The Last Exile

I seem to have a talent for meeting unusual people. About a year ago by chance I met a Yemenite Israeli, one of probably less than 20 in the country. He is my friend and business partner. Not only has he taught me the finer points of swearing in Hebrew, given me an appreciation for Israeli coffee, Mizrahi music and a new profound sense of gratitude for life every time I get out of a car after driving with him. There are days when I suspect he is actually working for the Ministry of Absorption and receives a bonus for every one he can induce to come to Israel. He has added motivation for my daughter into visiting Israel with an eye on to making aliyah after her course of studies ends. Not that she needed much motivation to visit but aliyah is a different story. He has also made me promise to return with him to Israel for Pesach and let him show me his Israel.

All these years and I never managed to go to Israel. I have intended to, umpteen times, and something always comes up to prevent me. In the early eighties, I seriously considered marrying an Israeli. When I first brought Avi home to my family for dinner, all my Zaidy could say, once Zaidy established that Avi was not a Cohen, was ‘Baruch haShem’ over and over again. It was one of the few times Zaidy had ever embarrassed me in front of anyone. I kept thinking Avi was going to think there was seriously something wrong with me – given the intensity of Zaidy’s expressed gratitude. Avi even arranged for me to have an audition with a ballet company, but it was his insistence on having at least six children, which was the deciding factoring in my not marrying him and going to live in Israel.

I was 19 and a ballet dancer. At the time, I might have considered one child but anything more than one was a deal breaker. The truth is, I have always been afraid that if I went to Israel, I might not come back, and I was not willing to say good-bye to my life here. One of the things my friend has convinced me of is that what I find so very appealing about living here, is also to be found in Israel – which is simply the variety of life. Shalom Life has posted a video by Matthew Brown called ‘This Isreal’.

This Isreal from Matthew Brown on Vimeo.

Israeli customer service has had a reputation which has always bordered on…shall I say legendary? Ha’aretz:

A customer who decided to leave cellular services provider Partner has received a bill addressed to “Mr. Stupid Person,” so he is suing Partner for NIS 50,000 for defamation. The customer, Samir Samchayev, had a number of phones from Partner and decided to cancel his father’s line after he suffered a spate of technical and other problems. Samchayev said Partner’s customer service reps who tried to convince him to stay used his bill to insult him and take revenge. Samchayev said it was clear this was not a misprint as his details on Partner’s Web site also called him Mr. Stupid Person.
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Okay, maybe this wasn’t such a good idea from a customer service standpoint, but really now, who hasn’t had a job dealing with the general public who hasn’t run into Mr. Stupid Person and wanted to call him that?