Picking up the Politika

I wandered into a political rally. For the religious right.

Prima Kings Hotel in the background, Conservative center to my left (outside of the picture)

The day after my unsettling bus experience, it seems that my fate was not to ride a bus all the way to Emek Refaim. At first, I stood waiting patiently for an acceptable bus after I got to King George Street. After about 15 minutes, though, I looked at a (handwritten) sign that I'd originally taken as a roommate ad or something, and picked out of the 20 or so words 2 that I knew -- "Not Travel" and "Autobus". The sign also listed all of the buses that went to (or near) Emek Refaim.

I sighed, and figured with an Iced Aroma (I've given in to the smoothie coffee movement in Israel), I could make the trek. I started walking, and noticing things. The police blockade of the road. The lack of any cars or buses at all on the street worried me for a few minutes, until I noticed the hordes of dati (Orthodox) teens dashing down the street all around me. Easily identifiable in their strata of religiousity, they sport hooded sweatshirts with Hebrew writing, and either baggy pants or jeans with tzitzit hanging out or knee-length denim skirts, and big Jansport-ish backpacks bouncing on their backs. They carry cell phones and key chains, hang in large groups, and many have orange ribbons hanging from their backpacks, an artifact from the disengagement from two years ago.

I heard a dull roar as I walked with these kids, that eventually turned into a loud array of sound. I thought I was walking to a parade, or a street fair at the Great Synagogue, and only as I approached the main stage did I realize I had stumbled on a political rally. Thankfully, I ran into a classmate from Hebrew U named Itay, who took me under his wing and explained to me the ideas behind this rally. I welcomed his (Austrailian) English interpretation, as my Hebrew is still spotty at best.

This rally was by and for the religious right parties in the government. They are opposed to Annapolis and refuse the idea of a two-state solution. Their slogans include (paraphrased and some translated from Hebrew):

* We don't discuss Jerusalem. We don't divide Jerusalem. We don't give up Jerusalem.
* Ehud Olmert ran from the police to Annapolis (it rhymes in Hebrew, too).
* Condaleeza Rice, we don't want to be the next Iraq.
* Leave Israel Alone, God Takes Care of Us.

Itay explained to me what was going on, and translated a few of the speeches from different settlement (Israelis live in areas the West Bank and other highly Palestinian places in Israel) leaders and politicians. We talked to a few girls who explained what they don't believe in (giving up land), but had a hard time telling us what they do believe in (your guess is as good as theirs).

I think that it was good I attended the rally. I wasn't so much a participant as a sociologist, but there's really nothing like this. I can take pictures and "blob" about my experiences, show pictures and teach constructively, but when push comes to shove, my learners are never going to truly understand the circumstances of the rally, and what it felt like to see it and be a part of it. Thanks to Itay, though, I'm starting to think I can begin to discuss the complexities of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. As I bid him a "g'day mate," in traditional Austrailian fashion (Just kidding. I'm not that cheesy. But I did thank him profusely, and think to myself, "I want him to be MY teacher!"), by the gas station where our streets diverge, I walked home and really thought about the people at the rally.

The makeup of the rally (about 30,000 people, and right in front of the Conservative Center in Jerusalem) was mostly 15-20 year-old Orthodox youth who have already started, or will soon start, their Army or National service. There were few "children" and few "adults". The adolescents ruled the scene, and reveled in their freedom at the one youth event where they can mingle openly with boys. There was an area of males-only and females-only, but that was optional -- and these kids enjoyed their freedom.

Maybe one day everybody in this region will observe the freedom they deserve - freedom from injustice and freedom from terror.


A settlement leader or Knesset (former?) member speaks on a beautifully Israeli stage. (Sorry, I don't know names.)


Picture of one of the main slogans. Sorry my camera didn't adapt to the nighttime hullaballoo.

The Lowest Point on Earth

At some point during my loooong, windy bus ride to the Sukkah in the Suburbs, I mentioned to Allison that I wanted to go to the Dead Sea. Like many of my last-minute plans, it went something like this:

SBB: Let's go to the Dead Sea.
Allison: Oooh, sure. When do you want to go?
SBB: Tomorrow.
Allison: Do you have a plan?
SBB: Um. Bus?

It worked like a charm...and we convinced Rafi to come with us! Earlyish in the morning we set off for the Central Bus Station, stopped at Aroma (it's like Starbucks here), grabbed some coffees, like this:

SBB: Can I have an Ice Cafe and an Ice Aroma? (I said this in Hebrew.)
[in my head, I thought I was ordering a coffee with ice in it and a frappachino-thing]
Aroma Girl: You want what and what?
[in her mind, ice cafe and ice Aroma are the same thing -- a frappachino-thing.]
SBB: Ice Aroma. Ice Cafe. Thanks.
Aroma Girl: OK, it's [insert Starbuck-like price] sheqels.
SBB: What the hell? Did I stutter? (That was to myself, and in English.)
Aroma Girl (brings back two identical cups of frappachino-thing): Here you go!
SBB: Which is ice cafe and which is ice Aroma? (I thought maybe one had fun flavoring in it.)
Aroma Girl: This is cafe, and this aroma. (She said this with a straight face. Somehow. Later on, during her lunch break, she regaled her friends about the stupid American who ordered the same thing with two separate names.)

Moral of the story? Next time, order cafe im kerach (coffee with ice). After this fun time at Aroma, we got on the bus to Ein Gedi / the Dead Sea. Funny exchange from the bus ride:

Allison, peeking out from behind her Frommer's Israel Guide: Did you know that the Dead Sea is the lowest place on Earth?
Rafi: Of course.
SBB: My life often feels like that.

We decided at some point on the way down to go to the Spa at Ein Gedi, which is also on the Dead Sea, and has nicer locker rooms than the public beach we had set out to patronize. Below you can see pictures from the fun we had during our day at the (blue-collar) spa. This is Rafi's name for the spa, because it's pretty cheap and most of the people there were wearing jellies. Remember jellies?

First thing we did was decorate ourselves in thick, black mud. We found our friend Anya as we were walking to the mud, and she graciously took pictures of us painting on the Bootz (mud). See Allison, Rafi and me playing in the following pictures:


Girls Gone Muddy.


Rafi gets in on the fun.

After we did the mud thing, and rinsed off the mud thing, we took the tram (don't forget, this is a SPA) down to the Dead Sea shore. It was hot, and there were plenty of people in the water. You can see as you walk down to the edge that this is not a normal body of water. Each person in the Dead Sea floats on top of the water like an ice cube in soda. The shore was different, too. It was like walking on top of a big, slick salty skating rink. Wading into the water, you're surprised at the warmth of the water, and the teeny, tiny stings on the cuts in your skin that you didn't even know you had. After going out a few feet, you can sit your tush down in the water, and watch as your feet pop up. Like the world's best synchronized swimmer on steroids, you can float on top of the water and look great doing it. I crossed my legs, then I did a split. I floated on my stomach and stretched my legs above my tush without ever getting my face wet. I had a great time and had little interest in getting out of the water, except I decided it was time for lunch.


Floating effortlessly. What a lady!


Sara Beth is a Ham.


Rafi tries desparately to not be a tourist as I mug for one of my many publicity shots.

The rest of the day was nice. We went in the (chlorinated) pool to rinse of the oily, mineral-rich Dead Sea water and changed into some dry clothes. After a late lunch we caught the bus back to Jerusalem, feeling all relaxed and vitalized from the beautiful spa.