tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-157432862009-07-11T06:19:19.974+03:00Calevhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06845000281247083994noreply@blogger.comBlogger98125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15743286.post-78987480164186262472009-05-20T16:58:00.008+03:002009-05-20T17:25:45.869+03:00

It’s been an interesting couple of weeks in Israel. Controversy over the state budget, premonitions of doom ahead of the Bibi – Obama meeting in Washington, and the 33rd (Lag) day of the Omer, which traditionally marks the Bar Kochba rebellion, the death of Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai (the Rashbi) and the end of the plague / war that caused the death of 24,000 of Rabbi Akiva’s students. Lag Ba’Omer

Calevhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06845000281247083994noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15743286.post-73916340157836763712009-04-21T11:26:00.004+03:002009-04-21T18:32:57.887+03:00

I just spent the last hour with my Reut Institute colleagues listening to and sharing stories about our families during the Holocaust; how they survived (or didn’t), how they mustered the strength to rebuilt their lives anew; how these memories (or lack of them) continue to affect us and our identity today.Part of me feels that in the face of unfathomable evil, the only appropriate response is

Calevhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06845000281247083994noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15743286.post-69511949175456595872009-04-14T10:33:00.010+03:002009-04-16T00:00:06.731+03:00

It’s simultaneously strange and uplifting to have lived in a city for years yet still discover new and unexplored places. And while hardly being the Tel Avivian socialite around town, I still felt I had the city pretty much down pat. Yet the Friday before Pesach brought me to Lewinsky Park near the New Central Bus Station in southern Tel Aviv for a ‘refugee seder’ – and forced me to throw yet

Calevhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06845000281247083994noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15743286.post-55743208832216863522009-04-06T12:41:00.008+03:002009-04-06T18:21:29.886+03:00

בכל דור ודור עומדים עלינו לכלותינוIn every generation they arise to destroy us…בכל דור ודור חייב אדם לראות את עצמו כאילו הוא יצא ממצריםIn every generation a person is obligated to see himself as though he actually left Egypt.I remember a primary school project in which we had to make our own Hagaddah. I’d never been particularly artistic, but with help from creative parents managed to win the

Calevhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06845000281247083994noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15743286.post-28721603858340719022009-03-19T10:27:00.007+02:002009-03-29T22:41:20.672+03:00

Elad and I met properly in the context of a fortnightly Tel Aviv Shiur that our lovely hostess Susie organized a couple of years ago. That shiur – in which each member of the small group of people would present on a Jewish topic of interest while the others sipped wine and interjected in generally relevant places – is actually still going strong two and a half years later.In fact, I’m missing it

Calevhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06845000281247083994noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15743286.post-4220894252935994712009-03-17T10:51:00.004+02:002009-03-17T11:00:52.540+02:00

(I was asked by Global Politics Magazine to write about what its like working for the Reut Institute. The piece was published last week and hopefully explains (better than I am able to do verbally) what I actually do every day.When I first moved to Israel from my native London three years ago, I was hoping to find a job that would merge two of my main professional interests; academic research and

Calevhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06845000281247083994noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15743286.post-80681874191190511212009-01-29T09:52:00.011+02:002009-01-29T11:09:54.256+02:00

Twenty-one days ago the campaign against Hamas was balanced and right. About a week ago it started slipping and in the last few days it has crossed every line. The IDF may be squeezing Hamas, but it is destroying Israel. Destroying its soul and its image…In a few days the fire will cease and the fog will disperse, revealing the horror. Then we'll discover that we will not be paying the price

Calevhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06845000281247083994noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15743286.post-52539258558941891572009-01-13T14:48:00.007+02:002009-01-13T19:23:21.577+02:00

Dear SaidLast week I attended a talk by Israeli author A.B Yehoshua about his most recent book 'Friendly Fire.' The story describes the visit of a woman to her brother in law in Tanzania who seeks to disconnect from anything Jewish and Israeli. A former diplomat who lost his son to friendly fire, Yirmiyahu isn’t even prepared to pick his sister in law up from the airport - after all, there may be

Calevhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06845000281247083994noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15743286.post-56189549850208020962008-12-29T20:10:00.005+02:002008-12-29T20:33:45.408+02:00

A couple of friends of mine are big 'Birthday people'. You know the kind – there's a celebration on the actual day, a party that weekend and a joint party the week after.While not begrudging anyone extra celebrations, I never really identified. So imagine my surprise when I realized that I have become the same – not a birthday person per se but an 'Aliya anniversary person.'This year I've not

Calevhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06845000281247083994noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15743286.post-33579317154843555732008-12-24T19:43:00.006+02:002008-12-24T20:52:10.186+02:00

You in your abundant mercy rose up in their time of trouble, delivered the strong in the hands of the weak, the many in the hands of few, the impure in the hands of the pure, the wicked in the hands of the righteous, and insolent ones in the hands of those occupied with Torah.This past week I've been struggling with the meaning of the military victory of Chanukah.On the one hand it seems clear;

Calevhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06845000281247083994noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15743286.post-21279604303690414722008-11-17T09:31:00.000+02:002008-11-17T10:38:50.715+02:00

For years, the Left has said I'm Right and the Right has said I'm Left. I'm dyslexic to matters of Left and Right," said Israel Beiteinu MK Yisrael Hasson on Thursday, hours after he announced he would join Kadima and run in the faction's upcoming primaries. (The Jerusalem Post 6/11/08)I don’t remember the first time I started having trouble with the story of the Akeida – when Avraham silently

Calevhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06845000281247083994noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15743286.post-21410923542732922142008-11-03T18:59:00.008+02:002008-11-04T12:22:11.305+02:00

And the whole earth was of one language, and of one speech…. And they had brick for stone, and slime for mortar.Once upon a time, major developments in technologies and computer software allowed individuals to connect with almost anyone on the face of the earth.This web-enabled platform for sharing knowledge and work, irrespective of time, distance, geography or even language leveled the playing

Calevhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06845000281247083994noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15743286.post-57382100156713349842008-10-24T14:25:00.008+02:002008-10-25T22:58:10.798+02:00

24/10 Jerusalem Post Livni: We've made final offer to Shas24/10 BBC News UK economy braced for recession23 /10 BBC News Obama: McCain will 'endanger' US23/10 Ha’aretz Peres: Saudi plan can bring peace 23/10 AFP Israel okays more Palestinian police 11/9 Jerusalem Post Settlers gear up for evacuation fightI don’t remember the last time I was both in Shul for, and concentrated during, the book of

Calevhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06845000281247083994noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15743286.post-64799280757873067782008-09-25T19:51:00.014+03:002008-09-28T00:09:13.026+03:00

London was great. It (generally) always is. Not that I think about staying – I don’t. It's just so relaxing (liberating even) to wander around the Heath extension near my parents home, to see friends, to take a break from the intensity of life in Israel. England always takes a few days to get used to. For starters, there’s the driving on the left (with gears); There's more than one decent radio

Calevhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06845000281247083994noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15743286.post-33765013880798595692008-08-07T23:49:00.007+03:002008-08-10T09:04:20.247+03:00

The Talmud in Gittin explains that the temple was destroyed due to the story of Kamtza and Bar Kamtza. Yet while some points of this story are often discussed – the invitation mix up, the Rabbi’s indifference, the Zealots’ burning of the storehouses and Bar Kamtza’s plot to cause Jerusalem’s downfall by convincing Rome to send a blemished calf - another aspect, that of the Rabbinical debate over

Calevhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06845000281247083994noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15743286.post-70944501464686980722008-08-01T17:18:00.014+03:002008-08-04T17:29:42.393+03:00

During an emotional speech last Wednesday, Israel’s Prime Minister announced his intention not to run in the party primary scheduled for September.Despite a strong economy, low unemployment and improved personal security, Olmert remained largely unpopular, tainted by images of corruption and the mishandling of the Lebanon War.2 weeks ago, Israel hosted another leader, who by January 2008 may well

Calevhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06845000281247083994noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15743286.post-90092560369140145702008-07-22T13:53:00.010+03:002008-07-23T09:55:24.760+03:00

It hasn’t been a great week in Israel. The photos of Ron Arad, a chilling reminder of what can happen when prisoner deals don’t go through; the grieving over coffins; our Lebanese neighbors celebrating the return of their 'hero'.Commenting on the welcome scenes for Samir Kuntar - who brutally murdered a little girl 29 years ago - Israel's Deputy Foreign Minister Majalli Whbee said it showed to

Calevhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06845000281247083994noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15743286.post-55015971289307104232008-07-06T19:14:00.011+03:002008-07-08T21:00:20.835+03:00

A trip to Jerusalem last week provided an opportunity to cast my eyes on the newly completed 118 meter high bridge at the entrance to the city.Designed by world-famous Spanish architect Santiago Calatrava, reports suggest the jury is still out on the 2,600-ton contraption, dubbed the Bridge of Strings. One onlooker said he thought it was beautiful, but that it didn’t fit with its surroundings.

Calevhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06845000281247083994noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15743286.post-76313669319686968502008-06-20T17:39:00.012+03:002008-07-09T09:32:31.613+03:00

I don’t go to bars that often and am forced to queue outside even less. But the 10 minutes outside Villa Sokolov last Thursday did provide an opportunity to successfully test out a theory that’s been doing the rounds - that putting on your best English accent immediately gets you through the chaotic crowds and into the bar. I suppose it's based on the assumption that foreigners spend more money

Calevhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06845000281247083994noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15743286.post-15227031957444926912008-06-12T13:20:00.009+03:002009-04-21T09:48:31.831+03:00

Shavuot night in Jerusalem is indicative of one of the greatest problems the 21st century poses – too much choice. From workshops, poetry and lectures, in Synagogues, streets and private homes, the Jewish long tail is at its most dynamic on Tikun Leil, when Jews traditionally stay up all night learning to commemorate the giving of the Torah.Yet as always, accompanying such an array of choice is

Calevhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06845000281247083994noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15743286.post-20646239321680430732008-05-29T23:33:00.013+03:002008-08-04T17:29:22.886+03:00

In addition to its laid back atmosphere and proximity to the beach, one of the advantages of living in Tel Aviv is the ability to miss the chaos caused by the visit of the President of the United States who strode into town for his second visit in half a year, taking part in the President's 'Tomorrow Conference' and giving a rousing address at the Knesset.Bush's speech was followed by PM Olmert

Calevhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06845000281247083994noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15743286.post-9105172824813449362008-05-04T21:00:00.001+03:002008-05-09T11:36:40.492+03:00

The first time I watched 'The Pianist' was in a cinema in Warsaw during the 10 days between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur in 2002. Together with other students from Leeds Jewish society I was taking part in what has in many ways become our generation's rite of passage – the trip to Poland’s concentration camps.We did the usual itinerary – trips to the quiet fields of Treblinka, (where I perhaps

Calevhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06845000281247083994noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15743286.post-53244758436819254562008-04-25T10:28:00.009+03:002009-04-16T11:23:02.010+03:00

The Hagaddah speaks of 4 sons - wise, wicked, simple and one unable to ask. Over the generations, this theme was expanded…four different Jews, four generations, four characteristics present in each one of us.In this context, here is a reading based on different Zionist approaches to the Israeli – Palestinian conflict.The ‘Redemptionist Child’ – what does he say? The whole of the historical land

Calevhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06845000281247083994noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15743286.post-58798205019769466662008-04-17T10:39:00.014+03:002009-04-16T11:23:20.415+03:00

Sometimes I wish things went quicker, that changes happened sooner, that the society people are trying to build here was more caring…that after 60 years Israel still wouldn’t be beset with so many problems that Pesach behooves us to try and alleviate… But as the leader of one of modern day's great stories of national liberation writes in his autobiography, it’s a Long Walk to Freedom.There are

Calevhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06845000281247083994noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15743286.post-78350072760423057682008-04-11T09:00:00.006+03:002008-04-11T09:17:35.612+03:00

Today Ha'aretz published an op-ed I wrote based on some of the work we have been doing at Reut. I just hope the talkbackers don't go into overdrive!Following the meeting earlier this week between Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, and reports of another summit being planned to coincide with U.S. President George W. Bush's visit in May, negotiations seem to have

Calevhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06845000281247083994noreply@blogger.com6