Thursday 3 September 2015

Don't be a xenos to me

Our society is so divided that it seems as if we are about to wander apart into another 12 tribes who do not even remember being related to each other. How is it reflected in the Israeli schools? Could the teachers, who also belong to a dozen different groups, prevent xenophobia amongst the students?
From my subjective experience – if the teacher can communicate in tolerable Hebrew, even if the accent makes your ears wilt – the students will listen and even help him get the point across when he is at loss for words. But in case of a conflict, the teacher’s community, race and country of origin will be brought in, with all the stereotypes possible.
I’ve once seen a Russian teacher confuse the grammar structure, and she ended up saying exactly the opposite of what was intended. The class simply exploded with laughter and comments about “those Russians”, which she ignored, and eventually they let it go as well.
Another time I watched an 11th grader (girl) attack a Russian teacher with her firsts, while yelling out racist slurs. There was nothing much we could do besides offering the distraught teacher some tea. The student had been suspended, but the damage was done.
Another example – it’s a known fact that Russian teachers rarely get to teach English for the Bagrut. Even though I barely contained giggles at the sight of the mistakes the Israeli teachers leave on the board. A folder entitled “gremmar” in the teachers’ room… But one of my bosses, looking me straight in the eyes, said: “Why are you giving them grammar? Anyway they won’t know it. They don’t need it to pass the Bagrut. Only you Russians care for grammar, native speakers manage without it, somehow”. You do not say…
If you intend to teach in a regular school, you better grow some very thick skin. Every other word that comes out of their mouths is a swear, and the way to address a friend is “you, son of a *****”. They don’t even get offended, it’s a figure of speech.
One of the main causes of xenophobia – in my opinion – is that people usually have no clue about the life of people in other communities. In 6th grade all students write a paper on their community and background. How wonderful… maybe we should make them research other communities?
Once, when I was teaching a group of Ethiopians, I overheard them discussing the Charedim, who live on the other side of the street. I said:
-have you spoken to them?
- no, - said the boy – we threw stones, and they spat at us. They think we are all murderers, haha.
-have you ever been to their houses? Even once?
-no, why would we ever?
- have they visited you?
-Are you kidding, teacher? We don’t visit them, they don’t visit us.
-but why do you hate them so?
- because they are black, - answered the kid, whose only white part is his sparkiling teeth.
When I got my words back, I told him:
-          If I give you guys bad grades, you call me a racist. And what are you, exactly?
That got him thinking…. But not for long.
Any class I had ever taught, assumed I was American. Any explanations about me being from the Ukraine were rejected outright. I don’t fit their stereotypical image of a Russian. The only thing they knew about Americans is that they eat gefilte fish. Yeah, that slimy stuff in a jar – that’s Americans. No questions about the Wild West, New York or anything else. Just the undead gefilte.
My daughter, studying in an amazing school in Jerusalem, got teased for being American (which she isn’t), and not for being Russian, (which nobody knew, till she interfered in a conversation of some lost nuns ranting about Jews at some graveyard they visited with her class,  in Russian, but that’s another story altogether) and saw a certain amount of irony in that.
Once I found myself on the stairs of the Begin school here in Bet Shemesh, waiting for my son who was taking an exam inside. There were about 40 parents waiting, and they were distinctly divided into 3 groups – Israelis, Anglos, Russians. That got me thinking – where do I belong? Maybe all 3? And I decided to listen in in all of them.
The Israelis were talking about the latest scandal with the police. An obese man in a blue uniform was trying to persuade a woman in white trousers a la the 20s that Israeli police is not just a vast libido, but also… eventually they started talking about schools, teachers salaries, homework…
I wandered over to the Anglos. They were discussing hot lunches, trips, and how to get the kids to read in their mother tongue. The Russians were – you won’t believe it! – also talking about schools. But why can’t they discuss it with each other?
We all have so much in common. We all strive to teach our kids how to live in the society, we survive heatwaves and terror attacks, army and elections. But always alongside each other and never actually together.
 Dear Anglos, have you ever been to a Russian's house? (Not mine, a real Russian). What is our biggest holiday of the year? Or maybe you've been to an Ethiopian house? What's their bread called? Have you invited them over? What do they eat in the Yemeni community for supper? What's Mimuna all about? What do the Indian Jews call themselves? How do 'regular Israelis' address a random guy on the street? Which Israeli writer is known for his most poetic Hebrew? In which Israeli group of society do Americans constitute 15%? (research came out last week). Is falafel really Israeli or it comes from elsewhere? Why do Hungarian Jews shave their heads? Who are the Neturei Karta and why do they call themselves that? Which chassidut wraps their peot around the ears and which ones fold them under the kippa? What's a gartel? What language do the French Jews often speak to their grandparents? 

How convenient – Russians chew their salami,  Anglos enjoy their gefilte fish, Israelis – their matbuha, and we continue to be xenoses (strangers) to each other. Maybe let’s at least say hello? 

Wednesday 2 September 2015

A bit of geometry from a maths idiot


I always kind of envied people for whom life is simple. When you ask them, what's your opinion on the conflict between religion and life? And they answer you, what conflict?

Of course, it's all so simple. If we all quickly do teshuva, kill all the enemies out, send away all the gentiles back to where they came from, delete all the sinners, and cover up all the women completely,  God will bring the redemption immediately. Like a computer game - one, two, three, pass the levels, and you win. Are you for real? Are you in the first grade? Or do you think God is in first grade?
I think each person is born very simple. Like a triangle. The world is very black and white, there is good and evil, and we choose to be on the side of what we consider good. You do good and you get good.
And then it's all shattered and the world becomes - say, a tetrahedron.    Tetrahedron.jpg
When you see that some people might not be perfect, but they are on the side you call good. They might not wear a kippa. but they're still Jewish. A shock. And also, not all Jews "look Jewish", as you understand it. Some of them had no idea Jews could be white. Some of them are allowed to eat locusts and marry two women. Could you imagine? It's a reality-crumbling realization. Just like finding out that not all those who suffer are punished by God for terrible sins - usually we (and they) have no idea why they suffer. It has nothing to do with their deeds. And we shall never know why. And then we can choose how we believe and how we settle the conflict...
And then you graduate to be a cube. Hexahedron.jpg
Another dimension: what about the people who are not on your side of things, not what you choose to call good, but they believe themselves to be right? Some believe in the right of women to wear tefillin, others believe in their right to remain childless, and yet others think it's not Jerusalem but Al-Quds. And could you imagine, to them it's the absolute truth. Wow. Could you come out of your comfy little world and try to enter their heads just for a second? Because calling them "wrong" will not help you grow, no, not in the least.
How about becoming an octahedron? If you are a thinking person and wish to dive deep.
Octahedron.jpg


Some people live in an entirely different reality from yours. Fishermen in Burma and beer brewers in Ireland. Do you think they know God? The world is full of nations, and they have no idea about you and your chosen-ness. And yet their life rolls on for thousands of generations. I think it's both sobering and humbling for a Jew to know about them. We are so not running the world. We are so not the only ones here. We are very little indeed and the only reason we are still here is because we have a job to do. But it's not about just resisting temptation - that's Catholicism. Simplifying the task the way Christianity did. God is both in complexity and in simplicity- the living cell is both simple and infinitely complex. Just like our souls. Just like science. Like every sunrise and sunset we are lucky enough to see here. Just like our job in this world - both so simple and so complex.

And there are more dimensions, more shapes, more depth. Here is a dodecahedron.

I don't know where the fifth dimension is. .Maybe it's in seeing everything you see, and yet keeping your faith. Faith bound to knowledge and understanding, faith full of hope and curiosity.  But the world is infinitely complex, and by deeming it simple, we insult God. By pretending the conflicts do not exist, we cheat ourselves out of possible depth of character.
No, I don't really envy the people who are still a triangle by age 40 something.