I know we have at least one Doper living in Israel—can’t remember his name. I was just wondering how he is, and how he’s been coping with the non-stop murder spree over there.
There are at least two that I know of. Alessan is a veteran Doper in Israel. There is a new one akhol (if I got the name right) too.
I saw something from Alessan not too long ago.
Zev Steinhardt
Actually, I’ve been living in Manhattan since August 2000, a couple of months before the charah hit the fan. Thanks, though.
My family back home’s OK, I guess. Haifa’s been relatively quiet [Alessan knocks three smart raps on his wooden desk]. They’re learning to live with the Situation - they eat out less, do less window shopping at the mall, but beyond that, it’s damn the torpedoes all the way. Like the movie says, you get busy living, or you get busy dying.
Most people I know in Israel have an emergency “I’m OK!!” e-mail which they send to everyone they know whenever there’s an attack near our home, and we often get them before we even hear about what happened. Just one of those things people do to survive - if you can’t allay your own fears, then the least you can do is dispell someone else’s.
You should ask about Curwin and GilaB.
Glad you’re OK and here in, ummm, nice, safe Manhattan. Are Curwin and GilaB also Israeli Dopers? Hope they’re coping, as well, and let’s not give anyone a kina hora!
Wow! What a nice thread.
For those who don’t know, I live in Israel. I live in Efrat a town (settlement) just south of Bethlehem, in the West Bank. I commute every day to my job in Jerusalem.
How do I cope? It’s difficult, but I think the fact that most people in Israel want to be here, and almost all chose to come, or their parents or grandparents did, gives us the strength to continue.
What do I do when there’s an attack?
He’re some things (not in any particular order):
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[li] Turn on the TV, radio or open all the news sites (depending where I am).[/li][li] If I know people in the area, I call them. Otherwise I’m constantly trying to get names to see if I know anyone. So far no one I’ve been close with has been killed but two neighbors, the daughter of a friend, the son of a counselor on a program I was on, and a friend’s stepmother have been murdered.[/li][li] Black humor sort of helps. Saying things like, “I’ll see you if I make it home” or showing scared coworkers who have to come to Jerusalem the places attacks have taken place helps break the tension. I also find myself often at satirical news web sites which put things in perspective.[/li][li] And the most important thing is I keep going. I often say that I don’t have an F-16 fighter plane or a vote in the cabinet, but I can deny the terrorists a victory by not giving in. I figure that for every 10 people killed they hope to intimidate 10,000. Maybe that tourist won’t come, or that person won’t come to work, or whatever. I refuse to give in. That denies them the psychological victory they so desire. [/li]
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The one thing I thought I’d do more, but find myself having less energy for is debating the situation, particulary with people who don’t understand the facts. That’s why you see me less on the Great Debates section than you might expect. I know that every little bit of truth helps, but I have limited energy. Just thinking about what Ted Turner said yesterday makes me think what can I possibly do to convince people who don’t want to know what’s really happening. (Uh, this is sounding like GD stuff, so I’ll quit while I’m ahead.)
It’s funny, as I’m writing this post, the song “I Will Survive” is on the radio. The lyrics are particularly appropriate.
Any other questions?
Glad you’re okay. Whenever I get jittery about being in midtown Mahattan and waiting for the other shoe to drop, I think about people living day-to-day in Israel or in London during the Blitz . . .
GilaB lives (or at least goes to school) here in New York. However, I don’t think we’ve heard from her since her trip to Thailand.
Zev Steinhardt
I don’t know, in some ways New York could be scarier. In my visits to the US, I’ve felt that the security wasn’t very serious. In some places, like the airport, there are all sorts of security checks. But once you’re in the country, no one checks anything. Maybe this Padilla case will show that you don’t only need to worry about people coming from outside the US.
Great. Thanks for curing my jitters.
Ah, come on, Eve. You write for the Onion, no? You didn’t read what “Dana Cornell” had to say this week?
Me, write for the Onion? I like 'em and all, but I only write for money these days, and those web 'zines pay peanuts.
I mean, literally—they’ll hand you a bag of airline peanuts!
I am glad you guys are all well.
My mom is currently in Jerusalem, for a couple weeks, and I know everything will be fine. But I can’t help but be a teeny bit worried.
I’m also glad to hear you’re doing (reasonably) well. How do you say “Don’t let the bastards get you down” in Hebrew? 
I think that translates very elegantly to Galil.
