Tel Aviv Rooftop

Succot coincides with the first days of autumn and is, in theory, a wonderful time for taking trips: still warm but not burning. And indeed, it seems that much of the country (those who are not abroad) are racing from the Haifa film festival to the Acco alternative theatre festival to the hot air balloon fest in the Negev or the Susiada horse show near Beit Shean (partial list). We too took a short trip - to a buffalo dairy and to Idi's , Ashdod's famous fish restaurant, but with am yisrael tearing up the roads, the best place to be is of course close to our succah -like rooftop. The free time I gained by not traipsing all over the country allowed me to finally polish off the 29 th and last interview in 'Dylan on Dylan' (collected by Jonathan Cott ). One of the inspiring things about the unpredictable and mercurial Mr. Zimmerman (65 ish ) is not only the length of his career but his resolute (not always successful) search for songs that resonate in that partic...

To see the film click the link below. While we were enjoying the sacred peace and quiet of Yom Kippur , devoting the day to reading, contemplation and wandering the empty streets, unbeknown to us, a drama was playing itself out just a few hundred metres away from the rooftop. It turns out that the security forces closed in on an apartment in Rehov Piagotto , just up the road, where they discovered a suicide bomb belt that was supposed to be used over the chagim . The apartment was occupied by illegal Palestinian workers who put up a fight and were arrested. The Shin Bet got the intelligence from Hamas militants captured in an operation in a refugee camp near Nablus which too its own toll in lives, including one Israeli soldier and several innocent Palestinians alongside the terrorists. As is often the case, foiled the terrorist attack was a consequence of Palestinian in-fighting. Apparently the Gaza branch is seeking a cease-fire with Israel while the Damascus leadershi...

Yom Kippur. Pedestrians and other non-pollutants control the street for one blessed day. Among the customs of this time, it is common to seek reconciliation with people you may have wronged during the course of the year. The Talmud maintains that Yom Kippur atones only for sins between man and God. To atone for sins against another person, you must first seek reconciliation with that person, righting the wrongs you committed against them if possible. So, if I've been unkind, unthoughtful or downright nasty to anyone out there during the past year, I'm sorry. OK? This time last year I broke my arm (after falling off my bike) and was stuck at home with my arm in a sling. To pass the time I wrote a sort of diary. Here's an excerpt on Yom Kippur. “The streets are noiseless except for the occasional yelping of ecstatic children on wheels who suddenly have full control of the main road (and it’s completely safe!). The quiet is so quiet that it creates a new audio-landscape: t...

Hanging out. This cat , photographed by Y and a resident of his building, spends most of his time hanging out on the handlebars in the front drive. There's no accounting for taste. The rooftop has really proved its worth over the long Rosh Hashana - Shabbat break, proving yet again that the best place to be on a major Israeli holiday is at home. While much of am yisrael (the part that doesn't go to beit knesset) has been 'relaxing' in theme hotels in Turkey, clogging the nature reserves in the Galil or fighting for a piece of herring in the breakfast line in a hotel in Eilat, the rooftop has been our sanctuary. Here we have celebrated rosh hashana and a birthday with family and friends (the pomegranate in the picture was sacrificed for the the festive table) , read copiously, played sheshbesh, dozed, birdwatched, talked on the phone to our sons in two different continents, listened to the '67 Summer of Love marathon on 88FM (what a year!) and so on and so forth....

A Chinese, or maybe Thai, worker putting the final touches to the old building on the corner of Lilienblum and Herzl, now transformed into a jewel. It's still erev erev erev erev Rosh Hashana but business along Allenby seemed brisker than usual. Time to slip out of the hot, bustling street and peek into the cool courtyard that contains Stefan Braun's . Stefan Braun was once a furrier's and the original sign has been lovingly maintained with the discreet addition of symbols denoting its new vocation as an upscale restaurant. A big photo of what are presumably the prosperous looking Braun Bros in the 1940s adorns the old display window. Most of Allenby is much less upscale. Over the road the "Little Russia" deli is one the many shops catering for Russian speakers. Juices, syrups, jams , cakes, meats, canned goods and lots of alcohol are imported from Russia and barely a word of Hebrew is visible in the whole place. No use looking for Rosh Hashana atmo...

Street in Neve Tsedek (the fount of justice?) , near the Susanne Dallal Centre Jackie sent me this interesting link to an article in Ha'aretz on planning and building issues in Neve Tsedek . Meanwhile, the renovated old train station that is at the centre of the controversy has already been opened, but not to the public. The occasion (how appropriate) was an event sponsored by The Marker ( Ha'aretz's financial supplement) marking the "50 most prominent businessmen in Israel 2007" or whatever. Tel Aviv Mayor Ron Huldai was glowing as he mingled with all that money.