Dear readers,
Wow. What a long day(s). From Sunday to Monday night seems like one long travel day. After having dinner at an unfamiliar kibbutz, we come into the front yard with many yard chairs formed in a circle. Before our speaker, Dr. Guy Ben-Porat, started talking to us we hear a loud noise. Was it a baby cry? Was it a monkey? No. It’s wild peacocks. I couldn’t help but laugh at that strange noise. As Guy began, he introduced the topic of Israeli identity. (Peacocks were still screaming in the background.) There are so many different types of identities in Israel and most all of them contradict each other. Everyone seems to have something different that defines them – take religion for example. There is orthodox vs. secular. There are many contradictions because of the many types of religion. Even Israelis who are Jewish Israelis define themselves by how they believe or observe. The second type of identity issue is economic class. As time is moving on a class gap is growing, creating internal tension. Another type of identity is ethnicity, in this case Ashkenazi vs. Safardic. Contradictions arise because ashakazi came to Israel first. Another contradiction is political left vs. political right beliefs. A person on the left might believe in a compromise with the Palestinians and a person on the right believes the opposite. In Israel they call people on the left Doves and the on the right, Hawks. Finally the last contradiction in identities is Jews vs. non Jews. Israel has Arab Muslims and Christian Arabs. About 20% of Israel is non Jewish. With all of these contradicting beliefs and identities, faith in the system is hard and can produce political gridlock. I can’t wait to explore these different identity aspects through my duration of the trip. What an unexpected opening to an eating trip!
Wow. What a long day(s). From Sunday to Monday night seems like one long travel day. After having dinner at an unfamiliar kibbutz, we come into the front yard with many yard chairs formed in a circle. Before our speaker, Dr. Guy Ben-Porat, started talking to us we hear a loud noise. Was it a baby cry? Was it a monkey? No. It’s wild peacocks. I couldn’t help but laugh at that strange noise. As Guy began, he introduced the topic of Israeli identity. (Peacocks were still screaming in the background.) There are so many different types of identities in Israel and most all of them contradict each other. Everyone seems to have something different that defines them – take religion for example. There is orthodox vs. secular. There are many contradictions because of the many types of religion. Even Israelis who are Jewish Israelis define themselves by how they believe or observe. The second type of identity issue is economic class. As time is moving on a class gap is growing, creating internal tension. Another type of identity is ethnicity, in this case Ashkenazi vs. Safardic. Contradictions arise because ashakazi came to Israel first. Another contradiction is political left vs. political right beliefs. A person on the left might believe in a compromise with the Palestinians and a person on the right believes the opposite. In Israel they call people on the left Doves and the on the right, Hawks. Finally the last contradiction in identities is Jews vs. non Jews. Israel has Arab Muslims and Christian Arabs. About 20% of Israel is non Jewish. With all of these contradicting beliefs and identities, faith in the system is hard and can produce political gridlock. I can’t wait to explore these different identity aspects through my duration of the trip. What an unexpected opening to an eating trip!