21st century, 179 of Israel's 270 kibbutzim privatized. Instead of doing away entirely with personal property, members of privatized kibbutzim pay the kibbutz a progressive rate of their income. This ensures that differences in earnings on a kibbutz are still much smaller than in Israeli society as a whole. Privatized kibbutzim use their communal coffers to take care of the elderly, sick, and those otherwise unable to earn high wages, and they also provide for health care, education, and culture for their members. This arrangement has rescued the kibbutzim economically, bringing most out of a state of crisis, and made kibbutzim more attractive to new members. Today, thousands of Israelis are coming back to the kibbutzim, including children who grew up on kibbutz and later left to seek other opportunities. Many kibbutzim have long waiting lists for membership. Life on a Kibbutz Daily life for kibbutz members today is very different from what it once was. Originally, kibbutz members had very little discretionary spending and made almost no personal economic choices. For example, if a child on the kibbutz was a talented musician, the entire kibbutz would vote on whether to send her to a specialized music school. Today, kibbutz families have much larger budgets and can make many more economic decisions--including whether to make meals at home or eat in the dining hall, and whether to spend money on fancier clothes or exotic vacations. The area of labor also underwent a revolution. One of the central values of the early kibbutzim was working the land. Starting in the 1920s and 30s, the kibbutzim moved to a combination of agriculture and industry. The bulk of kibbutz industry is focused in processed foods (including the well known Tirat Zvi deli meat and Yavneh pickles), plastics, and metal.

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Kibbutz Kfar Masaryk

Today, only 15% of kibbutz income is from agriculture, and most of the physical agricultural work is done by foreign workers--an idea which would have been anathema to the original kibbutznikim. A substantial amount of kibbutz income still comes from industry, but now kibbutzim are also running commercial services that are increasingly profitable. Kibbutz-run commercial tourism has been particularly successful, and many kibbutzim boast beautiful guest houses and hotels. Family life on the kibbutz has changed significantly as well. The founders of the first kibbutzim saw the family unit as a remnant of the individualist bourgeois lifestyle they had left behind, and they considered doing away with it entirely. Although they quickly recognized that this extreme was not feasible, they did believe that the community could take over many of the child-rearing functions traditionally performed by parents. In the early decades of the kibbutzim, babies and children grew up together with their peers in children's homes, where they were cared for by professional care-givers. They visited with their parents daily. However, since the 1970s, children on kibbutzim live in their parents' homes. Today, kibbutzim are making more allowances for parents who choose to spend more time with their young children and less time in the workforce. The Future Young Israelis are also building new kibbutzim following new models of communal living, most notably urban kibbutzim. Members of this kind of kibbutz, sometimes called an irbutz (ir means city), live communally in a developing urban area and work to strengthen their neighborhood population. Members mostly retain their own assets but often share meals, discussions, holiday celebrations, and a common cause of working to improve their surroundings. These kibbutzim are associated with Israel's national kibbutz movement. Although socialist communities also existed in the Unites States and Europe in the 19th and 20th centuries, Martin Buber asserted that the kibbutz was the most impressive of these experiments in communal living--"an experiment that did not fail." Over 50 years after Buber made this statement, the verdict is still out on the success of the kibbutz movement. The original Degania members may well have considered the current privatization of kibbutzim to be a failure. Yet for Buber, the success of the kibbutz movement lay in the fact that, unlike other socialist utopian communities, kibbutzim were tied to the concrete needs of their place and time. In Buber's time, that was the need for the Jewish people to rebuild its social fabric following the destruction of the Holocaust. In our time, perhaps kibbutzim are an answer to the challenge of living communally in an era of globalization, individualism, and capitalism.

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GLOSSARY OF TERMS An Ashkenazi hat (Probably the traditional Black Hat worn by Orthodox Jews.)

Judah Maccabee

Judah Maccabee in an 1860 woodcut.

Judah Maccabee was the second leader of the Judean revolt against the Greco-Syrian empire [166 BCE]. Westerners have traditionally referred to the third son of Mattathias of Modein by the Latinate form of his name: Judas Maccabeus. A Judean priest, he assumed command of Judean resistance to Greek forces after his father's death [165 BCE]. His defeat of the Greek governor of Samaria led to even more stunning victories over larger Greek armies at Beth-horon & Emmaus. After this, Judah captured Mt. Zion, purged the temple of Hellenistic cult paraphernalia, reconstructed the sanctuary according to Torah prescriptions and reconsecrated it to the worship of YHWH [Dec. 164 BCE]. The festival of Channukah was later instituted to commemorate this triumph. Judah was repelled, however, in his attempt to drive the Syrian garrison from the rest of Jerusalem and was defeated near the village of Beth Zechariah, southwest of Jerusalem [162 BCE]. He died in the battle of Elasa (north of Jerusalem). Though Judah himself never held an official political position other than ad hoc general of the Jewish rebellion, he had a major influence on the direction of later history by 29

initiating an alliance with the republic of Rome against the Greek Syrian empire. He was succeeded by his youngest brother Jonathan who, like him, left no male heirs. But the descendants of his older brother Simon became the Hasmonean dynasty of Judean rulers. One hundred and eighty centimeters = about 5 feet, nine inches Mabrouk means congratulations in Arabicreminding us that this community of Mizrachi jews would have included Arabic phrases in their speech Sephardic Sofrito from "The Book of New Israeli Food" A rich festive dish from Jerusalem Sephardic cuisine. The cooking cycle is shorter than for hamin so it is usually served on Friday night, but it can survive in the oven overnight and be served for Saturday lunch. The technique of deep-frying the potato wedges described here is worth adopting in other dishes (for example, root vegetables in various meat casseroles). Deep-frying retains the shape and texture of the vegetables even after long slow cooking.

Ingredients (serves 8) 11/2 kg (3 lb 5 oz) beef brisket cut into large chunks 1/3 cup oil 8 small whole onions, peeled 10 whole cloves garlic, peeled 3/4 cup chicken/beef stock or water 1 teaspoon paprika 1 teaspoon turmeric 1/2 teaspoon curry powder 1/2 teaspoon ground white pepper 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice Salt and freshly ground black pepper 8 potatoes cut into uniform wedges 30

Oil for deep-frying Heat 4 tablespoons of oil in a frying pan and brown the beef on all sides. Generously grease a wide, flat ovenproof saucepan (use 5 tablespoons of oil) and lay in the meat, onions and garlic. Mix the stock or water with the spices, pour over the chicken and bring to a boil. Taste and adjust the seasoning. Cover and cook for one hour over low heat. If more liquid is needed, add some boiling water. Up to this point, the dish may be prepared in advance and kept in the refrigerator. Preheat the oven to 150C (300F). Heat the oil for deep-frying and fry the potato wedges until golden. Transfer to paper towel to drain the excess oil. Arrange the deep-fried potato wedges over the cooked beef, cover the pan and transfer to the oven for about 2 hours. Or, set overnight on an electric hotplate or in a 100C (225F) oven. Shake the saucepan once or twice during the cooking so the sauce covers the potatoes. The sofrito is ready when all of the pieces are tender. The Havdalah Ceremony Dividing the Sacred from the Mundane The content of the Havdalah ceremony forces us to contemplate the many ways that Shabbat is unique and different from the rest of time. The Havdalah (from the word to separate) ceremony is recited at the end of Shabbat to mark the division between the departing sacred Shabbat day and the ordinary weekday, yom khol, that is about to begin. In Jewish liturgy it refers to the separation of the sacred from the mundane, the holiness of the Sabbath day from the ordinary days of the week. This is one of the earliest blessings in Jewish tradition. Opening Scripture Outside the synagogue the Havdalah ceremony begins with the recitation of a number of biblical verses praising God. Behold, God is my savior, I will trust God and not be afraid, for my strong faith and song of praise for God will be my salvation. You will draw water joyously from the wellsprings of salvation. (Isaiah 12:2-3) Salvation is the Gods; may Your blessing rest upon Your people, Selah. (Psalms 3:9) The Sovereign of the universe is with us; the God of Yaakov protects us, Selah. (Psalms 46:12) The Jews had light, happiness, joy and honor (Esther 8:16); may we have the same. (Lifting the cup of wine) I will raise the cup of salvation and call out in the name of God: (Psalms 116:13) Blessing over the wine Wine was always considered special and, just as we bring in the Sabbath with a blessing over wine, we affirm, with this blessing, that the Havdalah ceremony also has great significance. A verse in Proverbs says, Wine will gladden the hearts of humanity. We now say the blessing, but do not drink from the cup at this time: Blessed are You, Adonai our God, Ruler of the universe, Who creates the fruit of the vine. Blessing over the spices There is a Talmudic tradition that every Jew is given an extra soul on the Sabbath, and when the Sabbath is concluded that extra soul is removed. The fragrance (bsamim) of herbs, according to some opinions, is savored to revive us from the loss of the extra soul. The following blessing is said upon inhaling the scent of the spices: Blessed are You, Adonai our God, Sovereign of the universe, Creator of various sweet fragrances. Blessing over the fire 31

According to the Talmud, the Havdalah candle must be a torch, so our candle has more than one wick. The resulting bright fire symbolizes the difference between the spiritual and material worlds. The spiritual world is a world of light, needing no fire for illumination. Shabbat, which is a gateway to the spiritual world, is also a world of light. The days of the week are a part of the material world needing fire for illumination, hence the bright fire of the candle which recalls the mundane days of the week. The following blessing is said upon considering the light: Blessed are You, Adonai our God, Ruler of the universe, Creator of the light of fire. Hamavdil, the Blessing of Separation This blessing is recited over the wine using only the light of the Havdalah candle: Blessed are You, Adonai our God, Ruler of the universe, who separates the holy from the mundane, light from darkness, Israel from the other peoples, the seventh day of rest from the six days of work. Blessed are You, Sovereign, who separates the holy from the mundane. The wine is now sipped. A small amount of wine is spilled into a plate (to symbolize the loss of Shabbat) and the flame is extinguished in the spilled wine. We turn on the lights and the sing the song Eliyahu Hanavi (The Prophet Elijah) and wish everyone present Shavua Tov a good week! Elijah the prophet, Elijah the Tishbite, Elijah the Gileadite. Come speedily and in our day. Come to us, Messiah, son of David. Apples in the Desert

Rows of fruit trees grow in the middle of an extremely arid landscape. The trees grow only because the small area devoted to their cultivation receives much of the rainwater that falls over the large, barren runoff catchment area. This scientific experiment in the Negev Desert of southern Israel reconstructs the runoff farming techniques of the ancient Nabetean people.

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Apples and honey

Biblical texts often mention "honey" as the sweetener of choice though some historians believe that the honey referenced in the Bible was actually a sort of fruit paste. Real honey was, of course, available but much more difficult to acquire! Honey represented good living and wealth. The Land of Israel is often called the land of "milk and honey" in the Bible. On the first night of Rosh Hashanah, we dip challah into honey and say the blessing over the challah. Then we dip apple slices into honey and say a prayer asking God for a sweet year. Slices of apple dipped in honey are often served to Jewish children either at home or in religious school - as a special Rosh HaShanah snack.

Mezuzah

A mezuzah in Jerusalem

Kashrut Kashrut is the body of Jewish law dealing with what foods we can and cannot eat and how those foods must be prepared and eaten. "Kashrut" comes from the Hebrew root Kaf-Shin-Reish, meaning fit, proper or correct. It is the same root as the more commonly known word "kosher," which describes food that meets these standards. The word "kosher" can also be used, and often is used, to describe ritual objects that are made in accordance with Jewish law and are fit for ritual use.

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Queen Esther (1878) as imagined by Edwin Long.

Queen Esther According to the biblical Book of Esther, Esther was a Jewish girl who became queen when she won a beauty contest designed by King Ahasuerus to find the new Queen of Persia. She then went on to save the Jewish people from being massacred as part of a plot led by Haman, the king's adviser and an anti-Semite. Following the removal of Queen Vashti (see above) King Ahasuerus decides to host a beauty contest that will allow him to select a bride from all the women in his kingdom. Esther is one of the women brought before him and he chooses her without knowing that she is Jewish. Following the advice of her cousin and guardian, Mordecai, Esther kept both her people and her religion a secret. Soon after Esther becomes queen a plot emerges where the kings adviser, Haman, convinces Ahasuerus to murder all Jews in the kingdom. Mordecai learns of Hamans plans and asks Esther to intercede with the king on behalf of her people. She agrees and hosts a banquet for Haman and her husband, during which she asks the king to spare her life. He is outraged to learn that anyone has threatened his queen, at which point Esther reveals that she is Jewish and condemned to die because of Hamans plot. Because Persian law prevented the king from annulling a decree that has already been issued, Ahasuerus gives Esther control of Hamans estate and tells her to issue another edict. The new edict should give Jews permission to arm and defend themselves from attacks -which they do with resounding success.

B'tayavon = Bon Apetit!

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