Thursday May 25th-A Day of Mixed Emotions

Had Israeli breakfast just about every day for cost of 39 shekelst at Lucas downstairs. The breakfast consists of juice, coffee, eggs or omelet, bread, salad, herring, cheeses and a few other items. This morning I asked if I could just get juice, omelet and coffee. The waitress said she would have to ask. After some consultation she got it approved. Cost 50 shekels. This reminded me of the time in Florida in an ice cream shop that had a sign for the day's special. A hot fudge sundae with a chocolate brownie for $1.89. I told the clerk I didn't want the brownie and he replied he would have to charge me full price because I didn't order the special. Being in Israel, and much more mature now, I didn't make a fuss, paid the 50 shekels and left a larger tip than usual. Why do these things happen to me?

Sagi and I went to the Tel Aviv Museum of Art. He was excited to see an exhibit by Michal Rovner, a hot Israeli modern artist who works with photography and video. From what I understand, in this exhibit called Fields, she take video and slowly reduces it by erasure until ghost-like and shadowy figures forge a path within an abstractly defined landscape. Faceless people, whose identities transcend time and nationality, march in formation or wander in groups and in isolation. This is all beamed from a video camera in the ceiling unto a rock. To me it was stupid as it appeared to me like a bunch of ants running around. After 10 minutes I told Sagi I had it. Where are the Van Goghs, Lichtensteins or Rembrandts? I picked up a directory and noticed there was an exhibit named Disengagement.

The photographs and video works in this exhibition revolve around the disengagement and the separation fence. Most of the works are from the last two years, since the disengagement plan was first declared, and document the events reflecting the controversies over the plan: the activists who streamed into the settlements in the Gaza Strip and northern Samaria prior to the evacuation, the evacuation itself, as well as events from the day after. The exhibition seeks to present a wide spectrum of views and attitudes to political events, to the population involved in them, to the landscapes of contention, and examine the influence these images have upon the collective visual consciousness. In addition there was a documentary film about 45 minutes in length which followed the events leading up to the evacution of one of the settlements in Gaza through the actual evacuation. One had to feel for these people who had lived there for many years and now had to give up their homes. I also had admiration for the gentle way the soldiers handled the situation. It was very powerful and left me shaken. It was about 2 pm. Sagi had told me earlier he was taking me somewhere special at 6. I was so drained from the Disengagement exhibit I told him I was going to the flat to rest and would meet him later to go to wherever he was taking me.

At 6 pm we arrived at this old building in not the best area. Waiting for us outside was Sarah. Sagi had met her at a recent vacation in the Sinai. She told him she taught yoga to blind people. They quickly developed a friendship and she invited him to a show. The shows actors are mostly all blind and deaf. They suffer from Usher Syndrome which is a degenerative disease. We climbed about 4 flights and there in front of me were 11 men and women. One of the men Itzik was born blind and deaf. About 1/2 are totally blind and deaf and the others have either very limited vision or hearing all of which will be lost over time. I didn't count, but, it appeared that the workers were close to 11 in number. If not one on one, very close. There are 2 directors: Adina Tal, a Swiss who came to Israel at age 20 and for many years has been active in the world of theater as a director and actress. Within a few years she built, together with the deaf-blind people, the performance "Light is heard in Zig Zag"; and Eran Gur an Israeli born businessman with 20 years experience in the security field. Eran was invited to one of the performances and decided to change the course of his life, sold his business and joined Adina and to this he now devotes his life.

So in front of me at this long table are the 11 who are kneading dough. We were there for a rehearsal for their upcoming show in June. I took a seat and Eran positioned himself behind me to explain. First, I was asked to shake hands with all of them. I was introduced, but, they could not see nor hear me. They wanted to communicate by hand. All of their communication is done by tapping on their hands. So as I approached each one a worker would tap on their hand telling them I was there to shake their hand. As each one shook my hand an infectious smile appeared. They were pleased to meet me and that was their way of expressing their pleasure.

Now it was time for the rehearsal. They were all kneading the doughh vigorously (later to be baked into bread). Adina and another person each had a drum, the kind you hit with your hand. Achod, shnyim, shalosh (1,2,3) Adina said and then she and the other person slapped the drums together twice. Immediately, they all stopped kneading. The vibrations they could sense was the signal to stop. A few moments passed and one of the 4 who could speak stood and introduced him or herself. Eran interpreted for me. "I am Abraham, I like to walk fast without anyone helping me". "I am Ilana, I used to be able to see. 18 years ago my sister came home from the hospital with a baby boy I touched the baby's face and realized I would never be able to see the face". For those who could not talk that person would stand and one of the 4 who could speak would speak for him or her. One slap of the drum and they all sat down and started the kneading until the 2 slaps came again and they would do something different. I guess they had to keep count to know where they were in the program. It was amazing. On and on it went for an hour. Itzik, the man born blind and deaf said a prayer, baruch, atah, adoni....At one point Sagi told me he cried when he 1st saw this. I told him I had a feeling of happiness. I was happy to see people trying and giving in the form of the play and happy to witness the dedicated teachers. I would have cried if I saw them laying around doing nothing with no one to care. These people were giving not taking. They were happy to be accomplishing something in the most unimaginable circumstances. They have appeared in many countries and at Lincoln Center in New York. There will be a performance Oct. 24th in Jaffa and I want to plan Renay's and my visit in Oct. to include that date. For more information here is the website address http://www.nalagaat.org.il/

I have determined there are no taxi drivers in Israel who know where anything is. I asked the driver to take me to Boya Restaurant in the Old Port. I have eaten there at least 10 times. He told me Boya is in Jaffa. I told him it was not and he began arguing with me. Finally, I said I decided not to eat at Boya just take me to the port. At Boya I met the Kramers for dinner.