Joseph Zitt's [as if in dreams] 2024-03-19
Hi. I'm Joseph Zitt. I moved from the US to Israel in 2017. This is my newsletter about more-or-less daily life in my city in the shadow of war. You can select these links to subscribe or unsubscribe. There are more links at the bottom. You can also read this email online here. Here we go...
Sudden thunderclaps and a rush of rain greet me as I open the door to go out. I stay in, at least for a few more minutes.
It lets up after a while. I put on my raincoat and baseball cap and head out.
When I get to the street with what had been the market where I picked up packages, the storm picks up again. I duck into a covered parking area to wait it out.
While under there, I set up and try my new Bluetooth earbuds. They work beautifully. The problems that I had had with the previous earbuds don't recur. Since they're the same brand and model, I've been worried that there might be some clash of standards between the earbuds and my phone. Nope. So far, so good.
Outside the construction site on the street where I work, a man in a hardhat hoses down the already-drenched roadway. A massive truck waits behind him at the exit from the site, as if afraid to drive through whatever he's washing away.
Just before noon, my boss calls out from his office, "Gentlemen! Look at the light outdoors! It's so dark!" It is. I can still tell that it's daytime, but the sky is a near-perfect fifty percent grey.1
The new mayor and city council are being sworn in today. The current mayor is stepping down. (For those Americans to whom this may look confusing: it's called an "orderly transfer of power.")
The outgoing mayor has posted a gracious letter looking back on his life's work. 2
"When I took office I dreamed big, but I did not believe how much we would achieve together. I, who trained thousands of soldiers in the army to be combat medics and save lives, believed that humane and caring city management is carried out on the ground itself and not in the fluorescent light or through the keyboard... I saw the role of mayor as a life's work of action for the community... I intend to continue being a loving ambassador of Herzliya."
A local attorney has run a letter in the local news site thanking the mayor for his service. He also lambastes the mayor before him for a somewhat nasty interview she gave in the past few days criticizing him. 3
The letter lists projects that happened under the outgoing mayor. I particularly noticed the mention of the new Cinematheque, although it was one of the smallest endeavors.
One item surprised me: "Thank you for removing the shocking and congested square at the intersection of Sokolov and Ben Gurion streets."
I pass and mention that corner frequently. It's now an attractive area with traffic that flows relatively well. The Heart of the City Mall is on the southwest corner. An open square, my favorite gelato joint, and the Great Synagogue are to the southeast. The street of chaotic shopping extends eastward. The Shabbat café is to the northeast. Another open square to the northwest is bounded by my usual café, the chicken joint, and several other shops.
I asked my family about it. They tell me on WhatsApp that much of that work actually happened under his predecessor, Yael German (whose last name is pronounced with a hard "G"):
"Before Yael German was mayor, that intersection was entirely two-way on both Sokolov & Ben-Gurion / Sderot Hen, & was totally gridlocked at rush hour. It was the main North-South route through the city, & one of the main East-West routes, especially for buses.
"When German was mayor, many streets were made one-way, including Sderot Hen & Sokolov east of Ben-Gurion. The Western side of Sderot Hen was turned into a pedestrian plaza, & the Eastern side was narrowed to one lane, as were Sokolov East & both sides of Ben-Gurion. Buses were made to travel on HaAtsmaut St.
"When German redesigned the intersection, the cab drivers complained constantly. I was glad to be able to cross the street...
"When Fadlon became mayor, he restored Ben-Gurion street to be two lanes in both directions."
The roads now are a little mind-boggling, but they work. I don't know if this image from Google Maps helps at all.4 It's a bit clearer if you zoom in.
I think Matthew Priest would write about this much more clearly, but I don't know if he's been here.5
The Cinematheque will be having a three-day celebration this weekend for Purim. 6
On Shabbat, they'll have a Harry Potter marathon, an AI photo booth that turns people into Harry Potter characters, a family escape room, and a workshop for making stamps, wands, potions, and "magical animals." (Could those khayot pele be Fantastic Beasts?) The whole place will be decked out like a castle. All the events, except the movies themselves, will be free of charge.
On Sunday (the actual day of Purim), they'll be showing the new Kung Fu Panda movie and other kung fu flicks, with professional makeup artists and photographers, as well as related creative workshops. Those are also free, except for the movies.
On Monday, they'll have a sneak preview of the new season of a family TV series Shakshuka, plus showings of Mulan and Victor/Victoria.
Many of the ad spots on the local site link to a page of city programs to help families with members in the Reserves.7 There are a lot of them, and they're needed. A lot of families' breadwinners and other key members have been off fighting for quite a while now.
Now that the weather is getting better (despite today's storms), daily protests are starting up again, every night at 7:30 outside our City Hall and from six to eight PM outside Army Headquarters, across the street from Hostage Square. They seem to be general-issue events. If you feel like protesting about anything, just paint a sign and show up.
It appears that our prime minister has found someone new to blame for things.8 He says that the country's woes are due to public relations people who "can't put two words together" in English. Uh-huh. I suspect he has a sign on his desk saying "The buck stops -- Look, there's a squirrel!"
He says that they're trying to find good people to write these things for him. Maybe I should apply. Or maybe I should just bang my head against the Western Wall until I pass out.
I'm surprised and pleased to hear Jon Hassell's music playing in my usual café.9 Even better, they follow it up with music from Peter Gabriel's Passion.10 It's probably just a background music algorithm, but it's having a moment of good taste.
As I walk home, I hear an idling car rattle and purr with a steady pulse. After a while, the sound starts to move back and forth between my ears and rise in pitch. A static car doesn't do that.
I listen more closely. A new track has started in my app's library shuffle. What sounds like a flutter-tongued bass flute gradually builds in volume and is joined by other instruments. The rhythm throws me as I walk. I count the beats. It's in a fast 11/8. That's hard to walk to. I sync my steps to the tempo but not the meter until the next track comes on.
At a square along the way, three people run past me. My first thought is that there's been some sort of emergency. Did I miss hearing a rocket siren? I then realize that they're heading in different directions. They're all dressed for running. It's not too hot, not too cold. The rain has paused. There isn't much traffic. It's a perfect evening for a jog.
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You can find me via email, Bluesky, Mastodon, Facebook, and, just out of inertia, X/Twitter. There's more about me and my books, music, and films at josephzitt.com.
The newsletter’s official mailing address is 304 S. Jones Blvd #3567, Las Vegas NV 89107. (I’m in Israel, but if physical mail comes to me at that Las Vegas address, it’ll get scanned and emailed. I don’t expect that to happen much. If you want to send me physical mail, ask me for a real address.)
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L'hitraot.