2020 was a challenging year, to say the least, but it made way for musical collaborations that would probably never have happened otherwise like Roy Rieck's project Hagal Hasheni (The second wave). The project began at the beginning of the first lockdown and a double album was released in September, just in time for the actual second wave. The idea behind the project is playful and brilliant: Rieck asked artists to send him unfinished drafts that they had lying around-lyrics without music, or music without lyrics, and then he would send it to other artists to work on. Rotem Bar Or from the Angelcy said in an interview that Rieck was bugging him to send his part so one morning he came up with the lyrics from the top of his head and sent them to Rieck in a WhatsApp voice message. Orel Tamuz took the reins from there and the result is one of the most beautiful songs I've heard this year.
In the past I would always associate this song with Memorial Day and other quiet songs about fallen soldiers. But after seeing "Valley of Tears" I understand a bit better the context of the song and the mood of the country when it was released in 1974, a year after the Yom Kippur War. Yehonatan Geffen wrote the lyrics based on a soldier who served with him and was tragically killed by "friendly fire" during training. The song was released on Ktzat Acheret's first and only album, which is well worth digging into (most of the songs are available here). The members of Ktzat Acheret ('A little different' in Hebrew) were Shlomo Gronich, Shem Tov Levi, and Shlomo Idov. Here's a bit about the band from an article in Mitkadem, a progressive rock site: "Shlomo Idov defined Ktzat Acheret as the antithesis of the music of the period, which was expressed in military bands and successful groups like Kaveret. Shlomo Gronich defined his writing in Ktzat Acheret as a kind of rebellion, crossing borders, and an expression of a lot of anger after the results of the Yom Kippur War ... Ktzat Acheret broke up, unfortunately, when Gronich decided to leave the country and go to Europe in the middle of 1975. It's possible that one of the reasons for Shlomo Gronich's decision to leave Israel was related to the fact that his brother, Yaron Gronich, who was also a talented musician, was killed in the Yom Kippur War."
"Valley of Tears" was more of an event than just another TV show. Each episode was followed by a quiet panel to help decompress after violent scenes and discussions about the show continued on the official Facebook page where war veterans shared stories from the battlefield and families of fallen soldiers shared personal stories of their loved ones. For many, the show was difficult to watch and there was a steep rise in calls to Natal, an organization that specializes in the field of war and terror-related trauma. There was also a lot of criticism towards the show from those who didn't like the fabricated storylines, those who felt uncomfortable seeing a traumatic event being shown as entertainment, and those who took issue with the show itself. I guess I belong in the latter group because even though I was glued to the screen every week, the show had many flaws and the end result felt too rushed and incomplete. But the show did succeed in capturing the chaos of the war and the ultimate loss of innocence.
I met him in the heart of the desert
How pretty the sunset is to a sad heart
I drew for him a tree and a sheep on paper
And he promised me he would return
The little prince from unit B
He won't see another sheep eating a flower
And all his roses are now thorns
And his little heart froze like ice
And if you ever come here
Know that here he fell silently
And the sound of the fall was never heard
Because of the soft sand
And if a boy should appear there
With a weary face and golden hair
Know that it's him, and offer him a hand
And wipe the desert sand from his eyes
And then do me a small favor
Please write quickly to all of our mothers
To relieve them a little and alleviate their sadness
I'm packing cold corpses in a crate and I'm another lump of meat waiting to be frozen
The lack of feeling makes it difficult for me to separate a finger from a sausage
I'm seeing signs of repeat pattern but someone was wrong in the degree of doneness
The breath of the mouth mixes with the smoke and gets thicker every second
A long paid vacation which you didn't pack anything for
I'm feeling the heaviness of the head and the whole body tilting after it
I'm walking down a long hall and I always have to find the floor above it
A long paid vacation which you didn't pack anything for
Mirror, mirror who's the prettiest girl of them all?
Certainly not Shiran or Coral or Sapir
Mirror, mirror, mirror on the wall
Artik and Makel, there's no one who doesn't know them
Hello man
Hakol beseger*
This second wave isn't for me I almost went bankrupt
Do you know how much money I already lost this year?
Yom Kippur passed and I heard no apology from the country
Government. La la la la.
Why does this look like a really bad prank
The world is moving forward I'm with my head in the ground
From the depths, without grants
I'm alone on the roof Saturdays and holidays
Mirror, mirror who's the prettiest girl of them all?
Certainly not Shiran or Coral or Sapir
Mirror, mirror, mirror on the wall
All of the Wolt couriers are studs
Is there joy and happiness like me? Masked. ha ha
Is there joy and happiness like me? It's a joke.
I'm afraid to cough
I'm afraid to catch a cold
I'm afraid to get married
I'm afraid to be in a crowd
I'm afraid to pray
To assimilate and to curse
Everything is forbidden I said enough, I don't care about Dubai
Here is the little citizen
Long forgotten
And doesn't know where
Maybe I'll fly to Greece
This is the time to wake up
Before we die
We can't break
Mirror, mirror who's the prettiest girl of them all?
Certainly not Shiran or Coral or Sapir
Mirror, mirror, mirror on the wall
All of the Wolt couriers are studs
Artik and Makel, there's no one who doesn't know them
*Everything's in lockdown-sounds like 'hakol beseder': everything's alright
Ever since the new lockdown was announced I've felt thrown out of balance. I'd gotten used to leading a quiet life while maintaining socially distanced connections with family and friends. Now the news is dominated by bickering politicians and there are comparisons with the failures of the Yom Kippur War. I'm also increasingly worried about what's going on in the U.S. as shockwaves of its political turmoil are felt around the world.
I came across this song a while ago, it was made as part of an alternative Memorial Day project and it feels eerily relevant today. I love the musical changes Nir Shlomo made to Rona Kenan's classic song from her debut album and his voice conveys honest emotion that's hard to find today. I found out on the "One Song" podcast that the song first started out as "Earthquake". Yizhar Ashdot, who produced Kenan's first album, saw the potential in the song but requested (well, actually demanded) it to be changed to Hebrew. He explained in the podcast that although Kenan sang beautifully in English, he felt that it created a distance with the audience and avoided intimacy. Interestingly enough, one of my favorite Rona Kenan songs is "My Prison by the Sea" (also very relevant for these chaotic days) so I'm glad that Kenan didn't abandon her roots. Yali Sobol, one of the writers of the new version, said that Kenan was surprisingly open to lyrical changes and it's interesting to see how the Hebrew song has its own separate identity from the original English version. The writer Alona Kamchi suggested the use of the word "Flood" as a more local term for a natural disaster. 'Flood' gives the love song a mythical feel and makes it much more contemplative and fitting for a public reckoning, which makes it especially relevant for this year's Yom Kippur.
If we survive the flood this time,
Every smile will be different, contaminated.
If I'll repeat this again and again and again
You'll stay for twenty years or until the end of the day.
We learned to wait, to give up, and how to be cautious, from every word.
And everything will suddenly freeze
If we'll have a moment to stop by a street corner
To embrace and to leave
As if it's possible to know how to let go
To love less.
With a wild smile I'll come back to collect debts
To break down walls and to wake you up
Although there is nothing more complete than the pain that is playing
In another song
Round and around we go. Mitzpe Rimon is the perfect place to disconnect from everything going on, to really clear your mind and enjoy being in the moment. I was hoping to spend a few days there later this month but it will have to wait until the other side of the upcoming lockdown, whenever that will be. I had already prepared myself for restrictions during the High Holidays, but a complete lockdown could have been avoided if this crisis was handled better, not to mention the fact that we have no idea how we'll get out of this mess. All that's left is to try to accept the situation and be grateful for clear skies.
Where did I come from?
Where do I go?
I'm so far away from home
What am I going for?
How can I know
What I'm fighting for?
I'm feeling like an alien baby
Riding around the world
I'm feeling like a stranger lately
Round and around we go
So where can I go?
A million miles from home
What am I going for
How can I know
What I'm fighting for?
Forgive me
I don't always know how to help you get down from the tree
How to fix your balloon that popped
How to be strong
Forgive me
Sometimes I want to reach a hand out to you
And that's when you want to be alone
To breathe
My beautiful boy
I don't want to nudge
I don't want to bother
I don't want to pretend
You call me over and everything's exposed
What if I'm not good enough
Forgive me
I don't always know how to keep demons and monsters away
How to quiet the stormy winds
How to be calm
Forgive me
Sometimes we talk about experiences on the couch
You ask the most difficult questions
And I don't have an answer
My beautiful boy
I don't want to nudge
I don't want to bother
I don't want to pretend
You call me and everything's important
What if I'm not good enough
Just as the sky is reflected in a blue sea
Just as the ball is round
Just as there is tomorrow and there is yesterday and there is today
I'm with you everywhere
My beautiful boy
I don't want to nudge
I don't want to pretend
You call me over and everything's important
What if I'm not good enough
I'm happy about the normalization deal with the UAE and I'm very happy that we don't have to deal with the annexation and its results (for now, at least) but it doesn't make any of Netanyahu's failures go away. Or as the "Black Flag" anti-corruption group bluntly said in a statement ahead of last night's weekly protest: "While the prime minister is busy arranging flights to pools in Abu Dhabi for himself, the people of Israel are collapsing [due to] the failure to manage the economic and health crisis. No flights to the Gulf, jobs in Israel!"
Zehu Ze ('this is it' in Hebrew) ran from 1978 to 1998 but is especially remembered for its satirical skits during the Gulf War which brought much needed comic relief to the country. The show reunited at the beginning of the Coronavirus crisis and is now in its second season (how time flies...). I'm not a huge fan of all the skits but I always make sure to check out which cover the cast performed (all of them are available here) in what has become a beloved segment of the show. I love their take on Etti Ankri's classic song 'Millions' which is sadly always relevant. The translation is from Teach Me Hebrew, where you can also sing along.
I know that money isn't important
I know that if it's gone it may one day return
I know that you know that I know
That thinking about it is just a waste
Of time that flies by - with or without us, it will still go by
I know that you know that I know
That I'm clueless
But someone stepped on me today
And I can't get up
I know that you know
That what I earned this month isn't bad
And nevertheless they arrived
To carry out a writ of execution [taking possession of property from] my apartment
They took the television, the closet, the drawer
They poured out the nothingness that was inside it
I know that this isn't right
And I don't have any proof
I tried to say that taxes
Kill all common sense
And they told me that they're not stealing
They're taking it all legally
I know that you know that I know
That I'm clueless
But the second this happened to me
I couldn't get up
And there are millions like me
Wandering in the streets
There are millions like me
In all kinds of shapes
There are millions like me
Mortal people
Penniless
Not worth a cent
I know that health is important
More than money, much more
And it goes without saying that when it comes to love
We must never give up on it
I know that there are debts from previous incarnations
That apply to us in the universe
So if I fell today
Perhaps tomorrow I'll get up
I know that you know that I know
That I'm clueless
But someone stepped on me today
And I can't get up
And there are millions like me
Mortal people
Penniless
Not worth a cent
You remember Susan, that senior executive from the bank
She gave me a lot of love
Especially my simplicity charmed her
I touched her in her heart
It took her a little time to 'get it'
To change her attitude towards me
She understood that I don't have any cash
And stripped me from my dignity
You know that I know that you know
That I'm clueless
Having been treated by Her Majesty like this
I couldn't get up
And there are millions like me
Wandering in the streets
There are millions like me
In all kinds of shapes
And there are millions like me
Mortal people
Penniless
Not worth a cent
Today it's me
Tomorrow it's you
Penniless
Not worth a cent
Life goes on
And all the days are like yesterday
Black and white who would have believed
Twelve steps just don't fall
What if this is all the love you'll ever get
What if this is all the love that there is
All of the fears, the fits of anger, the weights, and the demons
I'm removing all of the madness from me
The spell that flows through my body
The torments, the sins, will I know to start anew and clean
Anew and clean
Looking for a chance to hold on
Not afraid anymore of being alone
Alert and composed facing towards the light
Could I really choose
What if this is all the love you'll ever get
What if this is all the love that there is
All of the fears, the fits of anger, the weights, and the demons
I'm removing all of the madness from me
The spell that flows through my body
The torments, the sins, the memories that don't let go
Will I know to release, to reconcile
Will I know to start
Anew and clean
Anew and clean
An apartment in Tel Aviv in the dark
Thinking of how to make ends meet this month
And what is the meaning of freedom
Recalling periods in which
I wasn't interested in keeping the change, the pockets were heavy
Today among thoughts of holiness, missing my parents
I have empty conversations with two hundred friends
But I need a close one now
Trying to bravely turn
To the deepest place in me
There are things that can break me
Like the gap between my imagination
And reality
It's coming slyly and I'm already in outer space
And it's good for me to be there with myself, not admitting that in my life
There was self-destruction but look what I built
And come look me in the eye and tell me it's not worth it
And there's no choice
But to go how I'm proud of myself
Because even if it's not perfect
It's all there is
Staying in motion
And I have no goal
Believing
I'm afraid it won't work out for me
It's flying demons in my heart
And dad calls my wise girl
Try to take it easy
And on Yom Kippur, a synagogue moves me like music
Going back to the city and shutting myself in, I'm guarding
My integrity
Deleting Tinder, what's the connection between that and essence
But then night comes and I'm lonely, so I download it again
And I feel empty and roll what's in the drawer
Because I'm afraid to look fear in the eye
There's no choice
But to go how I'm proud of myself
Because even if it's not perfect
It's all there is
Staying in motion
And I have no goal
Believing
I have reservations about attending a mass protest during a spike in coronavirus cases, but it feels like the contract between the government and its citizens has been broken and this dire situation could have been avoided.
Woahhh mmmm
I hope u don't hear me right now
I hope u don't hear me right now
It's impossible to argue with a feeling and the truth is...
I live here with the feeling that I'm not being counted
I'm being loaded with taxes and I'm lied to
Cops check me like polite rapists
They put something in my drink and then they screw me
Politicians lose orientation
There's no need to steal take all the information
I'm a lab rat in an experiment
But if someone will only dare to touch my freedom of speech
From day to day my feed looks scary
Like a person who no longer has anything to lose
Do you want to see one say?
If only I was the only one
But like me, millions here are thinking about the future
When they think about the future they think about the debts
When they hear that there are no answers they go out into the streets
The oil prices went down so the thoughts rose up
You don't want to see a country in flames
We hereby announce, we hereby announce
No one fights for one people alone yo
You won't hear this song on the radio
No one fights for one people alone yo
You won't hear this song on the radio
(Dad, what's that swamp there?)
Look, once there was a sea here which we called the Dead Sea
Bad people carried out a massacre here many years ago
(And they didn't sit in jail for murder?) Yes, sure
To this day they're counting the fuckin money from the profit
(oh no, and what did the government do)
They said look this is for you this is to improve the economy
And it will lower the unemployment and contribute to the beginning
Because the country is still wearing diapers we need to push the cart
Yes, yes the justice warrior just wants to shed light
Like the fire spreading in the gas field on Dor Beach
Like cancer from the factories in Haifa, enough, no more
Even in cemeteries, there's no room for more another plot
So it's no wonder that the barbarian in me gets out like a wild horse imprisoned in a safari
To all those who tell me what I'm allowed to do, I'm not a kid, I'm not a kid anymore
And they won't talk about old age benefits
Or about the Ethiopian Jews which they pushed to a corner
And also why talk about access for the disabled
When you can whip up a civil war here
That exactly what they need, to have me glued to the screens
Hating him, hating her, and not understanding where we go from here
Far away from the safe shore deep within the conflicts
You can erase values in order to screw the citizens
We hereby announce, we hereby announce
No one fights for one people alone yo
You won't hear this song on the radio
No one fights for one people alone yo
You won't hear this song on the radio
E-Z on the microphone
Joseph on the Joseph on the beat
So, there's going to be a celebration
But what is the happiness of one who will be on the right side
I couldn't help but think of this song when it was announced that the EU will grant entry to 14 countries but Israel is not on the list due to the rising cases of Coronavirus. Well, I actually thought of the original song by Meir Ariel but then I discovered this brilliant version by Haze'evot. It requires an open heart because it's quite different from the original but I love the new take on it and it is so fitting for these chaotic days. Haze'evot recently released their debut album which you can check out here.
And if you're stuck in Israel like me check out the new documentary on Meir Ariel which will be streaming from Tuesday here.
Excellent translation by Trans Lator. You can find the full translation in the comments of the timeless original version.
As I got discharged the doctors recommended a monthly visit to the airport on my own
Sight of large plane taking off through lucid teardrops does help ones comfort zone
Then later some ease of pressure on the naked eye can well be shown
Picking me a positive afternoon, heading for the port
To myself a say while going, this new habit also needs to be cut short
My-self answers me as we arrive: So we'll start to exercise, just like in sport
Terminal, Je t'aime, I love you
Terminal, bella mia
Sliding doors can guess my moves and open when I'm near
I step inside as though in ritual, vision clear
And all this inter-continental mentality is tickling me here, and here, and here
Carrying myself to the washroom to relax and check my wear
Quickly glancing in the mirror, see a madman standing there
Terminal, Je t'aime, I love you
Terminal, bella mia
As I got discharged the doctors recommended a monthly visit to the airport on my own
Sight of large plane taking off through lucid teardrops does help ones comfort zone
Now indeed some ease of pressure on the naked eye can well be shown
In the zone, fully blown, highly flown, nicely drawn, left alone
Hazard prone, Made as clown, clearly gone, neatly sewn,
Lo and behold, myself then tells me, a remedy is finally known.
Terminal, Je t'aime, I love you
Terminal, bella mia
Every morning I wake up with a new concept
Every morning I wake up with a new concept
Dori, Dori, what will be with you
What will be we with you, what will be with us?
Every morning I wake up with a new concept
Every morning I wake up with a new concept
You haven't gotten out of bed for two months
What will be we with you, what will be with us?
Evening shift at the pizzeria, half onion half anchovy
You haven't gotten out of bed for two months
What will be we with you, what will be with us?
Evening shift at Visa Cal
Policies, insurance policies, and depression
You haven't gotten out of bed for two months
What will be we with you, what will be with us?
What will be we with you, what will be with us?
What will be we with you, what will be with us?
How on good, balanced days You suddenly think about all the madness that was
About all the anxieties and all the, I don't know, chaos and you say what the fuck was that
Like, where was I and why was I so dramatic, so sad
I need to find a really high ladder so I can get to the roof
You can come with me if you want, umm, that's it, bye
When I'll be the concrete of myself
You'll love me, you'll love me and my strength
You'll love me, you'll love me, you'll love me
Love me
On the peak of the mountain
The wind whistles a duet with the chirping birds
Enough of the race, enough of noisy mornings
And just so no more people will arrive
Because when the two of us are alone
It feels to me like a line from a song
The view has already eliminated the city's routine
And in a moment gray turned into clear
You and I are like a rock in the desert standing firm
We've been here for years, even if the flood is threatening
We're like a root holding on to the earth, in heat and wilderness
The tree just keeps growing
On the peak of the mountain
An orchestra of quiet in a calm and pleasant performance
Lady sky is covered in colors
And suddenly you turned your innocent gaze
And I saw in you the wind, I saw a bird
I saw in you quiet and song
Now it's already clear that even when we'll return to the city
The morning will light on us
Every morning will light on us
Can you see it? There's something in the light that's twinkling low
Can you hear it? The crackling of my bones like a beating drum
Are you with it? Everyone's grooving to the same old song
I am with it! I am with you now!
Brilliant translation and explanations by Youtube user Yelix2
Look who came to the studio...to clean!
I fled Moscow, arrived in Ashdod
Moshe, Omer, I wan to dance (a reference to a song by Moshe Peretz and Omer Adam)
Looking for an Oligarch to buy me more furs.
If you want a plastic bag, that's ten agorot more. (many Russian immigrants work as cashiers)
Blat!
Let me tell you just ONE thing:
I live in a one-room apartment with my grandma, that's TWO of us.
Been practicing ballet since I was THREE, my dad is my mentor.
I'm sliding off a pole while doing a split and waiting for you on all FOUR.
Everyone says I'm the heart of the group,
yellow and black are in my soul (Beitar Jerusalem team colors)
I parked on the sidewalk, put more amba in my order! (of falafel, presumably)
I got a haircut like Ronaldo, I use 6 kg of hair gel.
I married Meital, she thinks she's Giselle (Bundchen I guess?)
I kiss mezuzas, charms, girls, not minors!
I'm crazy about weddings, I don't work with receipts.
I was the Messi of the neighborhood until my knee got injured,
Eyal Golan is an angel, and Bibi is the king! (a singer and a right-wing prime minister)
Do you have almond milk?
I live in a bubble, my parents pay the bills.
I do yoga, TRX, and equipment plates.
My dad made an exit and bought me a land lot in Karkur (affluent community north of TLV)
I donated the old Stella McCartney to an Eritrean from Darfur.
Subscribed to Ha'Aretz, don't eat gluten, sculpt in edamame. (left-wing newspaper, Japanese snack)
I write poetry and for inspiration, I listen to Nissim Garame. (singer)
Third generation from the Holocaust, the iPhone is generation 5.
When I hear a 'Tzeva Adom' (an alarm that warns citizens in the south of incoming Gaza missiles)
It reminds me that we are an occupying nation.
Chorus (taken from '××× ×× ××Øׄ ×××Ø×Ŗ', a song by Gali Atari):
I won't be silent, for my land has changed her face. I won't give up on her, I will remind her, and I will sing in her ear until she opens her eyes.
I'm asking you for donations, charities, allowances,
in short, I'm burdening you with my commission charges only so I can fund the yeshivas.
I don't pay taxes, I took a pass on the army. (Haredi people often evade mandatory conscription)
What you make standing up, I earn while sitting (wordplay - the word for sitting is yeshiva).
Love thy neighbor like yourself, unless he's a foreigner.
Large shtreimel (round Hassidic hat), small head (a pejorative term for someone who doesn't think for himself)
I do as the Rabbi says.
That gemara shiur was awesome, now to watch some porno,
Oy Gevalt! I forgot Moshe-Tzvi in the Fiat Uno! (papa?)
Mister, mister, this was supposed to be my verse (also house) but I was deported. If anyone comes to visit bring me some red bamba! (candy no one likes).
You'll always see me with a smile on my face,
Even when someone dies because everything is from God.
In my mobile home in Hebron in front of the sofa in the living room
there's a picture of Yigal Amir and Baruch Goldstein the genius! (PM assassinator, Jewish terrorist)
I'm a mother of eight, we have values!
After dinner, we don't turn on screens (as in TVs and phones).
We go out into the garden and play together - five stones (kids' game)
at Arabs! (referring to religious Hilltop Youths rumored to throw stones at Palestinians)
Hafla! (party in Arabic)
I ride without a seatbelt on a stolen BMW,
With my one-and-only wife, and another wife and another wife (referring to polygamy among Bedouin)
I am the engineer of the 'Acts of Hostility' (a euphemism for terror attacks)
You ate hummus in Qaliqilia? You'll get indigestion! (words that sound alike)
I shoot at weddings! (Arab weddings often use gunfire to celebrate, though not as much anymore tbh)
I flock to the polling stations! (a reference to a racist remark by Netanyahu during the 2015 general elections, where he warned of Arab voters "Flocking to the polling stations")
A construction worker, a pharmacist, a McDonald's counter clerk in Mamiyya
Jews say kfiya (a word that means 'imposition', used to denote insufficient separation of church and state)
I say kufiya (Arab garment)
Well, it took three elections and a pandemic but we finally have a government. I was hoping to feel some sense of relief but I just feel disappointed. Left-leaning optimists will say that it could have been worse: instead of an extreme right-wing government that would have given Netanyahu complete power, there will be some balance from Gantz's Blue and White party and what remains of the Labor party (three seats). But the Blue and White party that will be in the government is not the Blue and White party that 1.25 million Israelis voted for. That Blue and White party included Yair Lapid's center-left Yesh Atid party and vowed to never sit in a government with Netanyahu. Gantz explained that the Coronavirus crisis left him no choice but to form an emergency government-but instead of a small and effective government we got Israel's largest government ever with new made-up ministries given to MKs without much logic.
Speaking of the Coronavirus, it's a strange situation right now. When the lockdown was lifted I felt that things were moving too quickly. It mainly reminded me of the end of the war in 2014, when at first I was cautious, keeping my ears alert for a possible siren and making sure my phone was always charged, but after a few quiet days I did everything I could to move on and forget about that awful summer. I saw in the crowds tanning on the beach and picnicking by Dizengoff Square that same yearning to forget about our lost spring and move on. We're all trying to enjoy our freedom before the second wave hits. It's still unclear if it's a matter of weeks (because we're not being cautious enough) or months.
Omer Moskovich is at the party but stands apart, making room for much-needed criticism and reflection. Check out more of her sensitive tunes here.
To zone out
In front of a screen
Pain is something that is spared
Apathy is the default
Violence is weightless
So let's join the club
Let's say that it will be okay
Come and let's join the club
To zone out
In front of a screen
Reality is a forgotten movie
Logic has a failed score
Indifference is the rule of the thumb
So let's join the club
Let's say that it will be okay
Come and let's join the club
Everyone has eating disorders
But I know what's on the menu
And it's not so bad
So let's join the club
Let's say that it will be okay
Come and let's join the club
Sometimes between you and me, there's half a world's distance
Many vast expanses of water on the shores of their solitude
And I search the horizon with my bare feet to the point of bleeding
Sometimes I climb to my peak, thrilled
To see at the top of the horizon your peak, dimly
Sometimes at night, I don't fall asleep
Going round and round my disappearing island
Looking for your particular island
Between you and me there's a sea
Each man on his island, I'm here you're there
Between you and me there's a sea
And on our islands, there is no one else, no other man
Sometimes I'm not sure you exist
After all, we never really talked
And maybe you're just a delusion
Going round and round my disappearing island
Looking for your particular island
Between you and me there's a sea
Each man on his island, I'm here you're there
Between you and me there's a sea
And on our islands, there is no one else, no other man
So lovely. Noya Eder and EranWeitz offer a delightful cover of Shula Chen's hidden gem from 1969 (which you can listen to here). Perfect for this restless spring.
Under the apple's weight
Who will lay down with me to rest
And whistle to me
Like a sweet bird
Come on, come on, come on, come
Nothing will bother us
Until winter comes
Come on, come on, come on, come
Whoever isn't afraid of a thing
Wet dew and the sun's heat
And doesn't ask
But rather only what there is
Come on, come on, come on, come
Nothing will bother us
Until winter comes
Come on, come on, come on, come
5 minutes of bliss. Omri Smadar's brilliant remix captures that magical 'late at night, end of a great party' feeling which I miss so much. Check out the timeless original here.
She - comes the sun
And it's a sign that it's already late
She - comes the sun
It's not yesterday anymore and it's not tomorrow yet
She - comes the sun
With coffee to my bed
She - comes the sun
I can eat it
And when I'll open the door
And I'll look at everything
Everything looks like the sky
The deeper the bluer
The deeper the bluer
Look at the sky and see
Look deep into the water and see
Look at the sky and see
Look deep into the water and see
Look at the sky and see
Look deep into the water and see
Look at the sky and see
Look into the eyes and see
The deeper the bluer
The deeper the bluer
The deeper the bluer
The deeper the bluer
Some strength is needed to take me away from here
To a faraway country or just a pleasant place
Some secret is needed to reveal to me what else could happen and fall on me
Keywords are needed and also an understanding that healing takes time
A supportive environment is needed as well as both the intention and desire not to be alone
Healing is needed
Needed
Healing is needed
Needed
A desire is needed to emerge from the stoppage that has settled in the right room of my heart
A desire is needed to get up from the bed, to go out and check what more there is to see here
Joy and happiness are needed as well as love, abundance, health and other things like that
A desire is needed to get up and to take part in the dream
A desire is needed to be here
Healing is needed
Needed
Healing is needed
Needed
I'm tired of a reality that isn't good enough for me
Some healing is needed and it's okay, it's close, it's just the bad before the good
I waited for a bus line that never came
When you arrived and asked how long I've been here
I answered: "since they built the station
I've been sitting, waiting for it to come"
"What brings you to a remote road,
That leads from nothing to nowhere?"
And you didn't smile, your voice trembled
You said you were here to breathe
Lia
Arriving again
To the same station
In an old city
Lia
You were a little tune for me
A moment outside of time
We went to the road, we shared a glance
We waited for a ride, you raised your hand
A polite driver stopped by and took
You and me to the Moshav
I tidied the room, changed the sheets
I felt comfortable letting you sleep
But I didn't shut an eye
On the living room couch.
Lia
Arriving again...
And in the dark, I imagined how we would wake up
To birds chirping, coffee in the yard
I'll try to make you stay
With a small dog, piano sounds
And in the end, we'll get married
In the lunchtime heat, I felt a caress
The blazing sun interrupted my dream
On the table I found words
You wrote that you carried on in order to breathe
A sweet postcard from a different time. Listen to more Yoel Shemesh here.
Here are a few links to make your quarantine a bit more pleasant:
Nadav Zofi captures Tel Aviv in a way you've never seen before.
Doco-Corona! A wide selection of documentaries open for the public for a limited time. Passwords are in the description, some are with English subtitles.
Good news-Coronavirus patient 74, Danielle Shami, has recovered and is being released from the Coronavirus hotel! You can catch up on her surreal adventures on Instagram.
From Marganit's Facebook: On one of my trips to India I signed up for a 10-day silence meditation- a kind of self-isolation; a gathering and self-observation, of my feelings. An opportunity to heal carved pains and "to calculate a new route". 10 days in which there are no phones, no internet, no books or writing tools...
10 days with myself in basic conditions.
On around the 5th day in one of the meditations, I started to sing a chorus of a song in my head-one I didn't know before, that didn't exist yet...
I sang it silently to myself over and over so as not to forget.
10 days of silence, designed to balance the heart,
Eventually created a song that crosses cultures and languages,
They created "Away from you"!
Last summer, when the skies were still open, I flew back to India,
In order to fulfill a dream and perform there and shoot for "Away from you" the video I had always wanted, now I am delighted to finally share it with you.
I hope we will know easier and calmer days,
Marganit
Traveling for two months now,
Rivers and waterfalls,
The mountains call me:
"Come and watch".
And the paved road
It leads to the village,
The laughter of children,
Interwoven with my laughter.
It's not that I needed
To fly away from you,
Everything I needed
Was for you to love me
Like I love you.
Between the sky and the balcony
Looking not searching,
Between the spirit and reality
It feels like independence.
It's not that I needed to
Fly away from you,
Everything I needed
Was for you to love me
Like I love you.
So soothing and beautiful. I've discovered that during this period I'm finding more beauty in art and I'm quicker to laugh at silly stuff I wouldn't have laughed at before. David Grossman put it best when he wrote recently "And blessed be humor, the best way to withstand all this. When we are able to laugh at the coronavirus, we are actually saying that it has not yet driven us into total paralysis. That within us there is still freedom of movement in facing it."
And so here are a few moments which made me laugh in the past few weeks and made me forget for a bit about everything going on.
"If Corona doesn't kill us, distance learning will". Shiri Keninsberg Levi, a special-ed teacher and mom of four, explains in a very Israeli way the hardships of distance learning during this crazy time. Working parents, I feel for you.
When Rabbis gave an order not to kiss mezuzahs anymore this clip from the satire "The Jews are Coming" made the social media rounds. Check out more of their bits with English subtitles here.
Eretz Nehederet released this relevant spoof of Fauda a few weeks ago and I'm glad they finally added subtitles. The guys at Eretz Nehederet have been providing us with much-needed comic relief and I really loved this parody of an 80's Israeli workout show, fit for these times. It's in Hebrew but I think you can get the idea :)
It's a confusing time and it's slowly becoming clear that the
dizzying events of the past few weeks will have a long-lasting impact on the
country. To try to make sense of things here is a summary of the recent weeks
Most of this is from Wikipedia, my additions are marked with a *
30 January- Israel suspended all flights from China.
17 February-Israel extends the ban to include arrivals from
Thailand, Hong Kong, Macau and Singapore.
21 February-The first case of the coronavirus pandemic in Israel
was confirmed after a female citizen tested positive for coronavirus at the
Sheba Medical Center after returning from quarantine on the Diamond Princess ship
in Japan.
*Self-quarantines are ordered for anyone who had contact with diagnosed patients. The whereabouts of patients are published for the public.
21 February-Israel instituted a 14-day home isolation rule for
anyone who had been in South Korea or Japan.
26 February-Israel issued a travel warning to Italy and urged
canceling all travel abroad.
2 March-The 2020 Israeli legislative election was held. Multiple
secluded booths were established for 5,630 quarantined Israeli citizens who
were eligible to vote.
*The final results: Netanyahu's bloc of right-wing and
religious parties gained 58 seats, three away from obtaining a blocking
majority.
*6 March-All Israelis returning from Germany, Austria, France,
Spain and Switzerland were instructed to enter self-quarantine for a period of
14 days after their last day in those nations. The decision applied
retroactively to all who have come from those countries in the last 14 days.
9 March-Prime Minister Netanyahu declared a mandatory quarantine
for all people entering Israel, requiring all entrants to quarantine themselves
for fourteen days upon entering the country. The order was effective
immediately for all returning Israelis, and would apply beginning on 13 March
for all foreign citizens, who must show that they have arranged for accommodation
during their quarantine period.
*Gatherings are limited to 5,000 people.
*10 March-Purim. Street parades are canceled but many parties
go on as usual.
11 March-Israel began limiting gatherings to 100 people.
12 March-Israel announced that all universities and schools would
close until after the Passover break.
14 March-Prime Minister Netanyahu addressed the public, addressed
the public, announcing new regulations and stating the need to "adopt a
new way of life". The Health Ministry posted new regulations, effective 15
March. These included banning gatherings of more than 10 people and closure of
all educational institutions, among them daycare centers, special education,
youth movements and after-school programs. The list of venues required to close
included malls, restaurants, hotel dining rooms, pubs, dance clubs, gyms,
pools, beaches, water and amusement parks, zoos and petting zoos, bathhouses
and ritual baths for men, beauty and massage salons, event and conference
venues, public boats and cable cars, and heritage sites. Take-away restaurants,
supermarkets and pharmacies were to remain open.
As late as 15 March, doctors complained that guidelines for
testing were too restrictive.
*The criteria for testing were only those who are
self-quarantined: if they arrived from abroad or were near someone who was diagnosed and they suffer from both a high fever and a dry cough. The Ministry
of Health announced it would increase testing. In addition, it takes around 3 days for results to come in.
*15 March-Israeli president Reuven Rivlin announced that he has
asked Blue and White leader Benny Gantz to form the new government after Gantz
received support from 61 of the 120 MKs.
15 March-Justice Minister Amir Ochana expanded his powers and
announced that non-urgent court activity would be frozen. As a result, the
corruption trial of Prime Minister Netanyahu was postponed from 17 March to 24
May.
15 March-The Israeli government proposed allowing the Shin Bet
security service to track the prior movements of people diagnosed with
coronavirus through their mobile phones. The security service would not require
a court order for its surveillance. The stated goal of the measure was to
identify other people with whom infected individuals came in contact for the
two weeks prior to their diagnosis, and to dispatch text messages informing
those people that they must enter the 14-day self-quarantine. The security
measure was to be in place for only 30 days after approval by a Knesset
subcommittee, and all records were to be deleted after that point. Critics
branded the proposal as an invasion of privacy and civil liberties.
16 March-Israel imposed limitations on the public and private
sectors. All non-critical government and local authority workers were placed on
paid leave until the end of the Passover holiday. Private sector firms
exceeding 10 employees were required to reduce staff present in the workplace
by 70%.
17 March-at 1:30 AM, a Knesset committee approved the phone
tracking program. Within the first two days, the Ministry of Health text-messaged
400 individuals who had been in proximity to an infected person and told them
to enter a 14-day self-quarantine.
18 March-the Defense Ministry took over the purchasing of
corona-related gear.
19 March-The Association for Civil Rights in Israel, Adaleh, and
the Joint List political alliance of Arab parties filed a petition in the
Supreme Court of Israel to halt the monitoring program.
19 March-Several hundred protesters converged on the Knesset to
protest the phone surveillance and other restrictions on citizens' movements,
as well as the shutdown of the judicial and legislative branches of the
government. Police arrested three protestors for violating the ban on
gatherings over 10 people, and also blocked dozens of cars from entering
Jerusalem and approaching the Knesset building.
19 March-Prime Minister Netanyahu declared a national state of
emergency. He said that existing restrictions would henceforth be legally
enforceable, and violators would be fined. Israelis were not allowed to leave
their homes unless absolutely necessary. Essential services would remain open.
20 March-an 88-year-old man was announced as the country's first
casualty.
*21 March: 883 patients are diagnosed.
I'll be posting in the following weeks about life in this new, surreal reality. At the moment there are many things I feel grateful for: I have a
relatively stable full-time job in which I can work easily from home, I can
afford to live on my own without any roommates and I live within walking
distance from my Mom, sister, and their dog. My grandparents, who are in their late 80's,
have finally agreed to give up their independence and let us do grocery
shopping for them and they are both in relatively good spirits, though the
thought of them spending Passover alone is heartbreaking and difficult to bear.
I'm in good health and live very close to a pharmacy and supermarkets.
I'm
worried about everything else: how my family and friends are dealing with the
new isolation measures and how this country will be after the virus leaves us.
I'm worried that many local shops and restaurants won't survive the economic
crisis, not to mention the 500,000 Israelis who will be newly unemployed. I'm worried that due to bureaucratic reasons the official number of
patients does not reflect the reality and in fact the situation is much more
serious than we think. I'm worried that the hospitals, which are under strain in normal circumstances, won't be able to cope with a high number of critical patients. I'm also worried that those in power are taking
advantage of this situation, looking out for their own interests and causing fear and suspicion of others. I'd like to
say that this time of crisis will make room for empathy and solidarity but I'm
not sure that this is the case.
On a lighter note, who would have thought that this humorous song from 1979 would be so
relevant today? I found it surprisingly comforting, like meeting an old friend.
Youtube user Trans Lator is responsible for the excellent translation:
Tea could make you dizzy
And yogurt makes me ill
And chicken feet are easy
To make me puke they will
I refrain from eating things with vast potential damage
Including any chicken wings,
Yeast pastries, eggs and cabbage
Never touch ceramic cups not fully sterilized
Nor any plates which weren't dehumidified
Taking great care, I'm not pretending
Cause in any place with poor hygiene
Some potential germ's attending
Ice cream makes nose running
Stew will expose your vein
Your stomach gets upset by
Each sandwich you obtain
There are germs around us
In the trees and air non-visible
I try to never walk on the grass
And breathe as less as feasible
Never yawn with an open mouth while at the station
Until I'm sure about the wind direction
Medically being extra careful
A hundred thirty years to live
I will call that successful
Who is there approaching?
My nerves are on alert
And then he goes and sneezes
Well now it's all too late
If there won't be a choice
I'm gonna lock my room hermetically
Won't even use my voice
Won't ever go outside indefinitely
I'll rinse the hair shampoo before I issue
I will pick up the phone just with some tissue
Make sure my forehead goes hot never
And if it all goes well I'll simply live forever
Sending my love to everyone going through this mess.
A crow of war
We ran out of time
Grab a weapon and shoot
Or a pencil and become an artist
I'm lucky
I have a high school diploma I'm okay
Mom got the certificate
I got Ritalin
The consolation is over
The atonement is over
It's better to bury your head in the sand
Than shove it into shit
I'm floating in the big world (burying my head in the sand)
I'm floating in the big world (burying my head in the sand)
Shit floats
Sand doesn't
What now?
Oh no
Try to escape
Close your eyes
But even one drop of ink
Darkens a glass of water
It's not really cool to be a grief junkie
Stop scrolling, start burying your head in the sand
Shut the evil eye
After all, we'll all learn here Gemara (Gemara lesson)
It's a story about a child among us
Someone wrote it long ago
And it's actually about us
(Just like) our rabbi taught us something important
No matter what side you look at it, they played us
And don't worry, now the drama begins
In front of him are two bowls, this is what the Gemara says
In one there is gold and it symbolizes the shit
In the other there are coals and she sings to him like a guitar
One is the Nigra Falls
The other is Wadi Ara
One is sweet and tender
The other is sullen and grim
So it doesn't matter which bowl
Put it in a bucket or in a jar
It's better to bury your head in the sand (than shove it into shit)
I'm floating in the big world (burying my head in the sand)
I'm floating in the big world (burying my head in the sand)
We came from mammals
And we'll die as mammals
And we'll absorb every drop of information
From every demon that pops up
This is the end of the story and now the whole choir sings
It's better to bury your head in the sand than to shove ittt
I'm floating in the big world
(it's better to bury your head in the sand)
I'm floating in the big world
(it's better to bury your head in the sand)
I'm floating in the big world
(it's better to bury your head in the sand)
I'm floating in the big world
(it's better to bury your head in the sand) What's Moses doing in the middle of Tel Aviv?
We don't have a government yet but we do have an entry for the Eurovision contest and it is STRONG! Eden has a magnetic stage presence and this soon-to-be hit by Doron Medalie and Idan Raichel brings out the best of her. It's clear that she's having a great time - and so are we :) Good luck!
From Bandcamp: Monad's musical project began in an avocado grove, where Esh Nachmany was surrounded by the sea and beautiful orchards. In an isolated house in the Moshav, Israel, Esh began to build a studio from scratch, remodeling broken tape machines and synths to construct layers of dreamy soundscapes and surrealistic futurism
These days
No one is around
I went back
Kept falling out of time
But it seems
As if my time is done
Here comes that feeling
The buzz in the back of my head
Maybe
This shouldn't be so hard
Just lately
I don't feel like anyone
But they'll see
I'm going to prove them wrong
Just let it be
Don't let your head swell up
Everybody's moving
?Do I really need to keep up
I can feel my life is changing
But I don't know what to do
Lyrics: Rainer Maria Rilke
Translation: Robert Bly
Whoever you are some evening take a step...
Whoever you are some evening take a step
Out of your house which you know so well
Enormous space is near, your house lies where it begins
Up, so it stands against the sky: skinny alone.
With that you have made the world. The world is immense
and like a word that is still growing in the silence.
In the same moment that your will grasps it,
Your eyes, feeling its subtlety will leave it...
No, I'm never good enough.
All my tries have gone to waste.
No, I'm never good enough, no,
Yes, I've tried all the ways
If you'll call, I'll run, I'll be there to walk with you, to hold you tight or set you free, I'm still around, but should I be?
Still, in place, I'm never good enough
Unspoken, hurt, I'm never good enough.
Not the first nor the last, I'm just another man, no I'm never good enough
If you'll call, I'll run, I'll be there to walk with you, to hold you tight or set you free, I'm still around, but should I be?
Still, I'm never good enough,
No, never good enough.
Though my tries I will create
Something beautiful to prove them wrong. And I'll be good.
If you'll call, I'll run, I'll be there to walk with you, to hold you tight or set you free, I'm still around, but should I be?
If you'll call, I'll run, I'll be there to walk with you, to hold you tight or set you free, Look at the sky. What do you see?
The sage I burned fell out the window
On the neighbor's mat
Rice on the stove, irritated heart
I wanted to be asked and answer yes
The tree heads dip into the mist
I am taught about the work
Racheli translates from French
'Joy should be done, trouble comes on its own'
On the longest night in Goa
With a lit candle and an orange tablecloth
I wanted to go back to you
An open stage, she grabbed a microphone and sang
Off-key and in love, she doesn't care
I care too much
Someone yells into the restaurant space
'Less internet, more cabernet!'
My fingers tap on the table
So it will look like at least one person is having fun
The sun drops down, with it the fear arises
Advancing as indifferently as the cows here on the road
It's easy for me to leave in the name of all the girls I was
But running away from something good can be exhausting
On the longest night in Goa
With a lit candle and an orange tablecloth
I wanted to go back to you
An open stage, she grabbed a microphone and sang
Off-key and in love, she doesn't care
I care too much
