01 August 2007 -- Life-a in Haifa

Almost a month into my Israeli existence, I feel that it is now time to share some authoritative conclusions I've drawn about this nation and its people. Okay, perhaps that's going too far. I do, though, think that I am beginning to see below the visitor-friendly veneer of Israel. So, as seems to be the custom here, I will boldly hold forth in the most straightforward manner possible.

[For ease of formatting, all photos will appear at the end of the post.]

PRECONCEIVED NOTIONS
I first want to evaluate some claims I heard about Israel before my arrival. Some were more or less accurate, and others...well...

1) Oh, you'll be fine; everyone speaks English. Not true! At least, not completely true. While English is certainly widespread, there are plenty of people who either do not speak it or do not feel comfortable speaking it. Some restaurants have English menus; some do not. Street signs are in English, but parking instructions are not. Bureaucrats often speak a bit of many languages, but are masters of none (besides Hebrew). Basically, English will be sufficient if you're just here to do the tourist thing, but I absolutely need to learn Hebrew to live a full Israeli life.

2) Israelis are very casual; they wear jeans and sandals everywhere. Okay, this one is pretty accurate. It is virtually impossible to find someone wearing a tie. Shorts, jeans, sleeveless shirts, and general shabbiness seem to be the rule for all ages. The young and trendy appear to follow European (rather than American) fashion, for the most part. Of course, I say this having spent a total of one week in Europe my whole life, and lacking any real sense of style, but bear with me. Kewl boys wear tight, oddly patterned, v-neck t-shirts and capris. That's kind of Euro-ish, right? Either that, or half of the young men in Israel are gay...which would be interesting, but statistically unlikely. Kewl girls wear...well, more or less the same thing. Oh, and the sandals. It seems that Teva-style footwear used to be the big thing, but Canaan has since been invaded by a colossal coterie of Crocodiles. Yes, young and old, rich and poor, secular and religious (but not ultra-Orthodox, of course) wear those inexplicably popular rubber booties in a whole rainbow of hues. I'm actually thinking of getting a pair -- not to try to conform (really!), but rather to see why everyone likes them so much. They'd better be ridiculously comfortable.

3) Israelis are crazy drivers. Well, yeah, but no worse than Bostonians or New Yorkers. I will say, though, that the horn-honking here is as incessant as it is unnecessary. Oddly, drivers will tolerate a presumptuously double-parked mini-bus, but let a person delay one millisecond before hitting the gas when the light turns green, and her/his genuinely annoyed roadmates will let out a flurry of beeps. One nice phenomenon I've discovered is a remarkable respect for crosswalks, both by motorists and pedestrians. In a nation known for pushiness, it's weird to see people habitually obeying the "Don't Walk" symbol.

4) Security in Israel is super-tight. Hmm... Yes, there is definitely more visible security than in the U.S., but it quickly becomes routine to be metal-detected and bag-searched before entering a public gathering place. (The guard will often ask me something that I believe translates as "Do you have a gun?" I always say lo [no]. I hope they don't change the question to something that requires a ken [yes]!) It will take me some more time, though, to get used to all the firearms. Guns are everywhere here! I guess this is less jarring when one considers that almost all adults here were soldiers at one time, as service in the Israel Defense Forces is compulsory. Still, it's odd to be surrounded by so much artillery. (In Texas, I'm sure I was surrounded by nearly as much, but it was concealed, so I didn't have to think about it...)

5) Israelis are impolite. People born in Israel are affectionately called sabras (cactus fruit) because they are prickly on the outside and sweet on the inside. Perhaps. The people at Leo Baeck have been incredibly hospitable toward me. On the other hand, smiling at a stranger is virtually never reciprocated. I guess the general rule is "I'll be nice to you once I get to know you." Personally, I detest this dictum. It's the same attitude that soured me on Boston. Frankly, I prefer Texan amiability, superficial and hypocritical as it may sometimes be. Is there any place where people are consistently sweet on the outside and on the inside? Give me a one-way ticket, baby!

MOST PLEASANT SURPRISE
DIVERSITY!!! Israeli society is much more polychromatic than I'd expected. I'm not a big stereotyper, but I did have a picture of life over here as being filled with people who fit the American Jewish mold. What I've found, though, is a population whose skin tones, hair textures, and linguistic backgrounds run the whole gamut of humanity. For example, the Mickey Leland delegation visited a community center near Tel Aviv, and the kids we met there were from Yemen, Argentina, Ethiopia, and the Former Soviet Union. There were very few "normal Jews" (i.e., Ashkenazi from Central and Eastern Europe). In fact, my Spanish helped me out in some conversations when my English proved useless. ¡Qué bueno! Even amongst the Arab population, there is more diversity than I'd imagined. Most of the Arabs in Haifa are Christian. Who knew? In the neighborhood of Kababir, just down the street from me, there is an Ahmadiyya Muslim community representing a moderate branch of Islam that rejects the notion of violent Jihad. South of the city is a Druze village. This is a secretive religion that broke off from Islam many centuries ago. Druze men serve in the IDF (as opposed to most Muslims and Christians). Lastly, Haifa is the world headquarters of the Bahá'í faith, a relatively new religion that promotes universal equality and recognizes prophets from the other major creeds. Of course, what I still haven't determined is how harmoniously all these different people get along beneath the surface. Once I've been here for a while, I expect to get a better sense of how the pieces of this mosaic actually fit together.

LEAST PLEASANT SURPRISE
SMOKING!!! Dude, it's everywhere! Not only is it more visible here, but it also seems to cut across all categories of society. In the U.S., there are some strong demographic predictors of smoking -- not so in Israel. Furthermore, the mixture of culturally ingrained audacity and societally widespread addiction results in frequent smoking in places where it's clearly not allowed. I think it will be harder to get used to this than to all the guns!

FINALLY (and most importantly): THE FOOD!
I should begin by admitting that I have not yet sampled the full range of cuisine available here since I'm living on a pretty tight budget. That said, I have enjoyed my first exposure to Israeli food, and I look forward to discovering more. Most of you probably know that observant Jews follow kashrut, a set of dietary laws that dictate how food must be prepared. In order to be considered kosher, a meal must meet strict guidelines -- the most famous of which being that meat and dairy may not be mixed. While most Israelis do not keep kosher, many restaurants and markets cater to those who do. This is hardly a problem, though, since Jews have been living with kashrut for millennia; they've developed myriad recipes that obey the rules and are delicious, too!

Of course, this all makes it easy to be a vegetarian in Israel. It would be harder for a vegan, though, because of the huge emphasis on dairy. Israelis are especially proud of their cheese. In fact, at my first real Israeli breakfast buffet (in a Jerusalem youth hostel), I was confused by the five bowls of seemingly identical soft white cheese. I came to realize that each one has a different taste and fat content. The fruits and vegetables are usually very fresh and tasty. Again, this is a source of national pride. Salads tend to be huge and yummy. I have been less impressed by the pastries and breads so far, but maybe I haven't found the right bakery yet.

Yes, to answer your question before you ask it, they do have McDonald's here. And Burger King. And Pizza Hut and Domino's and KFC. For the most part, these places offer the same fare as in the United States. (Pork products aren't common here, but they do exist. It's not allowed for swine to step on Israeli soil, so farmers construct elevated platforms on which to raise their pigs. Really.) While all of these globalized fat-mongers are certainly popular here, there is still only one king of Israeli fast food: FALAFEL!!! My first falafel sandwich here was the best of my life, and it has gotten even better since I learned how to navigate the array of condiments available. If you've never had falafel, feel free to seek it out in the U.S., but please know that you're not getting the real thing until you visit this part of the world. How's that for Zionist pride?!

[a group of typical Israeli security guards -- armed and ready!]

[Ethiopian Jewish children trying to communicate with one of the Mickey Leland interns]


[a spring-fed pool with a diverse clientele -- One young Muslim woman had a full-body bathing suit, including hijab!]


[the Mahmoud Mosque in the Kababir neighborhood of Haifa]


[the stunningly beautiful Bahá'í Gardens in Haifa]