Shalom from Steaming Israel

Written June 18, 2012

 

Shalom to my dearest family, children & the kinderlach, my friends, and neighbors.

I am fine, feeling good.  I will take a hot Summer to a cold winter.  FYI, the temp. in the Tel-Aviv area is about 33-35 C, ( =   about  94 F ). However, the humidity is high too, as we are near the sea.  Last w/e I was in Jerusalem, temp. on Saturday reached 36 C  = 97 F. It was dry, like the usual on  mountain regions, but sure, it was scorching. 

I do my daily walk early morning, still, arriving home, soaked, flushed face, fanning myself, and drinking a quart of water with no stop.....

Yesterday, I felt a complete Israeli. I received  a notice, in the mail, that  the new protective kit is available to me in a designated location in the area of my residency. This protective kit, is to be used, (should not open before) in an emergency such as chemical/nuclear outbreak.  The kit contains : Hood unit, Filter, Syringe, Drinking tube, Blower air flow unit, Flexible rubber air pipe, Belt, and most important, Instruction for use. Hopefully, I will never had to use it.

The day I arrived, fighting the my usual urge to sleep, but keeping myself awake, to prevent a jet leg, until about 10:00pm.

Just as I went into my world of dreams, I was awaken to knocks on my door, and calling my name. I jumped out of bed,  opened my door, Nechama, Bertha's ( my next door neighbor), daughter summoned me to see her mother who complained of not feeling well. I must explain, Nechama, lives on the second floor, just above her mother.  Across the street lives another daughter, Sarah. Because Bertha does not read or write, and can not recognize numbers, she presses a set number on her phone, for Nechama or Sarah. Back to Bertha, who suddenly felt bad, and pressed Nechama's  number. Mor, the 14year old granddaughter answered the call, and Bertha  screamed into the phone :  "I am dead, I am dead". Top it all she did her screaming in Arabic, her native tongue.  Needless to imagine the commotion, when they knocked on my door.  Jumping out of bed, wearing a sleeveless, open decollete night gown, & bare feet I ran across the hall to see Bertha. As we all, calm her down, Nechama called the equivalent of 911 in America. Within a few, very quick, minute the "Hatzala" , same as in NYC, the 1st aide that run by Jewish organization, who are the first to respond, arrived. Two of them with shave heads, black velvet Kippot (Head cover), long beard, long side curled, Pe'ot, reaching their shoulder, white shirts, black vest, long Tzitzit were the four corners  fringes are hanging to the knees, black pants to the knees only, with black socks to the knees were the pans ends.  In NYC one can see those Chasidim in the neighborhoods of Williamsburg or Boro-Park.  The moment I saw them coming up the stairs, I gave the quickest  dash to my place, and put on my self  the first thing my hand has reached in the closet.  A wool  long sleeves sweater,( 85 F) and a pair of sport socks, to cover myself.  Now, here I was surprised. They spoke a perfect  Hebrew, they asked the most relevant questions, they checked B.P, pulse, and listen to Bertha's heart.  As a nurse, I was impressed, they were professional, polite, and very, very nice. By then the 1st aide arrived and took over. The Hatzala group left.

I am sure some of you aware of the political issues with the Israeli draft of the ultra Orthodox. A stigma given of their refusal to serve the mandatory requirement to the country. Well, I do have an answer now. Some DO !

When I purchased my place in Ramat-Gan, I was impressed with the neighborhood, the access to various services, the niceness of the people living in the area, the quiet atmosphere, the trees etc.  Last week, at about 3:00pm in the afternoon, a BIG explosion  sound was heard, while I was home. Immediately there after, I could hear the sirens of police, fire, ambulances. (All are having different sounds). I knew, it was close, and in time like this one does not leave the house, just to check.  That evening I visited my friend Ofra.  At 8 minute before the 8 o'clock, (the new gimmick of channel 1, in the Israeli TV, "eight to eight" news), the first story is about the explosion in my neighborhood.  This was the 5th attempt of the "under wold" to eliminate  Nisim Alperon a known figure in the Israeli crime family.  Here goes my neighborhood, he lives on the parallel  street.  The story of the Alperon family is one full of fascination.  The Sopranos are small change. 

Only In Israel.

I love you all, I miss you.   Ima, Savta, The Shvig, Estherika, Ludmilla, Me, Esther.