Jacky Levy et al. et al.

Noticing a last-minute poster, we went to Beit Avi Chai to see Jacky Levy and company (Kalabat Shabbat) doing their T"U b'Shvat program (two weeks after the holiday). "Why do Jews like T"U b'Shvat (new year's day for trees) so much? Because it has nothing to do with anyone trying to destroy us. The trees never had anything against us." Probably only in Israel would you get a humorous take on people's reaction to terrorism. ow that I think about it, that monologue was a variation on the "When I came to Israel," or "When I was your age."

We went early to try out Beit Avi Chai's newest version of its cafe. Not much, but fine for coffee or a soft drink or beer with a small cold sandwich or pastry. Israeli sandwiches are almost always good because the bread is excellent and the ingredients extremely fresh.

Along the art-display corridor where they've put the cafe, we noticed a guitar and violin on two chairs, next to their cases, and chairs set around. Someone was going to play. And they did, original works played and sung for 45 minutes before the event we'd paid for.

Beit Avi Chai also supports TV shows on channel 20 -- a sort of Modern Orthodox channel. I've seen several episodes from a travel series about Jewish communities around the world and three soap operas. Chabad undoubtedly did not get started in Katmandu the way the soap opera tells it, but the show is fun to watch.

Copyright 2016 Jane Fox

Gated Communities

• Jewish neighborhoods built in Jerusalem during the last 50 years of Ottoman rule were gated communities. Typically two long, single-story, apartment buildings flanked a courtyard. At one end was a strong gate; at the other a wall or an equally strong gate. In those days, bandits roamed the land.
• Under the stones of the courtyard was the communal rainwater cistern. By the end of the summer it was dry. Then drinking water was bought from peddlars. During the 1947-1948 siege of Jerusalem, an elderly resident (gabbai of the Parsi synagog on Shilo Street) told me, people were glad to have the cistern water, though, he said,t hey had to shop down trees for firewood to boil it.
• In the courtyard there was also the communal baking oven.
• Jacky Levy has said that in Jerusalem the word shkhuna (neighborhood) properly applies only to this configuration, that brought its inhabitants together for essentials.
• Walking north on Diskin from Ruppin, just after KKL (which, in spite of what the Carta map shows, does go through to Diskin), turn right at the alley. You will soon be in a very pretty example of such communities.
• Look up (http://jerusalemblog.blogspot.com/2007/01/looking-up.html . A second floor has been added to most buildings. Look around. Many owners have modernized their properties.
• As you walk through the Nakhalaot, on both sides of Betsalel, you shoulad be able to trace several other neighborhoods from the same era.

Copyright 2007 Jane S. Fox

Sufganiot and Krembo

• By the time Hanuka (minimalist spelling) arrives, many people have eaten as many soufganiot http://jerusalemblog.blogspot.com/2006/10/soufganiot.html as they want. I held off. This morning I bought one at the shouk (on Yafo between Mahaneh Yehuda Street and Eitz Khattim), still warm. The traditional explanation for eating soufgaiot during Hanuka is that, like lvivot (latkes) they are cooked in oil, and this is a reminder of the purified oil that lasted longer than expected after the Macabees cleaned the Temple. I am indebted to Jacky Levi for the explanation that eating soufganiot is the ultimate repudiation of the Hellenistic cult of the beautifuly trim body.
• A commenter at http://jerusalemblog.blogspot.com/2006/11/crembo.html remembers the confection as spelled with a k in English. He may well be right, although the package I bought had no English on it. I have typed "crembo" as a weak, bilingual pun, defining crembo lucus a non lucendo (see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lucus_a_non_lucendo ) because it has no cream in it (bo).

Copyright 2006 Jane S. Fox

Theater

• In the past nine months in Jerusalem, we have been to a concert by "The Tismoret," musicians who play klexmer, gypsy, and Arabic music (http://jerusalemblog.blogspot.com/2006/06/performing-arts-in-jerusalem.html ) ; a David Broza extravaganza of rhythm, song, and dance worth a long drive -- but only a ten-minute walk from home; Tango por Dos (http://www.ballet.co.uk/gallery/jr_tangopordos_peacock_0506 ); stand-up comedian Jacky Levi asking "Does God Have a Sense of Humor?" (Yes!); some other stand-up comedian who might amuse four-year olds; Jacky Levi again, this time with a thoughtful songwriter, working out material for their next show (on its way to being good); a string quartet; and songs by Italian women. Next week is the oud (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oud ) concert.
• All this is in addition to free klezmer, jazz, marching brass band (http://jerusalemblog.blogspot.com/2006/02/unexpected-february-entertainment.html ), Irish band, Moroccan band, percussionists on the City wall, drummers, Irish dancing, Moroccan dancing, Balkan dancing, stilt walking, jugglers, commedia dell' arte, and comic ballet (http://jerusalemblog.blogspot.com/2006/10/all-together-now.html ). (Not to mention the buskers on the Midrakhov.)
• Plus seven museums, three lectures, and nineteen guided walking tours (incuding three tunnels).
• All within Jerusalem.

Copyright 2006 Jane S. Fox