Category Archive
The following is a list of all entries from the Wisdom Gained category.
Israel the Airhead!
This country is funny. Have you ever met someone who is an airhead yet somehow they have a full scholarship to a top university? They can figure out math problems that use numbers and letters but they can’t remember to look both ways before crossing the street? That airhead is Israel.
It seems weird but after I tell you what I tell you, I think you will agree. Here’s why Israel is such an airhead: Trains. It comes down to trains.
In Jerusalem you have the light rail, or you have the tracks, dirt and mess of what is supposed to be a light rail. It’s been in the process of being built for about 10 years and who knows when it will ever be ready. In fact it was recently reported that practice trains will begin to ride some of the tracks- which means they will find all sorts of problems and have to rebuild, remodel and restart the whole train game. The light rail has literally eaten up the center of the city and left its remains like a toilet. You know it’s true even if you don’t like the analogy. Stores and cafes have shut down due to lack of commerce, buses travel down narrow one-way streets which are used as two-way streets and sometimes even three-way streets (dirty). My favorite people-watching cross walk at King George and Jaffa has disappeared along with the businesses and bustle of everyday life.
Yet all this said something so innovative and brilliant is also happening on trains in a different part of the country.
Israel Railways is offering a lecture series, from top Professors while you ride your usual morning commute. This is pure genius. Where did they come up with this? Rather than staring out a window, listening to your iPod, or trying not to fall asleep and miss your stop, you can now have a refreshing cup of morning coffee and refreshing lecture from top Hebrew University Professor Chanoch Gutfreund on “Einstein’s Love Letters.” I mean could you think of a better way to start your day?
So there’s my point in case. The Jerusalem light rail makes this country an airhead, twirling her hair around her finger and staring into space. Yet, while she may look like no one is home, the sheer genius of train lectures makes you realize that indeed the lights are on and only getting brighter.
Be Cool. Matisyahu gives us a much needed beat
Living in Israel is never easy. Understatement. And now with talk about a third Intifada, actual rioting in the Old City and calls of the destruction of Israel from Arab leaders in East Jerusalem to Arab leaders in the Arab nations, life here seems to be more stressful than ever. Reading the news makes me nervous to walk the streets, ride the buses or be in crowded places.
But I still go out and I still live my life here. In fact last night I went to the Matisyahu concert held at Sultan’s Pool right outside the walls of the Old City. On my way I couldn’t help but worry about the possible terrorism that could take place. My mind has a wild imagination, so I was worried about the parked cars, the people with big bags and making sure the security guards were thoroughly during their job—not to mention my fears of 18-year-old “Shana Alef” girls and boys that would probably be drinking beer and standing next to me at the concert (some might argue that is the scariest of all).
But when the music started all the fears, worries and doubts disappeared into the raging beats and all I could do was move to them. Matisyahu’s lyrics and mere presence reminded me that this isn’t just a concert in Israel, this is a part of our way of life and nothing or no one can change that. We are the Jewish people and this is our Homeland. The songs helped to remind me that life is hard, life for the Jews has always been hard, but we can still find the joy in the fog of hate and we can still bust a move.
So I danced to the music. We all danced to the music—even if our moves were that of Jewish white boys and girls, and we couldn’t manage to stay on rhythm. We danced because we could. Because we were dancing in an ancient pool of the Israelites. Because the Old City, might be old but we are keeping it young. We are keeping it. We’re dancing for our ancestors; we’re dancing for our future. We’re dancing cause we think we’re cool and we’re dancing because we know we’re afraid.
The last piece that Matisyahu left the crowd with is his famous song “Jerusalem.” The lyrics say it all, “Jerusalem, if I forget you, fire not gonna come from me tongue. Jerusalem, if I forget you, let my right hand forget what it’s supposed to do.” From the prayers of King David to the hopes of the next generation, thank you Matisyahu for reminding us to move to the beat and keep going.
The Big Felafel to be on Social Media & Aliyah Panel at the Second Jewish Bloggers Convention
After unexpectedly being listed as one of the 100 Most Influential Jewish Twitterers, The Big Felafel is finally getting its crack at stardom, more specifically, stardom amongst Jewish bloggers who live in Israel or want to move to Israel.
I am really flattered to have been asked to be on the panel “Aliyah Doesn’t End At the Airport! Employing Social Media for a successful Aliyah” at the upcoming Second Jewish Bloggers Convention in Jerusalem. Personally, I think it’s more fun to be in the audience and make wisecracks, but this year I’ll be on the stage and have to leave the peanut gallery to everyone else.
Besides being ridiculously addictive and at times stalker-esque, it really is amazing how many people I’ve interacted with and how much I’ve learned via social media – blogging, twittering, facebook, linkedin, etc. And, although we haven’t written much lately on The Big F, since August is the vacation month in Israel, I hope we’ve also been able to share our knowledge and help others with their Israel journey.
The best part of the conference last year was meeting fellow bloggers and seeing the person behind the blog. This year it will be fun to meet people behind the tweet, as well.
Other posts about the conference:
Jewish Blog-Con: A Zionist Love Story – loved it! Orit Arfa likens Israel to a lover and confesses her feelings through the good and the bad.
The Details:
September 13, 2009
2-10pm: what? you’ve never been to an 8 hour conference?! Well, at least snack time is included. But I think nap time might be needed as well. I guess the thinking was to make the convention convenient for people in the US.
Registration:
LIVE in Jerusalem: You can register for the actual, real-life, in-the-flesh, come-out-of-your-shell-and-meet-people conference in Jerusalem (50 NIS includes buffet dinner) here: jbloggers.org
LIVE in your home via Webcast: You can watch it live over the web, but you still have to register here: jbloggers.org
The schedule:
2:00 PM – 5:00 PM Registration and Workshops
Workshops
2:30 – 3:00 PM
Session 1A
Monetizing your blog:
Dos, Don’ts and Great Expectations.
with Stephen Leavitt
Session 1B
Networking for Money:
Your Social Network has value.”Give and ye shall receive”.
with David Abitbol
Session 1C
Defending Israel Through Social Media Tools:
with Jameel@Muqata, Israel Matzav, Yishai Fleisher and Ashley Perry
Will not be webcast or recorded.
Space is limited.
3:05 – 3:45 PM
Session 2A
The Business of Blogging:
Using your blog to build a sustainable business and recurring income.
with Zack Miller
Session 2B
Twittering for Bloggers:
#JBloggers Everything you ever wanted to know, but were afraid to ask. From Intro to Expert.
with Ahuvah Berger
3:50 – 4:30 PM
Session 3A
Fascinated with Facebook:
How to use Facebook to promote yourself, your blog, your products and your services.
with Jacob Richman
Session 3B
Twittering for Bloggers:
#JBloggers Everything you ever wanted to know, but were afraid to ask. From Intro to Expert.
with Ahuvah Berger
Session 3C
Be a Better Blogger:
Nobody cares what you ate for breakfast: How to write the compelling blog post to build readership.
with David “Treppenwitz” Bogner
4:30 – 5:00 PM Networking time: Meet your fellow bloggers.
Light refreshments will be served
Convention
5:00 PM (10:00 AM EST) Opening Remarks
5:10 – 5:25 PM Convention Kickoff Speaker:
How Social Media is Influencing Community
David Horovitz, Editor in Chief, The Jerusalem Post
5:30 – 6:45 PM First Panel: Jewish 2.0
Social Media and the Future of the Jewish Community
Panelists:
David Kelsey / Jewcy (News and Media), Yonasan (Jonathan) Rosenblum / The Jerusalem Post (Religion), Orit Arfa / LA Jewish Journal (Community), Tova Serkin / JGooders (Philanthropy)
Moderator: Danielle Sheldon /Jewlicious
7:00 – 7:45 PM Dinner
7:45 – 8:00 PM Comedy with Benji Lovitt “What War Zone“
8:00 – 8:45 PM Keynote Speaker: Defending Israel Online
Ron Dermer: Senior Adviser to the Prime Minister of Israel
to be followed by Q&A
8:45 – 9:45 PM Second Panel: Aliyah Doesn’t End At the Airport!
Employing Social Media for a successful Aliyah
Panelists:
Clifton Flack / JobShuk, Zev Stub / Janglo,
Rebecca Markowitz / “The Big Felafel“, Marc Rosenberg (Nefesh B’Nefesh)
Moderator: Allison Kaplan Sommer
With Q&A at the end.
9:45 – 10:00 PM Closing remarks
Hope to see you there! If you’re still around and not too tired, please come say hi!
Israel PR: Leave it to the Youth and Put it on Facebook
Israel’s PR for Israel is crap. That of course is an understatement. But this past Sunday Hebrew University students decided to contribute their young and savvy minds to help fix the problem. The students, currently StandWithUs Fellows, launched a Facebook tool called Israpedia to promote their country.
With already 3,000 Facebook friends using the application, the tool is bound to make PR history in
a country where the Ministry of Foreign Affairs only joined Twitter last week. The idea is similar to that of Kassam Counts and is actually built by the same developers. Like Kassam Counts, Israpedia takes over your status message on Facebook and makes updates for you. The difference is that Kassam Counts was updating how many rockets were fired into Israel, where as Israepedia will supply interesting facts about Israel as your status updates.
The idea is that Israel has many sides to it, but somehow the news just likes to focus on the one bloody aspect forgetting that this country also invented a method to get rid of bad breath through the use of laser technology–for example (brought to you by Israpedia). The random facts go beyond the conflict and shed light on Israel’s magnificent achievements, rather than its war statistics.
The students have put their heart and mind into this project and have shown the rest of their peers that we all have the potential to make this country a better place and let the world know that were awesome too.
Check out their facts page at http://www.israpedia.info/facts1.html
For the application: http://www.facebook.com/tos.php?api_key=07a32905120b031dd6b8273ba4b70128&next=&v=1.0&canvas
Stuff Israeli People Like #9: Faxes (and a survival guide)
The dreaded fax-lover
They don’t warn you about it in the Nefesh B’nefesh aliyah catalog, but Israelis are still, in the year 2009, in love with the fax machine. They do enjoy the wonderful world of email as well, but are still loyal to the fax. I can almost understand using a fax for business to business transactions. Maybe. But, most people in Israel (or at least, that I know) live in a fax-free environment. Mostly because there shouldn’t be a need for it anymore. Sometimes I have the energy to explain to a fax-lover how to scan and email, but often, I just find myself throwing my arms in the air and giving up. Luckily, I’ve come across some decent online solutions if you’re in dire need of a fax service in Israel.
- Myfax.co.il – For free, you can get a temporary fax number. The fax-lover will send you a fax and you’ll receive it in your email.
- Freefax.co.il – If you need to send a fax to a fax-lover, then you can upload your document, enter the fax number, and click send.
- Interfax.net – You can send and receive faxes through email with this service. It costs 50 agurot (~12 cents) per page to send a fax. It costs 64 shekels a month to receive faxes through your email. (Steep!)
http://cdn.pis.picapp.com/IamProd/PicAppPIS/JavaScript/PisV4.jshttp://cdn.pis.picapp.com/IamProd/PicAppPIS/JavaScript/PisV4.js
Here’s a scene from Office Space which aptly expresses how I feel about the fax:
[warning: explicit lyrics]
If you’re interested in seeing more stuff that Israelis like, read this post: Stuff Israeli People Like #1-8
Before you rent an apartment in Israel, check citip.co.il
I just found out about a great website, Citip.co.il, for renters to find out the truth about the landlords and buildings for the place they’re about to rent. Citip”s tagline is “What they didn’t tell you about the place” and that’s exactly what the site is for. You can search by address and read reviews by past tenants or post one yourself to prevent people from unpleasant surprises before they make the commitment to sign the contract. Power to the little people!
Also, if you’re apartment hunting, be very, very wary of Craiglist – people have tried to scam me 3 times already. Here’s a list of housing websites for apartments in Israel.
Beware of Craigslist Jerusalem West Africa Scam
My blood is boiling right now. And not because it’s a hot Israeli summer day without air conditioning. I am in apartment hunting mode – and I really mean hunting – vest, rifle, and all. I search at least 10 apartment websites every day and am desperate to find a good deal before someone else does. One of the sites I check is Craiglist and I saw a listing for ILS 2000 for a fully furnished 1 bedroom apartment on King George st. The pictures attached looked a little too stock photography/hotel – esque but when you’re desparately apartment hunting in Jerusalem and you see a deal like that, you can’t look away. I emailed the person who posted the ad asking about seeing the apartment and here’s what they wrote back: [“Stefano” dolphinbaby11@gmail.com]
Hi,
thanks for the message. I attached all the pics i have of the
apartment to show that it is fully furnished. I will be renting this
55sqm apartment out for 2000 ILS per month, all bills inclusive.The
apartment is located in the center of Jerusalem on “Hamalech George”
(King George), just three minutes away from “Ben Yehuda st”, two
minutes from the “Beit Hakneset Hagadol” and twenty minutes from “The
Kotel” (The Western Wall). Near Transportation, Shopping, SynagogueI am renting this apartment out because i am presently out of
Jerusalem, but you can reach me on 002348053001972. We can further
discuss details on phone. I am a volunteer for Anti-HIV campaign
programs in West Africa. I really hope that you will take good care of the apartment.
The utilities in the house are maintained from the rent. It is a
private apartment,all for you.The apartment was furnished to my taste and that is why i want you to
take good care of it as if it were yours. You can be rest assured that
the apartment will be available for your desired duration of stay if
you make a deposit payment now because i am not in town and will not
be there anytime soon. I did not entrust the apartment in the care of
any agent or anyone. The keys of the apartment are here with me.I will send you the keys and documents of the house once you make an
initial deposit.If you are interested in renting the house,i will send
you the application form so that i can have and verify your
information before renting out the apartment to you.Regards,
Stefano.
After telling a few people about the Craigslist listing, my suspicions were confirmed with people telling me they knew someone who fell for this scam, sent a month’s deposit, and never heard from the guy again. So, I looked in Google for “west africa craigslist scam” and sure enough found tons of people warning others not to fall for the scam.
As if this weren’t enough, I had also emailed another listing on Craiglist that had a fully furnished 2 bedroom apartment in Old Katamon. Surely enough, the guy wrote me about his family being in West Africa and when I sent a follow up email demanding to see the apartment first, he sent me the following: (notice that he says the apartment is on Kanfei Nesharim which is in Givat Shaul, not Old Katamon, and not even close):
The cost of the apartment per month ILS2000
the full address of the apartment is :kanfei nesharim street 20 jerusalem,israel youcan go there and see the place yourself and i am quite sure you will like the environment because it is very secured and safe.here is my cell phone number+2347064945797 contact me as soon as possible to know the lastest development so that i know when to contact my Lawyer and start to prepare the paperwork and then later Dhl the keys to the apartment to you after the deposit of the first month rent.Hope to hear from you soon..-JOHN DAVIES [revjohn44@gmail.com]
So please, please, warn others about this scam so that this guy does not get away with it!!
Here are some other links I found about the West Africa apartment scam:
- List of fake names and email addresses used on Craigslist
- Go West Africa – Craigs List Scam
- Craigslist Rental Scam
- Craigslist had a house for rent – owner claims be in West Africa
Freedom of Speech: Israel Isn’t Iran or is it?
It’s in the news, it’s on twitter and even CNN is using Youtube to get their information about the latest and breaking news in Iran as their citizens battle for freedom of speech and right to fair elections continues. But here in Israel news of freedom of speech being denied doesn’t seem to make the headlines around the world, on social media or even in Israel’s own media.
Last week Islamic Movement Northern Branch Leader Sheikh Raed Salah was finally granted permission to speak at Haifa University. Sheikh Salah is an Arab-Israeli and the former mayor of Umm el-Fahm. He was imprisoned for two years in 2003 for raising millions for Hamas and in 2007 he organized riots against an archeological dig and a new pedestrian bridge near the Temple Mount.
Sheikh Raed Salah
Despite his track record Haifa University allowed Sheikh Salah to speak on campus. This sounds like freedom of speech. Point one goes to Israel. But who was allowed to attend the speech, not Jews. In a Jewish State at a Government Educational Institution, Jews were forbidden and denied access to participate in the discussion. Point one removed from Israel and add a negative thousand.
Sheikh Salah told Arab students to sacrifice themselves as shahids in the war against Israel. He claimed that Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu plans to dig tunnels under the al-Aksa mosque and replace it with a Jewish Temple and added that “We will not compromise on our principles or holy sites. We prefer to die as shahids and will welcome death joyfully.” This prompted chants of “Allahu Akbar (God is Great).
Meanwhile the lecture — if you would like to call it that— went on with cheers as Sheikh Salah’s incited hate, Jewish students gathered outside reciting “this isn’t Teheran.” They were not let in and instead clashed with Israeli police. Apparently freedom of speech is a one-way road.
Let me ask you this: If there had been an Israeli right-wing extremist that wanted to speak on campus would Israel allow him to do so? Would Israel ban Arabs from going? And if so, would that make the news?
Link to Sheikh Read Salah’s speech – YoutTube
CNN World Report: Jerusalem’s YMCA Preschool
This week my piece for Israel21C on Jerusalem’s YMCA Preschool was on CNN World Report. It starts around 9 minutes. I love this show because it takes news stories from around the world to show what’s going on in those countries, as opposed to what the media thinks is most relevant in those places.
Yom Hazikaron: Remember those that have fallen and those that lift us up
As we celebrate our fallen soldiers throughout the many wars and plights for the state of Israel, it’s important to remember, on this day of remembrance, not only our fallen soldiers but our everyday heroes as well.
As a new immigrant, the move to Israel is more turbulent than just the plane ride. In fact, that may be the easiest part. It’s like you are suddenly playing the board game of life, but you keep landing on the squares that screw you. You jump from bureaucratic offices stumbling through conversations in Hebrew and not understanding a word, to trying to open a bank account, contract a cell phone and maybe even get internet. All the while you are crying, pulling out your hair and wondering what the hell you are doing here.
So maybe you didn’t cry as much as me (my tears could fix the water drought!). And maybe you didn’t pull out as much hair (with the right tools I could create my very own shaitel – wig). And just maybe you are more of a Zionist than me, so you didn’t want to pack your bags and take the next plane back. But I know you have fought many a battle with one of the above mentioned. I know you have had small victories and bigger defeats. I know the man has gotten you down.
But do not give up. Do not lose faith. And do not move back. We are here to make a difference. Each one of us will find his or her calling. I now know mine is to fight for consumer rights in Israel. My battle with Pelefone is over and I am the victor. Me! Me! Me!
In a previous post I wrote two months ago I told you about my ensuing battle with Pelephone. My complaints seemed simple enough: stop charging me for internet since I don’t use it or want it. And where is my contract because I never agreed to pay NIS 50 for this phone! My complaints were met with yelling matches between the customer service agents who do not believe the customer is right and managers who would rather belittle you then admit their faults. I was angry and deflated like a shriveled balloon. But somehow rather than exploding I came to my senses and decided to fight for my rights
I searched the web for consumer rights organizations and filed complaints. I demanded Pelefone for my contract and told them I would sue if I was not heard. I wrote my post and through the gift of social media, found support and help from strangers that have also struggled like me. And finally I found my Israel Israeli that could give me the confidence and will to fight until the end.
Everyone needs an Israel Israeli on their side. Israel Israeli is the person that comes into your life just when you are about to throw in the towel. He or she will not only encourage you to fight, but to fight hard. And they will even get on the phone and speak on your behalf, write letters and give you a high five for the small triumphs along the way. They will be there for you and never ask for more than a thank you for their efforts on your behalf. They will never give up. They will restore your faith. And you will not want to move back.
My fight with Pelefone is a not just a victory for me but a victory for all new immigrants who don’t believe the system works. Ok, so most of the time it doesn’t, but if you just commit to the fight and hold on to your Israel Israeli then you have a chance.
At the beginning of my battle with Pelefone, the manager told me I would never be able to cancel my internet charges. Not only have I successfully cancelled them, but Pelefone is refunding the last several months of charges. Also, my fight against paying NIS 50 a month for a phone that I remembered the customer service agent telling me would cost NIS 15—which at the time was a big deal for me since I was paying NIS 5 a month before that—was an accomplishment. Since Pelefone does not keep contracts (a standard practice for all cell phone companies) they had no proof of the original agreement. They told me they had given me a copy, which they did not, and said it was my responsibility to keep it safe. And what about them? Why didn’t they properly file a hard copy of the agreement? Well, after several letters, emails and phone calls (all with the help of my Israel Israeli) I stand before you today the proud owner of a phone that I now pay NIS 15 for!
Get empowered! Get help! And get an Israel Israeli! If you have issues, write them here and you will find that others will come to your aid. And since I believe this is my calling, I too will help you (and hopefully my Israel Israeli will be by my side).
Just like the heroes on the battlefield, there are also our everyday heroes that make a difference when it comes to the field of life. I thank my Israel Israeli for giving me the strength and knowledge to fight and win my rights as a consumer. I thank all those that have let me cut in line at the supermarket, slowed down their car to let me cross the street, gave me directions when I was lost, or just smiled when there was no reason to even make eye contact. Our country has survived because of the fallen soldiers that died for our right to live and because of our everyday heroes that give us the strength to battle on.
The Big Felafel 