At Large
Moving to Tel Aviv
A peace movement capital is in recovery.
Everyone warns you about the heat and humidity, and my reply is just as ritual — I work at home, I always dress comfortable, it doesn’t bother me. And what I say is not just a deflection, but true. Also true is that any time you step out to the post office or the supermarket, it’s a steam bath and the faces of the people seem grim and stoical. Now that we’ve built this City by the Sea, a mess of Hebrew signs, palm trees, and honking horns, we can all suffer together.
p>The other cliches are true, too — that whereas Jerusalemites are soulful, friendly, and personal, people here are more distant and brusque. A Jerusalem landlord will likely take seriously your complaint about a dripping faucet or a jammed shutter; a Tel Aviv landlord will more likely ward you off with a “Come on, do you really think I’m going to deal with that?” attitude. Which is not to say it’s as bad as A. E. Housman’s plaint about moving to London — br> /p> blockquote> em>I see br> In many an eye that measures me br> The mortal sickness of a mind br> Too unhappy to be kind. br> Undone with misery, all they can br> Is to hate their fellow man; br> And till they drop they needs must still br> Look at you and wish you ill. /em> /blockquote>
About the Author
P. David Hornik is a writer and translator in Beersheva, Israel, blogging at PDavidHornik.typepad.com.
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