Is this a dvar? No. It is a response to the many texts, whatsapps and messages of concern.
<The Prior Installment (Friday)>
Assembly
Yesterday, Shabbat, was quiet. Time for consolidation and integration.
Proof Case - Confirmed!
A couple of days ago, I mentioned in “proof case” a guy who barged into the sandwich factory, grabbed a skillet from my hand, had his friend take a photo, and disappeared? Via friends of friends, the resulting picture on Facebook came round to me on WhatsApp. Here is that Social Media star in all his glory. (I am sure he is an upstanding citizen):
("Reality" brought to you by Mark Zuckerberg)
It is now Sunday. The sandwich factory is again a cafe. Formal opportunities to volunteer seem to be farther away. The Mom of the house is at work and wants to take Pasta Bolognese to her son's unit an hour away. Raf goes shopping... buys ground beef, tomato sauce, pasta et al and makes the dish for the first time. Now holding breath for the review...
The meat counter (a walk of 30 meters from the house) has a familiar bottle on the shelf... Boukha.
An impulse purchase is made. (For years in Seattle I hankered for Boukha, had to wait for a relation to bring it from France... my level of drinking is such that this bottle will last years.)
There are two guys behind the counter. One a bearded, heavy, religious guy. The other early 20’s, with an imposing assault rifle slung over his shoulder.
Weapons
Years and years ago, I maintained a correspondence with my Great Uncle Oscar Fasman. He wrote directions how to visit the grave of an ancestor buried near Jerusalem. And advised, “Make the visit with someone in an army uniform, as then it is presumed you are in an armed party.”
That was intifada time.
Generally, traveling around Israel on trains and buses, many armed soldiers are around, going to and from their bases. In the heightened atmosphere of the moment, there are more. At the sandwich factory last Friday I was working with a retired forensic specialist from the Jerusalem police department. His specialization was weapons and ballistics (the science of matching a bullet to the weapon that fired it). We were playing with fire (scorching two cases of eggplant). He had a pistol in his belt.
Logistics
No first hand reports (yet) of whether the trains are running. (The Israel Rail web site often fails to reflect reality when there are "events.")
However, both El Al and rail operated this past Shabbat (yesterday).
Weather
The switch from Summer to Fall fell in the midst of the week of Sukkot. There was a light rain in Jerusalem and the evenings flipped chilly. Today wind and several downpours of a minute or two each. As I write this (three to four PM), the sun is out and cats are howling.
Food
I was introduced to a delicious fruit this week: Annona -- Super yummy! So a new dish cooked, and a new fruit tasted. In a normal year these would be good signs.
Photos From Today
From Bible Hill (thank you A.K.)
Thoughts of the Day
Alef
Delegated to Yuval Harari, author of Sapiens, professor of history at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. His Op Ed in the Washington Post has circulated widely via text message in Israel. Op Ed text here
Also at the Washington Post web site.
Bet
Thomas Friedman's analysis is the best summary I am aware of.
That is the news from Jerusalem.
Raf