Category: Uncategorized

b’h

I was really pleased to receive an email this morning from the JTA news service titled, “Jewish groups delivering aid to South Sudan” in which Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said. “This is a peace-seeking country and we would be pleased to cooperate with it in order to ensure its development and its prosperity. Greetings to South Sudan.”

If you have been following recent African news, you must have heard that South Sudan became an independent state on July 9, 2011 with its capital in Juba, following a vote for independence.

Per the article, IsraAID (The Israel Forum for International Humanitarian Aid) is planning to send a long-term aid mission to help women, children and the elderly in the new country.

“As a small and relatively newborn country, Israel has gained experience in various factors of water, agriculture, post trauma, education, migration and others that would be valuable to the people of South Sudan who are now building their country,” said Shachar Zahavi, founding director of IsraAID. “It is our mission and Jewish commitment to reach out to our new friends in any way we can.”

Link to article: http://www.jta.org/news/article/2011/07/12/3088506/jewish-groups-delivering-aid-to-south-sudan

As you know, I have been working with immigrant communities for the past few years,  and  have always been interested in global migration and how various refugee communities end up in places like…Israel!

What I have recently discovered since moving to Israel, is that Israel hosts about 33,000 asylum seekers, mostly from Eritrea, South Sudan, and Darfur.

As you can imagine, the situation is a very touchy one, in which the Israeli Government has not been too willing to grant refugee status to many of these asylum seekers, as they do not want to make Israel an attractive destination for long-term illegal migrant workers, although the journey for most through the Sinai Desert is quite a dangerous one and many of these refugees get taken into detention for at least one-month. However, if granted a conditional release document stating discharge from detention, asylum seekers at this time do get a 3-month, renewable visa in which they are allowed to work.

If you have ever visited Israel, and came on a bus to Tel Aviv’s central bus station, you most likely have seen these migrant communities.

I don’t want to express my opinion on whether I personally agree or disagree with Israel’s refugee policy, as I tend to focus on the human aspect of migration.

What I do know from speaking to a few Southern Sudanese at their celebration of independence this past Sunday in Tel Aviv (strategically sponsored by the Telecom Company Orange), is that most do want to return home and probably will over the next year or so. I can assure that their long-term goal is not to jeopardize the make up of an Jewish State.

Nevertheless,whether or not the Jewish State is comfortable in accepting a growing refugee population, I was pleased to see that the Israeli government has reached out to  South Sudan and is proactively trying to help them build a nation.

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Today, on the 20th of June, the world celebrates International Refugee Day, and this year, the 60th anniversary of the signing of the UN Refugee Convention.

There are 43 million uprooted people in the world. Every day, men, women and children are forced to flee their countries, leaving their homes behind them.

As you know if you have followed any of my blog posts over the last year on Cafe Avra, I spent 6 months before I came to Israel documenting refugee stories in Kenya and Uganda alongside the Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society.

Personally I probably have met over 200+ refugees throughout my time in Kenya/Uganda, which is just a tiny fraction. There are hundreds of thousands.

Above is a video I made for International Women’s Day just a few months ago (March 2011) on the situation of Congolese Refugees in Uganda that I must re-iterate on this World Refugee Day 2011.

As I repeatedly say through all my posts I have written on refugees, I encourage everyone to take a second to think about and try to understand why refugees have to flee their homes. the struggles they go through each day getting access to basic resources and why we need to leave our preconceived notions about refugees behind.

In the Democratic Republic of Congo, today, as I have written about before,  rape is used as a weapon of war which forces many refugees into Uganda.

Life is very difficult and dangerous (in Uganda) in the refugee camps where UNHCR provides food and minor assistance, so many refugees leave and try their luck in the capital, Kampala, which is usually not much easier.  Kampala is where I met these Congolese Women.

The political conflict is extremely complicated, but the simple fact is that rebels control the regions of Eastern Congo which are home to various ‘conflict minerals’ used in our cellphones and computers–i.e.  the 3 “T’s….tin, tungsten, and tantalum (as well as gold).

For more detailed info do visit the Enough Project’s website, (  http://www.enoughproject.org )

***

As I write I am not focusing on being overly liberal and granting refugee status or citizenship to every single refugee claim.

Israel happens to have 33,000 asylum seekers in which the considerations of granting asylum are far different then granting refugee status to the Congolese in Uganda. (This topic I will explore further at a later date.)

I am talking about the human level…trying to understand just for a moment what a refugee has went through before making an assessment on their current situation.

***

Like I said above, Israel also happens to have quite a dynamic asylum seeker population, who mostly live in the South of Tel Aviv. The refugee community is celebrating World Refugee Day this Friday, June 24th.

For those in Israel who want to attend:

Music | Protest | Solidarity Friday 24/06/2011, Tel Aviv Old Central Bus Station, starting at 12:00

Performances of Israelis and Africans*:
Bilaka (Congo), Alma Zohar, Sean Mongoza, Quami, Sinit (Eritrea), Special Jam, Vince (Nigeria), System Ali with Assaf Youth Club, Duop Lulone (South Sudan), DJ Ophir Tabul (Café Gibraltar)

Facebook Page: http://www.facebook.com/pages/World-Refugee-Day-2011-יום-הפליט-הבינלאומי-2011/212268022147426?sk=info

***

b’h

As Shavuot approaches and we celebrate when the Torah was given to the Jewish people on Mount Sinai more than 3300 years ago, we also renew our acceptance of G‑d’s gift, and G‑d “re-gives” the Torah.

We must remember that this gift encompasses the blissful times and also the very difficult challenges we face.

As Rabbi Nachman of Breslov reminds us, we are never given a challenge that we don’t have the resources to handle. We must approach climbing the mountains ahead of us with faith, acceptance, strength. Although it is sometimes very painful, it is only once we get to the top of the mountain that we can truly be free!

I received a nice quote by email recently:

There is only one thing that can put you further ahead than success, and that is surviving failure.

When you are successful, you are whole and complete. That is wonderful, but you cannot break out beyond your own universe.

When you fail, you are broken. You look at the pieces of yourself lying on the ground and say, “This is worthless.”

Now you can escape. The shell is broken.

Chag Sameach!

b’h

Greetings to all from Jerusalem and an early Chag Sameach and Kosher Pesach to all!

Link to youtube video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4EUzstl0UGw

Please read below’s context before watching the short video above on LGBTI Activism in Kenya.

*LGBTI: Lesbian, Gay, Bi-Sexual, Transgender, Intersex

Today I want to bring up a controversial issue that I am quite passionate about and seems to now transcend continents.

As a short back story, (and I wrote briefly about my affiliation to this issue  in a post back in December on World Aids Day….https://cafeavra.org/2010/12/02/world-aids-day-2010-tribute-with-kenneth-cole-liza-minnelli-tyson-beckford/ ), throughout my time in Nairobi I got very close to the LGBTI community and met some amazing, kind, and talented friends that I now miss very much.

Due to the criminalization of homosexuality in Kenya, they are mostly a hidden community of activists, by default, who  face a multitude of challenges each day…but still have time to smile.

And why has this suddenly re-sparked my interest?

So two nights ago I went with a gay friend here in Jerusalem, first to an Alma Zohar concert (a very cute, jazzy Israeli Singer–check out this song–http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t0hpXQlYPi8&feature=related )  and then after to the only gay evening they have here in Jeruslaem…Monday nights there is a small drag show in town, which turns into a semi- dance party. Nothing crazy, just a place where people can meet, hang out, express themselves. I would say there were about 100+ people there…

So I am at the party, I am enjoying, dancing a bit, meeting some new people…and all of a sudden I see a few guys with a kippah (yarmulke) dancing, enjoying their time.  (For my non-jewish friends, a kippah is the head covering religious jewish men wear)

For a second it threw me aback…wow, okay, yes….ofcourse there are religious LGBTI individuals….I met them in Kenya and Uganda…they were my friends there!  But maybe because they were religious Christians it didn’t touch home so hard. And I live in Jerusalem now. It is a religious city, and you forget for a second(well actually almost completely) that some of these men, or women, you see on the streets actually define themselves inside as LGBTI.

Funny enough, my friend who took me to this club here in Jerusalem I met in Nairobi, though he is Israeli and was only there for about one month for work.(I am happy we crossed paths 🙂 )

I took him to a small LGBTI party on his last night in Kenya at a friend’s apartment, so he knew the scene a little bit.

So once I saw the religious guys I immediately said to him that I was a bit surprised for a second to see any religious guys here! He said, I know me too in the beginning but of course they are part of the community. And he said, Jerusalem, for the gay community, is like Kenya all over again in a certain way. Which in a way is true, especially for those who grow up religious. Though, as a back up, you have Tel Aviv! And at least you have one designated gay evening per week here in Jerusalem…in Kenya, it could not be possible.

***

I continue to find myself surprised that I really do connect to the struggles of the LGBTI community, but I consider myself to now be an orthodox, straight- Jew…or alteast I do try to live my life in a way that follows Halacha (Jewish Law).  When it comes to certain controversies in Judaism…such as matters of Jewish identity for example, I find myself very right-wing. If your Mother is not Jewish, you are not Jewish. Simple as that, I am sorry to say. I don’t use negative words lightly, but I have an almost animosity towards the Reform Movement (I grew up ‘Reform’–whatever that means) for telling members of their ‘Congregation’ that if their Father is Jewish and their mother is not Jewish, they are Jewish.  No. They are not. I am sorry…”Reform Movement”….but political movements that arose in the 20th century can not change 2,000+ year laws…

You see my point.

But, when it comes to LGBTI issues, I really do believe that you can be religious, love GD, and GD also loves you…even if you classify yourself as LGBTI.

If you are Jewish, that is, someone born of a Jewish Mother, and you identify as being Gay or Lesbian…you are just as beautiful in GD’s eyes as those who identify as Straight.

A good person is a good person.

A person who is kind and does mitzvahs for others is extremely beautiful in gd’s eyes.

And because I am not Gd, who am I to judge or treat a LGBTI friend, or person, any different from anyone else.

And the fact of the matter is, most of the people I know who identify as LGBTI happen to be some of the most amazing people I know. Some consider themselves religious, and some do not.

***

I made the video above for a few reasons.

First, to connect you to a member of the LGBTI in community in Kenya who, with a huge smile as you will see, works in creating dialogue with religious Leaders in Africa.

And to reiterate that South Africa is the only country in Africa where you can be openly LGBTI.

Hardly anyone I met in Kenya has been to a Gay Pride Parade, as the only one on the continent is in South Africa and it is usually quite an expensive journey.

My friends in Kenya dream to be able to attend a Gay Pride Parade, and if I truly had the money, I would try to bring them all over to Tel Aviv and Jerusalem this upcoming June for the day’s here. (My next follow-up post, gd willing, will be pictures from both pride days).

**

Thanks for reading, especially if you are someone who is not as open as I am to LGBTI issues.

I want to send my love to all my LGBTI friends all over the World…from Nairobi to Kampala…Jerusalem…New York…San Francisco…Manchester, UK. I love you for the beautiful souls that you are:)

And to those LGBTI friends outside Africa…remember the video above and do not forget their struggles!

Try to connect to the community in Kenya.

You can check out the Gay & Lesbian Coalition of Kenya’s website here : http://galck.org/

Or please do email me at cafeavra@gmail.com and I will put you in touch with GALCK.

***

Chag Sameach to all:)

b’h

Last Wednesday, March 23, 2011,  there was a bomb attack in Central Jerusalem in which one British woman, Mary Gardner (59), regretfully lost her life.

I found out soon after that Mary Gardner was also a student at The Hebrew University of Jerusalem and took the exact same Hebrew Class as I take at the Rothberg International School. She and I had the same teachers, we just ended up in the opposite class.

Also, I found out at the small ceremony our teachers’ held in her honor this past Monday, that she was born in Nairobi and lived there until she was 15, and spent almost 20 years of her life in West Africa, mainly in Togo.

In Togo she worked for Wycliffe Bible Translators. She already translated the New Testament for the Ife people in Togo.

She was now in Israel for only six months studying Hebrew in order to go back to Togo to translate the Old Testament.

During the ceremony I couldn’t help but feel a strong connection to  Mary, though of course we never met.  I truly praise her lifelong accomplishments and faith, and am  truly saddened we lost a special soul.

***

In Honor of Mary Gardner:

“When you and the path you have chosen get along just great, it’s hard to know whether your motives are sincere.

But when you come across a path to do good,
and this path goes against every sinew of your flesh
and every cell in your brain,
when you want only to flee and hide from it
—do this.

Then you shall know your motives are sincere”

By Rabbi Tzvi Freeman

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At the moment I was writing this post and almost about to click PUBLISH,  I got a call from my friend making sure I was okay.

There was just a bomb blast in Central Jerusalem near the Bus Station…a place where I walk by almost everyday since I got here.

I was writing to share the photo album above, the joy I saw this past Monday, March 21, 2011 in Jerusalem on Purim.

I just pray all of the 24 wounded are truly okay as more information materializes.

I had a few other things I wrote, but I will let the photos speak for themselves.

(*This post was written in 2011 right before I made aliyah to Jerusalem. It is now 2017 and I have been living in Jerusalem for the last 6 years and counting. Please visit my new blog ModestJerusalem.com to see where life has taken me.)

b’h

“כל העולם כולו גשר צר מאוד, והעיקר – לא לפחד כלל”

“All the world is a very narrow bridge, and the most important thing is not to fear at all.” Rabbi Nachman of Breslov

**

I was feeling a bit of pressure before posting this morning, as I was not sure what to write for my last post before, gd willing, I head to Jerusalem and why I started this blog in the first place!

First, tomorrow (Friday) morning, if there is not another severe blizzard or snow storm, I will be heading to the Colorful Caribbean for a week-long vacation with my family and another close family–there will be about 12 of us!

After hopefully an eventful time with my partner in crime, aka my brother David who I have barely seen as he lives in Seattle, I will head to Jerusalem the following day, b’h.

Also, what has been going on not only in Egypt, but also in Uganda with the death of Gay Activist, David Kato….I felt Cafe Avra not newsworthy right now. Perhaps, depending on how events unfold, by the time I get to Jerusalem there might be different a story to tell.

I also plan to attend a Vigil this afternoon (Thursday Feb 3rd) outside the United Nations in New York for David Kato.

For those interested in attending (from 4pm-6pm), here are the details:http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=173287156049188

**

So why “All the world is a very narrow bridge, and the most important thing is not to fear at all.” as my title?

“כל העולם כולו גשר צר מאוד, והעיקר – לא לפחד כלל”

This is a Jewish Quote, which turned into a song we sing very frequently on Shabbat and other Jewish occasions by a very famous Rabbi from the 18th/19th century, Rabbi Nachman of Breslov.  It would take pages to go into detail on how important this Rabbi has been for Jews all over the world; he attracted thousands of followers during his lifetime and his influence continues until today.

I was thinking about this quote quite often lately, humming the tune in my head,  while watching the news unfold on TV and simultaneously anticipating my journey to Israel.

The most important thing is not to fear at all.

To me, this quote means…we struggle each day…we laugh, we cry, we sing, we dance, we fall, we rise up again. But this is the course of life, and if we have faith that everything is for good in this world and we stick on the right path, we will be okay.

Sometimes when things are very hard, it is always for good. We shouldn’t always look for the easy way out of situations. We should feel lucky and blessed when  gd gives us challenges we need to overcome.

**

Rabbi Nachman of Breslov also said, amongst many wise quotes, “It is a great mitzvah to always be happy”.

“It is even good to do silly things in order to cheer oneself up.”

As Cafe Avra is also a photo blog, which photography can definitely be a way to cheer oneself up, especially when you take pictures with my non-zoom lens (35mm) and have to get VERY close to some quite eclectic people.

In this post I would like to share some photos I have taken around New York, and to a few places I travelled the last few weeks: Philadelphia, Washington DC and Boston. They are all mostly unfinished photo projects I started, or random shots captured that I deemed semi-newsworthy @ the time, but never made it up on this website.

I hope you can enjoy!  Caribbean….here I come:)

**

First, here is my attempt at, in some way, of documenting some of the older Jewish landmarks of the East Village and Lower East Side in New York. In my attempt of a human attachment to older establishments, I met Susan Dalton  outside Moshe’s  Bakery who lived on Second Avenue when the Jewish Community was thriving here,  at least 30 to 40 years ago. Very eclectic woman, lets put it that way. At Ben Ari Arts store on Avenue A near my old apartment in the East Village, I got to speak with the owner  who funny enough used to sell Jewish Kiddush cups to my old Reform synagogue in New Jersey and we spoke about how the Reform movement is dying and how his orders from many Reform Synagogues have plummeted. Interesting…

Buddha Bodai is a wonderful, kosher, vegan chinese restaurant in the middle of China Town…to those who know me understand my relationship with american-style chinese food! I think the Chinese woman passer-by got confused with the Hebrew on the sign.

Please ignore the random Driedel picture…when I visited my old college roommate in Philadelphia, we visited another friend in old, historic Doylestown(kind of random town USA)…but it was Hanukah Time, and hey! Big Driedel, why not?

***

If I have my camera with me, and I see any sort of protest, I do like to try to capture the moment. This is probably not the right time to say this, but I really appreciate when those take the time to go to the streets, and let me tell you how COLD this winter has been to stand outside all day, and let  others know (friends and strangers alike) what truly matters to them. Whatever political affiliations you feel towards Israel & the Muslim World right now due to what is happening in Egypt, I am sure everyone is fascinated to watch  the Egyptian people at this moment in time.

On International Human Rights Day, which was on December 10th,  I went outside the United Nations building in New York to see who might be outside, and probably due to below zero temperatures, we only had one group which, again, you have to truly appreciate their commitment to standing outside all day in the cold. The Alliance for Democracy in Vietnam.

The other photo was taken on another freezing cold afternoon when I was heading back from Washington DC to New York. I was staying in Georgetown and had to take the bus near the Four Seasons Hotel. Here we have construction workers looking for better wages and health care for their families. I am not trying to get involved, but again, it was so cold outside you must give them credit for standing outside on behalf of ALL the employees! Both these stories as you can see did not have enough back story to share in a post earlier on this winter.

***

Last week  in Boston I went to visit a Kenyan family of a friend of mine from Nairobi, Steve Olet,who ran the Nairobi Half Marathon with me back in October( see photo–scroll down: https://cafeavra.org/2010/11/24/reflections-part-1/)   I visited his Mom, Grace, who has been in the US for the last 4 years, and his sister, Janety, who has been here for the last 10 years! She has 4 lovely children, two of which came to the US with the Grandmom, Grace, 4 years agao, and the other two Xannaya and DQ in the photos were born here. I just had the time to visit for about 2 days, but I really enjoyed spending time with this lovely Kenya family, laughing at DQ (he is a very funny 2-year-old), making chapatis and mandazis, and trying to set up a Skype Call with Steve in Kenya( using Keisha’s-the other girl in the photo’s computer–she also has a Mac with built-in webcam) . At the time I was in Kenya, Steve hadn’t seen his Mom in 4 years and sister in 10 years. Steve doesn’t have a computer, let alone a webcam. With some technical difficulties, we finally got both sides working and Steve got to see his family for the first time in a very, very long time. Was a beautiful moment. I truly appreciated their hospitality and openeing their home to me in Boston last week.

Well that is it!

It it the small things in life, no?

Let’s keep walking along that narrow bridge….