Not about the War!

 

If you want to read a blog about what it is like here during the war than this blog is not for you. This is not a blog about the war or about living here during the war.

"A missile hit my grandmothers’ house in Kiryat Gat or at least it looks like it from the pictures."

That was the first thing my partner for tonight’s evening milking said to me. To clarify, you should know that I do not work in the cow shed, the dairy, but I do some extra chores there about once a month I milk in the evenings. Kibbutz Ketura is located in the southern Arava, a remote desert area that despite being in the “south” of Israel is as likely a target  for missiles as you finding penguins in the North Pole. One could say that we are unaffected by the war which would be doing an injustice to those who are now serving in the army and to their families and yet the threat of a missile attach or terrorist attack is remote. I remember the last time we had trouble here but that was so long ago and I don’t want to blog about the war.

My partner for the evening is a kibbutz volunteer, a young woman who has family in Israel but lives abroad. Volunteers like her are praise worthy under normal circumstances and even more so during these troubled times.

"I can't believe it. My cousin was with my grandmother but she decided to visit me here. I can't believe it. I am a little shaken up," This last part she says stiff upper lipped and yet visibly rattled.

The initial rinse cycle of the milking machines grinds to a halt and instead of comforting words I just emit a quiet "yalla" and start to prep the equipment. I have milked with this young woman before when she was still new here but now she is my boss during the milking. I love the fact that in a few short weeks a complete stranger can be entrusted to tend to our communitys' assets and we (the kibbutz members) take it in stride.

All the cows are now waiting for us to finish the prep and start the milking. This is unprecedented because our herd, which was once around 300 strong now whittled down to just over 100 as the kibbutz is in the throws of expanded our algae business and increase our export of nutraceuticals while we slowly sell off cows and tear down cow sheds.
 
"Why would they shoot missiles" at my grandmother?
 
She gets a chortle from me
 
"I mean why would they even shoot missiles at Kiryat Gat? There is nothing there. What could you hit?"
 
My first thought is to that a missile could hit the Negev Brewery. Okay I have a one track mind. The Negev Brewery has an interesting collection of workers including a former Southern Lebanese Army soldier living the dream and brewing delicious beer. I hope they are safe.
 
Actually I am a little annoyed. Mostly at my self for not having more words of comfort but also to my thoughts that go something like this, “So if it isn't your grandmother it is someone's. grandmother or brother or spouse but this is not a blog about the war. I do not want to blog about politics or who did what to whom or what do the politicians need to do. There are some great blogs out there, enough for everyone to choose one that speaks to their frame of mind.
 
Tonight I am thinking about cows milk and wondering how well thought out was the kibbutz decision to close the dairy and expand the algae farm? If Israel becomes sunk in an economic boycott our algae my be in jeopardy and that precious milk will be missing from the Israeli table. Perhaps we will have to eat our own antioxidants and suffer the side effects of longevity.

The milking proceeds very quickly until we are surprised by a young lady who is calling to the volunteer. She leaves and has a short tête-à-tête with her cousin and I try to read their faces.

 
Reading faces is something we all do but during a war we become instant news analysts. Is that person angry with what I said? Is that woman crying because of the war or perhaps some other mundane tragedy?
 
“Everyone is all right”, she says and again my mind wanders back to Kiryat Gat until she adds, "It was her neighbors’ apartment!"

No one leaves unscathed from these events even the name of this young woman reminds me of another whose boyfriend was killed while serving in the southern Gaza Strip. We all know a someone who.. a boyfriend or husband a son or father and yet this really is not a blog about the war.
 
In an odd juxtaposition the reason I am even at a milking tonight is because of the hostilities in Gaza. If this were just your run of the mill summer, these cows would now be living in the greater Gaza suburbs. These cows are actually earmarked for pastures (okay cowsheds) closer to the missile range. These cows are luckier than they know. Some cows have been less fortunate.
 
The last cows are milked and we are washing and putting away the equipment so that everything is ready for the morning. I am using the high pressure hose to clean out the muck while the kibbutz volunteer returns the cows for the night. As she passes by she says, “ My grandma and two cousins are okay...and so is my great grandma. She is one hundred and one and usually beats the others while running to the bomb shelter.”
 
I am done for the night so I cycle back to the house and enjoy a beer with a couple of the my kids. Now as I type this I click over to see images from the rocket attack on Kiryat Gat, mostly images of a car on fire but no mention of one hundred and one year olds running for cover or lucky cousins that fled to the south.

I realize that you think I am writing about the war but I am not, I am writing about living in Israel. Its about going to work, about serving your country about volunteering and about knowing that you are part of something greater. Another day in the Jewish State.

 

Shabbat Shalom

Before We Put it to a Vote...Put it to a Vote

Israeli Elections are only a week away and although I have leanings towards some of the parties I have yet to make a final choice. I have decided to "put it out there" and see what comments I get. I know this is a dangerous proposition with the way the "talk back" culture has devolved but I am counting on more constructive banter than hogwash and I have a decent BS filter anyway.

Many of my American friends laugh at the choices we have in the Israeli political system and in truth when I review the possibilities I also have a chuckle or two but the Israeli scene will never be condensed to a two party system. By virtue of the fact that a coalition must be formed having a shortened list of choices might guarantee that smaller parties have a strangle hold on the newly elected government. More choices might actually make for a more stable government. When all is said and done stable is usually better for the country. So bring on the parties.

Typically I describe myself as left of center (no reference to the Suzanna Vega song) but definitely outside of the box. I believe in socialist values yet I also believe in the choice of the individual. I am glad we have an extensive health care system that was founded in more socialist times and yet leaves some wiggle room for individual choice. I believe we have to make concessions for a more viable political atmosphere in the Middle East in order to secure borders and protect ourselves. I also strongly believe in a dynamic Jewish state that grants the individual the right to choose a personalized implementation of their own Judaism.  I probably will never understand why Jewish women praying at the Western wall threatens anybody else's Judaism but accosting random travelers and proselytizing them is okay. The Waqaf is the policing body of  the temple mount but the real extremists control the Western Wall. Enough said.

One of the advantages of being Joe Citizen is that I can flip flop on ideas and ideals without much attention focused on me. Politicians are held under a microscope and picked apart whenever they zig or zag. So here are the parties that are on my short list or for some other reason I find it important to mention:

Likud - Beitanu
No, this party is not on my short list but since this will most likely be the party of choice for a plurality of voters it is worth mentioning. I do not feel that the recent meld of the Netanyahu lead Likud with the Avigdor Lieberman Yisrael Betanu is the axis of evil. I suppose many Israelis see this party as a balanced centrist party that plans on doing whatever it has been doing for the past four years. So if you want more of the same I can understand voting for them. I, however, am not interested in the same so I will not be voting for them but understanding that they will (most likely) be forming the next government will influence who I ultimately vote for.  So do I vote for a party that will try and balance the Likud in an attempt to centralize the government policies or do I look for a party that is closer to my values and will, at worst, fight for its ideals in opposition. It is worth mentioning that I am tired of opposition parties that only oppose the government and never side with the government when they are in agreement. This reminds my of the Monty Python skit, The Argument Clinic and that is just silly.

Labor
For many years I voted Labor. The party line was close to mine and even if they supported issues I supported I didn't always feel they were successful in bringing about change. Post Rabin I did not support labor because of personality conflicts. I could not vote for a party with the likes of Ehud Barak and later on with the nearly incompetent Amir Peretz. There are just certain personalities that I will not support. In fact this wasn't originally on my short list because of Amir Peretz's number two slotting but since he jumped ship they are now close to the top. Shelly seems genuine and I find myself agreeing with much of what she has to say. The labor party still reflects many (but not all) of the opinions I hold as important. I prefer to vote for an established party with a good chance of influencing the politic although I don't see them as furthering issues of religious freedom as much as they will economic reform. Labor made a big deal about not sitting with a Netanyahu government and I think that is a mistake. Labor should have backed off that issue, after all they are in it to win, not to come in second place. It would be more responsible to say they will not back down from certain issues rather than point fingers and name calling.

Hatnua
I voted for Tzipi Livni when she was head of the Kadima party and I was happy to see her have the chance to form a government. It is worth revealing that I believe more women should be in politics. The men in Israeli politics seem to only come from the army or religious circles and our country has had enough of both those sectors. I respected Livni's decision to go to opposition rather than give into right wing religious demands but that is where she fell short. Being in opposition isn't just saying no. Perhaps she never had true support from her party of perhaps she had her eye on a new organization but she was ousted. In fact the party, Hatnua, seems to be made up of a group of people who have jumped ship and are letting the currents of issues take them down stream instead of steering for a more clear political vision. Although generally accepted as spin, I can imagine Tzipi leaving the party if it were relegated to the back benches. She is a woman of many talents and I don't think she will waste them on a "party" that has little or no future. On the other hand if they find themselves in the catbird seat and an offer of stature is made, she may be amenable to staying on until the next life raft floats by.

Meretz
When I talk about voting I refer to those people who vote from the heart (and only the heart) and those that vote for more "strategic" reasons. When I voted for Kadima it was because I wanted to bolster the primary opposition to the Likud party and in fact I was not alone...so much so that Kadima ended up with winning the plurality. Many planks in the Meretz platform should be required reading by all members of Knesset and time after time Meretz MKs have show that they know how to affect change even if they comprise only a handful of seats, I guess it is the ole quality over quantity ideal. For all that they speak towards compromise between us and the Palestinians I feel they reject compromise within the Jewish majority.  I suppose I feel more secure with more parties that are more centrist. I would hate to see a Knesset that is void of Meretz but I don't think they are getting my vote.

Yesh Atid
This party is headed by television celebrity Yair Lapid and many people would be hard pressed to name one other person on their list. One reason for this is that Lapid hand picked the ticket to deny standing MKs a place in the list. I suppose the main thing they have going for them is that as MKs they haven't let anyone down. Much of the Yesh Atid platform speaks to me and addresses the most pressing issues of our society. As opposed to other parties, Lapid has not outright rejected sitting with a Netanyahu lead government. In some ways I feel a vote for this party is a vote against the old stodgy parties that continue to prop up relics from the past who do very little to earn their political keep.

Am Shalem
This is another figure lead party, headed by Haim Amsalem who splintered from Shas. This party could possibly be the shocker of the election. More than a few of my friends have talked favorably about this party and I can understand why. The party is founded on bringing factions within the Jewish people together so who can really oppose that. The straw that broke Amsalem's back when he was with Shas was over draft exemptions for Yeshiva students. Am Shalem supports full draft into the army as well as encouraging more involvement in the work force, paying taxes, and contributing to society; in fact it is hard to find a reason not to vote for them. As with Yesh Atid, figure lead parties rarely sprout a full head of qualified statesman. My preference is not to use my vote on a small party. The small party is going to get in (or not) with or without my help so the effect my vote has will probably be negligible whereas with a mid-sized party or large party that extra MK might make the change in the parties ability to leverage a deal for their party and the ideals in their platform.

Ale Yarok
No list would be complete with  the Green Leaf - Liberal Ticket party. I don't really give a hoot about normalizing marijuana use, but this party  will demand a repeal to the high tax on beer production and I support the craft beer industry so that is a point in their favor. They also want to repeal the monopoly the Rabbanut has on Kashrut certification. It might sound counter intuitive but the controls that the Rabbanut exercises over Kashrut certification have corrupted more souls than they have saved. In truth the Kashrut industry is lead by the Badatz which has out Koshered the Rabbanut and scared any large manufacturer to grease the palms of the their organization for Kashrut. I do believe in government control of the licencing of Kashrut (like health regulations, fair trade, and work place issues) but I am not sure the power should be in the hands of those that have proven they know how to abuse it. I am skeptical that this party will muster enough votes to overcome the voter threshold, so I am reluctant to "waste" my vote on them. After all I wouldn't want my votes wasted.

I know it might seem to anyone with the stamina to read this entire tirade that I might not vote for anybody but that is not the case. Not voting is not an option. I will also not vote for "The Cat Party" or the "Pirates" or for any party that is tantamount to not voting.

There it is. I feel like I just hung my laundry on the front lawn and am just waiting for the neighbors to complain...but hey it is better than never speaking with your neighbors. Let me know what you think. I will either listen, ignore, or perhaps I will just have to do my laundry again.

Happy voting, and remember...it isn't enough for your party to win, the country has something to do with it too.

For the Birds

So we have been inundated with just about every bird in the universe. Wow. Look around there goes a ..a..well I don't know the name but it's cute. There are the little yellow and gray ones that are like the all gray ones but, well with yellow. Since we are lucky enough to live in the NJ turnpike for birds we get all kinds here but with less tolls. The Syrian-African rift valley is the land route from Africa to Europe. Birds that require a stop-over on their way north stop along this land mass. The price of hotels may be high but the buffet is primo.

I do know some names. The yellow one that looks like  a gray one is a Wagetail and even if I don't remember the names so much...but they are still cute. I did learn what a Hoopoe (Israel's national bird...as well as Lebanon's national bird) is and how a Plover will practically pluck your eyes out if you go too near their nest which is camoflogued better than anything in the Hunger Games.

In fact I saw a Hoopoe hit pay dirt this morning as it plucked a huge juicy dung beetle larvae from the ground. Now that is one five star breakfast. The bee eaters and sun birds are swarming around our Bougainvillea and the Warblers (the winged kind) have a nest at the top of our Marula tree.

Scores of Babblers (or so it seems) crowd into our Neem tree in the morning to sing at the top of their feathery guts. They love the Neem because (I think):

1. It keeps insects away
2. It is well camouflaged
3. Its thick branches provide cover from other birds
4. It is closest to our window thereby maximizing their waking power at 5 am.

So basically we are one giant pit stop for birds who can afford to winter in Africa, stop by to annoy us, and then fly back, first class, to enjoy summer in Europe and take in the EURO 2012 games from a birds eye view. Local hawks, buzzards, eagles and such take advantage of the unwary travelers and find their fill of tourists that will not be bringing home souvenirs.

Storks, pelicans and cranes often dot our skies with tremendous aerial shows but rarely touch down near here. Once there was a lovely gray heron that made its way between what once were outdoor fish ponds and turned them into empty pools of algae.

OMG, I turn my back for one minute and a young Great Bittern sneaks under the mulberry. I empty the house of family members, trying to coral the young chick for a picture but the Great B is very elusive and escapes under our storage shed and into the wilds of our backyard. Wow, now that is an exciting visit.

So basically we are a snack bar. Why should the birds have the pick of the platter? If you are hungry, why don't you stop by and tuck in. There are some nice grubs here. You can have your fill, except for that big dung beetle larvae guarded by the Hoopoe and don't get too close the the Plover!

Shabbat Shalom

Join me on Saturday for a little poetry (very little)
and
on Sunday for some more Memory Tripping

Freedom is Just Another World

Every day we wake we have a choice. Hit the snooze bar or not. No really we have so much freedom in this world we have completely forgotten the meaning of the word.

One more small rant about Passover cleaning. Almost every year while I am cleaning for Passover and I see the trash can overflowing and I remind my self of the real meaning of cleaning. Cleaning for me has always been a matter of taking my refuse and moving it into someone else's space. It is true that most of the time we are moving trash into an "appropriate" receptacle but somewhere down the line it becomes refuse to someone (or someplace) else. In other words, we are really cleaning when we scrub and dust and sweep and throw, we are moving, moving my crap to you. My mother never accepted that as an exemption from cleaning so, unfortunately, it doesn't let us off the hook. If I choose to live in a dirty/unclean place it doesn't make your space any cleaner. When we get down to it we should learn that our lifestyle contributes to the trash that we "consume". The only way to really clean in the end is to "consume" less. As the popular saying goes, "less is more". I don't know how we teach that and I don't know how to live with that completely, but it is a goal of mine. Live with less. As we enter this new holiday season lets try and embellish our lives by having less. Less to clean, less to purchase, less to throw away when it is broken or replaced.

I guess that brings me back to freedom. The cynical side of me wants to say that most people believe that freedom is the ability to choose between which sugary cereal to eat in the morning all to the profit of one or two huge corporations in the world, but we live in a more complicated world where everything we do can effect the global market. So actually what we eat for breakfast is actually a good place to start. We can easily fool ourselves that our actions are trivial which gives us the out for taking the "easy" road. I don't mean to preach a specific brand of consumerism, but I do believe struggling with the issues at hand will help us make the right decisions. What are the "right" decisions? The ones that we not only can live with but the ones we want to live with.

Yes from time to time we are faced with the really big questions...real life and death stuff, but then we are so focused we can only see the forest, it is when we are casually strolling through the trees we lose sight.

I have seen some of my friends invite guests over for Passover Seder, on Facebook etc. and I am very impressed. At the Passover Seder table we usually invite people to come in off the street and eat, but for most of us that part of the Seder is a ritual, very much detached from the realities of the real world. I also look up and admire those who make sure to give tzedakah before they themselves enjoy Seder or other festive meals.

We have so much choice. We really are very fortunate, lets remind our selves how fortunate, share when we can, live humbly and healthy, and look out for our neighbors as we would want them to look out for us.

Shabbat Shalom and Happy Passover

(My poetry blog this week is also on a Passover theme so I am publishing a day earlier.)

The Well Hung(er) Games

Spoiler Alert! Spoiler Alert!...this is not a Spoiler Alert. I have yet to read, see , hear, or even taste "The Hunger Games" and yet I feel fully qualified to rip the living guts out of this puppy. Am I sounding a little violent? Naw it is all in good fun in the kind of way that makes the gladiator fights to the death in ancient Rome look like Mr. Rodger's Neighborhood. I realize that my little blog will do nothing against the juggernaut of social media and well financed advertising campaign for the movie which by now has grossed 12 gazillion dollars but I feel obligated to say how ironic this whole thing is.

The Hunger Games appears to poke artistic pokers at the reality TV phenomena and the culture surrounding it. I imagine that as a book this can be most effective, but as a movie it seems too ironic.

Not just the movie alone, but the advertising and merchandising that goes with the whole cinematic ball of wax. As one panel member of "Wait Wait Don't Tell" said, he cant' wait for The Hunger Games Happy Meal to be announced. Even The Hunger Games lunch box and the Hunger Games Coffee Mug would be in such bad taste that by the time this blog goes "to print" they will already be sold out (I am not making this up, but when I first drafted this I did not know there really would be such a twisted and evil thing as a Hunger Games lunch box).

Think about it, after they exploit Hunger Games I, Hunger Games II etc. They will do what other franchises do and turn to the prequel, perhaps The Obesity Games in which well groomed spoiled surburban teens have to out eat the other selfish participants. It will not be long before Disney makes it into a stage show (and if you thought Spider Man - Turn Off the Lawsuits was ripe with accidents...just wait.) before the ultimate franchise bid. THEY WILL MAKE THE HUNGER GAMES INTO A REALITY TV SHOW. Yes, Gremlins are stealing this idea even as I type it. Think of the sponsors:

"We'll be right back to the Pizza Hut Hunger Games, sponsored by REI, When your life depends on a bulls-eye, think REI and now..."

My real problem is that we are sucked into beleiving (by the hype) that because we are supporting the "Heroine" aka the Good Gal (Kitn Ass or something), we are also part of the good guys, but truth be told we are showing how we are the sheep sitting in the audience. We are the people that are willingly opiated. Nothing really new here, it is the basis for Gladiator etc and that whole genre of films. When it comes down to it we are titillated by the female "macho" heroine. There is a love message going on too I suppose but that takes back seat to carnage and dog-eat-dog.

Meanwhile I have only attacked the story on its ironic mixed media message. Major themes in this movie are murder, mayhem, and (gulp) suicide. It sounds more like Clockwork Orange (which was originally given an X rating I believe). I have no idea how they got away with a PG-13 rating. Oh , yes I do too. I suppose the violence is not explicitly shown and they stick to cussing in PG-13 ways like:

"Oh Shappoie, I just shot an arrow into my best friend's heart."
or
"Oh fuddy duddy, what's this darn spear doing impaled on my head."

La de da, lets kill everybody off (nearly) but hey no need to get violent about it. There is also some drug reference but I think that is mostly by the audience members. From all of the reviews I nearly read I can tell this movie is well made, well acted and in the end will have a powerful message for many people. Specifically how much popcorn and Jujubes will be sold during The Hunger Games run. So everything is acceptable? I think I draw the line at suicide. Sure it is okay on Glee, but not in movies that market towards young teens. I don't know. Suicide is one of those taboo issues in my mind a "holy cow" if you will that needs special handling and orchestration. No, our media should not avoid the topic altogether but it need not be part of an epic adventure movie for entertaining the kiddies. "Are they going to commit suicide...oh no. Pass the Sno-Caps." I don't think so.

But audience members will be left questioning some of the movies underlying themes like, "When will this come out in 3-D?" Alright perhaps I am reading too much into this. Let's just let people have their blood sports and pay their ten bucks to see other people hack each other apart...just as long as I get a cool prize in my Happy Meal.

Fog Lifted

We were "treated" to three days of sandstorms here in the Arava and when I say treated I am really "euphemising" the experience much like one would refer to being "treated to a spinal tap". Sand storms here are not the ones in Hollywood movies that blur and blind leaving mountains of sand. Yes there is blowing and a fine coating of dust and grit but the two aspects that most bother me are the light and the pressure.

You certainly can not say that the Sourthern Arava is sun deprived. We have one of the highest percentages of days with sunlight in the world. No surprise Arava Power decided to locate their flagship solar array here. Ketura's hi-tech agricultural industry ALGA Technologies  thrives on the sunlight, but the light during a sand storm is different, diffused, unwavering and pervasive. Perhaps because all colors are dulled by the dust, the sunlight coming through the murk and gilings reflects off everything. Yesterday I sat opposite the window in the kibbutz dining  room opposite our nearby mountain that is home to the kibbutz "Menorah" and stands out as the official overlook of the community. Trying to even see the top of the mountain was complicated with the blinding glow that has conquered our skies. As the light overhead blinded me and I could barely make out the mountain in front of me. The light combined with the dust in the air manages to shut down any emotional reflection other than seclusion. The light and view manages to create the feeling you are occupying the only location on earth. I can't see the mountains of Jordan from here. I can't see the fields across the street. I can't even see the gate that is a mere 200 meters from me and that demarcates the property line of my home. I appear to be alone and so alone is how I feel too.

The other downer for me is the pressure. A low pressure system brings with it low depressions too. The weather plays havoc on my sinuses, lungs, and general well being. reducing me to a biological machine that is struggling through the motions liked a labored climber in the death zone. Each breath more precious than the last.

So now I can't see and I can't breath and my world has been shrunk to the 100 meters around me. I just want to go to sleep and wake up when it is over...but that is the joke. Upon waking the next morning the skies seem clearer but renewed winds blow waves of dust only to blind us again and send my respiratory system into maxed-out mode. I can practically see the solar array sucking Volts back out of the national grid as if to compensate for these days of diminished production, the algae pleading with the carbon dioxide for just a little snatch of rays, just enough to get by. The algae does well enough at night by going to sleep, but I imagine the light during a sand storm sends them into a tizzy.

Algae: Give me some of those Rads
CO2: I don't have any.
Algae: Give me some of those Rads, I say! I don't need them, I just want some.
CO2: I am a gas. I have no radiation.
Algae: I can give up sun light whenever I want. GIVE ME SOME LIGHT! NOW!

Okay so maybe this is silly when was the last time you overheard a gas talking (Please do not answer or send "interesting" emails.)

It must be like drinking lite beer, it says beer on the label and comes in a beer can, but tastes like an unfamiliar beverage and  provides no true benefit. I guess I have to drink another one or twelve to feel anything. Why?  What benefit does a sandstorm bring? If you know than please leave me alone. I enjoy being miserable sometimes. Okay I guess that is the side "benefit" of the "chamsin", I am miserable. The day passes in a blur and I retreat to the confines of my home for as long as possible armed with nose drops and other elixirs. At some point I am dreaming that I am deep sea diving and my oxygen has been cut off and I am soon awake, snorting and blowing. Finally the exhaustion and the exhaustion of this weather bring me back under the covers and before I know it it is day again.

Today I awoke to birds singing in the trees. I am reminded of Spring and the spring sunshine, not the blinding light of the sandstorm but the bright light that accentuates colors and compliments the mountains during sunset, the light that nourishes our algae and powers the cells in the solar array. I don't even need to open my eyes to know that this storm has passed. A few nostrillian breathes and I can feel it. I feel much better.  In fact...I think I will celebrate the winds of change and go back to sleep. Snooze!

Shabbat Shalom

My Prose Palette

My mother is often heard saying, "If only I were a painter..." especially at scenic vistas, sunsets, and special family events. I think she could be a good painter too but it takes a special kind of person who is willing to put their soul out there on canvas for others to critique and analyze. Do you feel like you want to paint a beautiful scene when you see one?

I understand where my mother's sentiment is coming from. When I was little, the word desert had no tangible meaning to me, it was only a word that could easily be misspelled to read, dessert...and hey who doesn't like dessert. Now, I live opposite one of the most scenic desert mountain ranges in Israel. The southern part of Israel is mostly made up of the Negev desert. Even the name, Negev, implies a land swept clean, barren. Ecologists will argue the point that what we perceive as barren is teaming with life, just life that escapes our glances, ways of life that require a different pace of life to be seen.

The mountainscape of the southern Arava has a different life however, a constantly changing (evolving?) scene that would beguile and frustrate the most adept of artists. I haven't decided if this is an inspiration or a frustration. If it were me, I would want to paint the scene and then move on. Here a painter could paint a number of paintings from the same exact position and no two paintings would be the same. It might even be hard to convince someone who has never been to the Arava valley that the mountains could be so different from day to day.

We have an artist on the kibbutz, her name is Marla Slott and she paints, sculpts and otherwise defies nature with her brush strokes. Somehow she is able to capture the emotion of a landscape that changes more quickly than a busy Tel Aviv thoroughfare and emote the desert landscape for even the casual viewer to appreciate.

There is a decided danger to this environment that comes with a stern warning. The danger is in believing that we are producing a more stable world. The warning is usually subtle, showing itself in hues of change until the day when it erupts from the surface and swallows our attention.

In general, I believe, we as humans are ever seeking stability and predictability. I guess this is in and of itself an oxymoron since we are always seeking and yet looking for the stability. Predictability is what keeps us sane. The sun will rise tomorrow so I don't have to worry about the sun setting today. This landscape, this ever changing and evolving desert chalice, makes us question the predictability of tomorrow. Perhaps that is why the desert has been so inspirational for many teachers, writers, philosophers, and of course to many artists.

The sands and the rocks are moving beneath our feet and these are the minute changes that can only be perceived over longer periods of time but that can suddenly become very violent and controlling. As much as we would like to think we can control our lives, we are ultimately not masters of our fates. Tectonic plates, global warming, ice ages, and human polemic are constantly moving and re-shaping our world.

I suppose it could be easier if we were all to live in more stable environments, but instead we choose to dig and force our lives to take root in the shifting sands. In this flux we build our homes because we want to carry on a dialogue with the nature that seeks to control and to learn to control our need for control and stability.

Shabbat Shalom