Saturday, February 21, 2009

My Full Blog Profile

I wrote a new profile for this blog. Thanks to Liz and Janice, the new profile was cleaned up and OK'd for posting. But it turned out to be too long for the space provided by Blogger. So, I've decided to post the full version.

I am a retired attorney who spends his winters (December to March) in Israel. My wife of 35 years, Liz Lacher, and I rent an apartment in Tel Aviv and travel about from there. We've been doing this for four years and plan to keep coming as long as our health and our money hold out.

Liz and I search for places off the beaten tourist track and try as best we can to fall into life as locals. We hang out with friends and family at events like Army ceremonies, youth basketball games and piano recitals: take in the arts and music scenes; find volunteer work; and discover the best restaurants, cafes, and the occasional club (though we are way over the age limit for most of these). We are still searching for the best falafel and sabich stands in Israel.

I came of age in the 60's. In general, "the 60's" begin with the inauguration of JFK and end with the US retreat from Saigon. But musically, the 60's begin with the urban folk revival and Motown, in particular Stevie Wonder performing Fingertips at Murray the K's Big Holiday Revue (we were both 12 -- Stevie jump-started his career, I had an epiphany) and end with The Allman Brothers closing the Fillmore East in 1972.

Politics? Back in the USA I'm most comfortable with post-radical cynicism though you'll find me holding my nose and voting for the Democrats. (This year was an exception; I got to vote without holding my nose). If I made aliyah I'd probably vote for Meretz but not be unsympathetic to Hadash. I believe I'm a Labor Zionist but the species appears to be in danger of extinction.

Religion? Opiate of the masses and the root of all evil but whether or not G-d exists you'll find me davening in an egalitarian, Conservative minyan.

If you use the term "Jewish music" in my presence I think of George Gershwin; the great clarinet players Benny Goodman, Woody Herman, Mickey Katz and Anat Cohen; HaDag Nahash, The Idan Reichal Project, Chava Alberstein and David Broza.

My world view is best defined by three films and a magazine - The Producers (the Zero Mostel original), Dr. Strangelove and Putney Swope. The magazine? Mad, of course.

Food? Never miss a meal. I come to Israel for the fresh and inexpensive fruits and vegetables, washed down by the boutique wines you can't easily get in the USA.

If you don't get the irony and other forms of humor that I try to inject into my posts, that's my fault. If, however, you don't think that governments, religions, businesses and their leaders should be mocked, you may want to find another blog to read.

2 comments:

Daniel Chamovitz said...

The best felafel is "cadouri", a small shack (literally 2 square meteres) in the middle of the main sidewalk in Hod Hasharon. We have to get you to visit not on Shabbat to try it out.

David Stolow said...

Sounds good to me. My current favorites for falafel are the kiosk on Nordau just off Ben Yehuda and Gina's in South Tel Aviv.

For sabich its Sabich Frishmann, corner of Dizengoff, until proven otherwise.