MY URBAN KVETCH

It's July 4, and What's More American than Madonna?

Apple pie. Baseball. Michigan-born pop stars who become expatriates and dwell in London. Nothing more American than that. Or at least I think there's nothing more American than that. It's kind of hard to tell, as my Israelification continues.

But it's July 4, which still means something to me...that's why I'm bringing you this post, which might as well mark the re-emergence of the Madonnanthology category on this here blog. Except that I did it over at Beliefnet's Idol Chatter.

Check out the scene:

[INT: evening]

London, Ritchie/Ciccone Mansion, dinnertime. The family sits at the table.
RITCHIE: Rocco, tell your mum to pass the salt.
MADONNA: Lola, tell your father that we have an appointment to see Rabbi Berg today and he'd better be there.
ROCCO: I've had it with passing the salt to you two. I'm going to my wing.
LOLA: And I'll be in my wing. And PS, mom, I'm a Buddhist. So there.

END SCENE

Post continues here.

And a happy Fourth of July to all.

Shout: The Pride Parade and the Quest for Identity

I'm pretty liberal on any given day and I live in New York City, so I've seen a lot in my life. I've been to the Village Halloween Parade, I have gay friends (Jewish and non-), and I used to take an aerobics class taught by a man who wore four-inch gold eyelashes, a blonde wig, and four-inch platform combat boots during class. But I admit it, watching someone in drag in the middle of Jerusalem's Independence Park ask if there were any "straightim" or "homoim" or "lezbiot" there, and asking us to cheer for ourselves at the appropriate moment, was a bit surreal.

Part of it was shock because as obsessed as I am with Hebrew, there's a whole contemporary vocabulary that I'm missing, including any words to support lifestyles that are out of the traditional, yeshiva-taught context. (You may even argue that the above terms are, in fact, not Hebrew at all.) But part of it was the fact that I was "gaycrashing" (thanks, Urban Dictionary, for naming it), and felt like a stranger in a strange land: I went to support my friends who were going, to support the right to assemble that I've imported from America into the Jewish state, to--in some small way--perhaps protest the rabbinic stronghold on what should and shouldn't happen in Jerusalem, and in tribute to the diversity of this year's ROI Summit and in personal (unannounced) tribute to a friend of mine who recently came out to family members. But I wasn't sure I really belonged there.

Incident in Jerusalem (I'm Fine)--UPDATED

I just arrived at the Center for Leadership Initiatives office in Jerusalem, and was greeted with news that there was a "pigua" in Jerusalem on Rehov Yafo, near the Central Bus Station. At blog-press time, the information available was that a tractor (sometimes rendered as "bulldozer") trampled pedestrians and that 30 people were injured (and several people were dead). (Updated here.)

Someone in the crowd jumped up on the shovel of the 'dozer, and shot the driver to stop him. They don't know yet whether it's a terror attack or just some crazy person.

Haaretz called it a terror attack, but also noted that although it seemed to be politically motivated, no one had claimed responsibility.

But since this is the first of such "incidents" to happen in Jerusalem while I'm here, I thought I'd just let everyone know that I'm ok.

More news later.

Scoop'd: How to Eat Hummus Like an Israeli

This is all in Hebrew, so apologies if you don't understand it. But basically the discussion is "Why do Israelis enjoy dipping and scooping up hummus and tehina and all those other things?" (Oddly, no one mentions the Passover seder.) There's also some important discussion about technique, illustrated by helpful "airplane safety manual-style" drawings, and a discussion of the famous and apparently international "three-second rule."

Check it out and compare your technique. Do you have what it takes to scoop like a sabra? And where's your favorite hummus? Jerusalem? Tel Aviv? Abu Ghosh? Check Jerusalemite for some help in hummus selection, or share your own personal favorite.

Dueling Divas: Sivan v. Maya Bouskila, "Shoveret Shtikah"

Two divas. Two styles. Two songs. But only one title: Shoveret Shtikah (Breaking the Silence). Which one rules? You be the judge.

Maya Bouskila: Sivan (from the TACT Family):

What's Alec Baldwin's Favorite Jewish Holiday?

Famous restaurant Barney Greengrass recently celebrated its 100th birthday, and the owners and some of their celebrity friends came out to celebrate. Regular Upper West Sider Alec Baldwin was there to pose, schmooze and schmear with the owners, and agreed to talk to The Jewish Channel about his connections to the Greengrass "mishpocha" and his favorite Jewish holiday. Wait for it.

TV Show Nails the Religious Singles Scene in Jerusalem

If you've ever watched "Sex and the City" and thought, "I relate because I'm single, but none of them go to shul or make Shabbat dinner," you'll want to check out Serugim, a drama about religious single thirtysomethings in Jerusalem. (For the page about the series, click here.)

Originally, this show came to my attention because a new friend of mine, Shira, plays "neighbor Stacey" in this episode (and because I read about it on Israluv's blog). But I watched the whole thing and found it interesting, resonant, funny and disturbingly familiar (even though the post-denominationalist in me wouldn't define my affiliation as Orthodox).

Many of the same dating/relationship issues that New Yorkers deal with, religious Jerusalemites deal with: feeling like you already know everyone from youth movement, parents who sign you up for speed dating, meeting a potential and then having to compete with other single women for his attention, differences in interpreting the roles of men and women in religious Judaism, the dramatic role of Shabbat dinners, friends who tell you what you want to hear to spare your feelings...it's all in there. As the site notes:

בשכונות רחביה, קטמון, הנחלאות והמושבה הגרמנית התהוותה לה "הביצה הירושלמית", שכבה חברתית חדשה של רווקים ורווקות בסביבות גיל ה-30, חלקם הגדול משכילים ואינטליגנטים מאוד, שאינם מוצאים את מקומם במסגרות הדתיות הקיימות. הם גרים בדירות שכורות הפזורות ברחבי העיר, חלקם סטודנטים, חלקם כבר עובדים במשרות מכובדות וכמעט כולם מחפשים אהבה ומוצא מהמצב שאליו נקלעו – מצב המתנה זמני ("עד החתונה") שהפך להיות מצב קבוע

[Rough translation: In Rehavia, Katamon, Nahlaot and the German Colony is "the Jerusalem Swamp," a new social segment of single men and women in their 30s, most of them educated and very intelligent, who don't find their place in the existing religious frameworkd. They live in rented apartments throughout the city, many of them students, others already working in prestigious roles and almost all of them looking for love and finding that the situation they're in--a constant state of waiting "until the wedding"--has become a more permanent situation.]

Wow. Looks like I picked the wrong time to quit writing a Jewish singles column. Maybe it's time to start that book after all.

Jewish Geography in Jerusalem

"So? Where did you meet [Jew in question]?"

The longer you spend in the Jewish non-profit/Jewish communal world, the harder it becomes to be able to answer the question. Except for certain people, whom you've known your whole life, or others, whose arrival in your life comes with a story you'll never forget.

Since arriving here in Jerusalem, Lindsay and I have had more random meetings and weird connections than you'd ever believe could happen in one place. True, we just encountered 120 Jewish innovators from around the world, but that's not random. Finding Twitter buds at Shabbat picnics in the park are a little random, but somehow not altogether unexpected. But what's interesting about Jewish geography in general, and in Jerusalem especially, is how closely people are linked--people you never thought could ever co-exist on the same plane.

Just Because--Minesweeper: The Movie

Minesweeper: The Movie

ROI Summit Concludes; Esther Crashes

Esther here, barely even able to type as I ache, exhausted after the ROI Summit. The experience was truly amazing and energizing, despite the fact that my energy's flagging tonight...

But I wanted to call your attention to this post over at ROI120.com, where we've been posting pieces by myself and others during, and now after, the Summit. The Summit featured an "Open Space" session, which is always really interesting, as it gives the controls over topics of discussion to the participants, and reveals what people are really thinking about. Some of the topics included Aliyah, How the Media Portrays Jews and Israel, Judaism and the Body, and others...but it will surprise none of you that I ended up attending three groups merged into one with the mega-topic, “Should I Marry a Jewish Partner?”

If you’re looking for the answer to the subject’s question, you won’t find it in this post, because as I've said before, there is no one answer. But if what you’re looking for are sound bytes and subtopics, check it out here.

Deep Cover: ROI Incognito

I'm going deep undercover for ROI. If you want to keep up with the action, I'll be blogging at ROI120.com, and here when I can, but no promises. (Clearly, considering my absence of posts over the last week.)

It's not that I don't love you...

Catch you all on the flip side.

Sharing Notes: Tikkun Leil Shavuot in Jerusalem

It's less than 24 hours before Shavuot, and I still haven't decided where I'm going to learn tomorrow night. The idea is to stay up all night learning in preparation for receiving the Torah all over again. But since the idea is also to understand the learning, I think I'm best off trying to find something that's mostly in English. Also, would like to join the hordes walking to the Kotel after the learning at 4AM, so I don't want anything too far in the other direction.

So I'm doing some internet searching...and thought I'd share with you, in case others in Jerusalem need similar help...

The Hartman Institute: Not far from the German Colony's main drag. A few early sessions in English, but most in Hebrew. The sessions aren't grabbing me, either.
Merkaz Hamagshimim: Also in the German Colony, so it's close. Some English, some body movement, separate for men and women. Interesting...but I'd have to be in the right mood for it.
The Fuchsberg Center for Conservative Judaism (at Moreshet Yisrael Synagogue, 4 Agron Street): A bit more of a walk, but on the way to the Kotel. All in English, but mostly male lecturers. Would have liked to see more women lecturing in the Conservative Center...
Pardes: A walk, in the opposite direction of the Kotel and also in the opposite direction of where my family is (where my dinner was supposed to be). I don't mind the walk, but don't want to miss dinner or the lecture. Pardes snagged one of the biggest headliners, Avivah Zornberg, for their Tikkun. Here's their whole program (beginning with Zornberg's class): 11:00PM, "The Unknown Woman: Becoming Ruth;" 12:45 AM David Levin-Kruss "The 10 Commandments Revisited;" 1:45 AM Jon Kelson and Yaffa Epstein "A Compelling Torah: Theological and Halakhic Perspectives;" 3 to 4:15 AM Daniel Landes "Can Conversions be Revoked?"

A Facebook friend sent me a link to this list, which gives programs not just in Jerusalem but in surrounding areas like Efrat and Bat Ayin.

It's great that there are so many choices. But I wish that my peers--so busy with Jewish leadership programs, conference planning and, some of them, wedding plans--had managed to pull together some more peer-level learning. I always enjoy that so much more than listening to rabbis and PhDs.

OK. Will sleep on it and make a decision. Chag sameach from Jerusalem...

Old and New in the Israeli Hip-Hop Scene

I love the blending of old and new, the updating of a classic, the homage to the original artist and their impact on the face of contemporary culture...and that's one of the reasons I was delighted to find out that one of my favorite musical hooks from the entire set of songs from the TACT Family is catchy and timeless sounding for a reason...because it's actually from another era.

Awesome bad 70s dancing, right? That was "Rakdan Haautomati" -- "Automatic Dancer" -- by renowned Israeli singer Tzvika Pick.  He wrote "Diva," the Dana International song that won the Eurovision contest in 1998. He was a judge on "Kohav Nolad" (A Star is Born, the Israeli version of "American Idol.") And he was once in the show "Hair." (This fact to be important in the next paragraph.) And now, the "making of" video for Booskills' "Rakdan Haautomati," complete with a skimpy, 70s fashion infused set of backup dancers. And Tzvika Pick is in the video, Michael Bolton hair and all.

There's no fighting your past, people. You might as well embrace it. Shabbat shalom from Jerusalem, where I saw Israeli kids breakdancing today. But that's another post for another blog. (Can't wait? Check out http://blog.beliefnet.com/idolchatter, where the post should be available shortly.)

Two Gatherings, Two Countries: Celebrating Israel

Today, in New York, is the Salute to Israel Parade, known in the vernacular as the "Israeli Day Parade." Schools march, and organizations parade down Fifth Avenue, but the real parade is on the sidewalks, as Jews from the tri-state area run into friends from camp, frenemies from high school, and blind dates who never called back. If they're lucky, they spy a hot Jew or Jewess and make awkward conversation, hoping it will turn into something that the NY Times Style Section might find newsworthy.

Today, in Israel, is the Taglit-Birthright Israel Mega-Event at Latrun, known in the vernacular as "the Mega." All Birthright participants in the country gather to celebrate Israel and spy friends from university, camp and youth group across a crowded whatever, peering at peers from many countries, and listening to musical entertainment and inspiring speeches by Israel's leaders and Birthright Israel alumni-turned-Jewish-poster-children.

Not exactly the same. Still, the gathering, the Jews, the celebration of Israel.  There's something to this umbilical cord, connecting two nations across an ocean. Perhaps it could best be expressed in dance.

Tagged in TA: Defining Yourself at the Pulver Networking Breakfast

It's embarrassing that it took me so long to post about attending this networking breakfast in Tel Aviv, but I guess better late than never.

Who am I anyway? Am I my resume? That is a picture, of a person I don't know? It's always hard to define yourself to other people, but at Jeff Pulver's networking breakfasts, they've found a way: name tags with your mantra or motto on them, and additional smaller tags that work the way tagging does on the internet.

At the breakfast, I met a few interesting people, including some whose names I knew but whose faces were new. Of course, there was Jeff himself, plus Israluv, Brian Blum (whose blog I read back before I was a blogger, if you can imagine such an epoch), and of course, Nir Kouris networking at the event with another one of his young CEOs from ecampIsrael.

Want a closer look at the whole tagging situation? Another photo plus additional explanation after the jump.