The woman is obvioulsy very ill and very lonely. She lives in the building that used to belong to her family before the war. But her brothers left the country when it was clear that the Jews were not welcome in Lebanon anymore. After the civil war, being a Jew was the same as being a Israeli. It didn't matter that they were as Lebanese as everybody. But she stayed here, in Beirut with her parents, to take care of them and the shop they had. But then the Syrians took their shop. She has hired a lawyer to get her shop back. How she pays him is a mystery.
She lives with her cats in an almost empty apartment where the walls would fall on her at the slightest tremble. She's scared and paranoid as any person would be in her shoes. She's alone, with no money, no clothes other than those she's wearing and she turned into this dignified beggar in order to eat everyday. "Do you have something to give me to buy food for me and the cats? The BBC girl gave me 50 000 once. And the clothes I wear now. Do you happen to have a winter coat? You're my size. Not a new one, please. Just one you don't want anymore."
She used to be beautiful when she was young. She still wears a bit of make up. "You're from Europe. You have that Europan look. I have the Arab looks. You know, I have Spanish ancestors too. " She speaks perfect French. She doesn't even talk about Hebrew. She wants her life to be small and pass un-noticed.
marți, 7 octombrie 2008
duminică, 5 octombrie 2008
THE JEWS IN LEBANON
Some say they might be as few as 40 left. Others believe that there are still many, but they changed their names and now they pray in secret and avoid speaking Hebrew. I started to be interested in the story when I read this on Charles' blog.
I broke into the Beirut synagogue.
It wasn't hard. The gate has a lock on it, but it was knocked down, and the security guards no longer patrol the place as vigilantly. The Ottoman era buildings around the synagogue have been destroyed, and the edifice poses no security risk to the Prime Minister's Grand Serail or Future Movement leader Saad Hariri's future residence.
My friend and I climbed over the trees growing in the courtyard and walked into the main hall, decorated with 6-point stars. The front of the synagogue was desecrated. The holy documents were intentionally removed, but the other ornamental structures were destroyed.
When I met Charles, a Lebanese American, a friend of another friend of another friend, I had no idea he was the owner of Lebanese Political Journal, a blog I've always found interesting.
There were some 20 000 Jews in Lebanon in 1948. Official records list like 200 after 2003.
1948 Jewish population: 20,000
2003: Fewer than 100
When Christian Arabs ruled Lebanon, Jews enjoyed relative toleration. In the mid-50’s, approximately 7,000 Jews lived in Beirut. As Jews in an Arab country, however, their position was never secure, and the majority left in 1967.
Fighting in the 1975-76 Muslim-Christian civil war swirled around the Jewish Quarter in Beirut, damaging many Jewish homes, businesses and synagogues. Most of the remaining 1,800 Lebanese Jews emigrated in 1976, fearing the growing Syrian presence in Lebanon would curtail their freedom of emigration. Most Jews went to Europe (particularly France), the United States, and Canada.
In the mid-1980's, Hezbollah kidnapped several prominent Jews from Beirut — most were leaders of what remained of the country's tiny Jewish community. Four of the Jews were later found murdered. Nearly all of the remaining Jews are in Beirut, where there is a committee that represents the community. Because of the current political situation, Jews are unable to openly practice Judaism.
In 2004, only 1 out of 5,000 Lebanese Jewish citizens registered to vote participated in the municipal elections. Virtually none of those registered remains in the country. The lone Jewish voter said that most of the community consists of old women.
The community has turned into a legend. Source of stories and secrets. Apparently there are a few shope owners in Downtown and on the Corniche as I could read in different Lebanese newspapers. They pray at home, as the synagogue has been vandalized during the 2006 war. There is also a Lebanese man, Aaron-Micaël Beydoun, a young muslim guy who started a blog on the issue a few years ago.
I broke into the Beirut synagogue.
It wasn't hard. The gate has a lock on it, but it was knocked down, and the security guards no longer patrol the place as vigilantly. The Ottoman era buildings around the synagogue have been destroyed, and the edifice poses no security risk to the Prime Minister's Grand Serail or Future Movement leader Saad Hariri's future residence.
My friend and I climbed over the trees growing in the courtyard and walked into the main hall, decorated with 6-point stars. The front of the synagogue was desecrated. The holy documents were intentionally removed, but the other ornamental structures were destroyed.
When I met Charles, a Lebanese American, a friend of another friend of another friend, I had no idea he was the owner of Lebanese Political Journal, a blog I've always found interesting.
There were some 20 000 Jews in Lebanon in 1948. Official records list like 200 after 2003.
1948 Jewish population: 20,000
2003: Fewer than 100
When Christian Arabs ruled Lebanon, Jews enjoyed relative toleration. In the mid-50’s, approximately 7,000 Jews lived in Beirut. As Jews in an Arab country, however, their position was never secure, and the majority left in 1967.
Fighting in the 1975-76 Muslim-Christian civil war swirled around the Jewish Quarter in Beirut, damaging many Jewish homes, businesses and synagogues. Most of the remaining 1,800 Lebanese Jews emigrated in 1976, fearing the growing Syrian presence in Lebanon would curtail their freedom of emigration. Most Jews went to Europe (particularly France), the United States, and Canada.
In the mid-1980's, Hezbollah kidnapped several prominent Jews from Beirut — most were leaders of what remained of the country's tiny Jewish community. Four of the Jews were later found murdered. Nearly all of the remaining Jews are in Beirut, where there is a committee that represents the community. Because of the current political situation, Jews are unable to openly practice Judaism.
In 2004, only 1 out of 5,000 Lebanese Jewish citizens registered to vote participated in the municipal elections. Virtually none of those registered remains in the country. The lone Jewish voter said that most of the community consists of old women.
The community has turned into a legend. Source of stories and secrets. Apparently there are a few shope owners in Downtown and on the Corniche as I could read in different Lebanese newspapers. They pray at home, as the synagogue has been vandalized during the 2006 war. There is also a Lebanese man, Aaron-Micaël Beydoun, a young muslim guy who started a blog on the issue a few years ago.
miercuri, 1 octombrie 2008
I LIKE - part one
As Raluca requested.
I like:
- the glittering lights of Beirut seen from the plane or from my balcony.
- the smell of the sea in the winter
- my coffee in the morning, the first thing that comes to my mind when I open my eyes
- fantasy novels written by Australian writers such as Garth Nix or Trudi Canavan.
-entering a bookshop and choosing books at frist sight without knowing anything about the writers. That's ahow I discovered the two Australians.
- watching Shreck for the 100th time. Ice Age too.
- windy summer evenings in my mother's garden
-sunsets
- fast Internet
- old silver jewelry
- stray cats in Lebanon who never cuddle
- little tiny kittens who show up from a huge fishery and miew at you under the table
- home made sweets
- fruit ice-cream
- cappuccino in Byblos, in a coffeshop in the old souk
- countryside trips
-mom's voice on the phone
- the smell of her embrace when I get home after a long time
-staying awake at night and writing
- having a glass of wine and talking to an old friend
- old women who always have a story to tell
- stories and fairy tales
- fantasy movies and sci fi
- people with imagination
- dancing alone in the house
- dreaming stories with plots and characters and remembering the dreams
- the smell of a library
- grandfather's records
- dancing tango with grandpa
- watermelons
- holding hands
- kissing in the storm
- Christmas mornings
- cuddling under a blanket on a stormy night.
UPDATE: How about MISHU, MARA, ALEX. You guys, Mara and Alex should write more often.
I like:
- the glittering lights of Beirut seen from the plane or from my balcony.
- the smell of the sea in the winter
- my coffee in the morning, the first thing that comes to my mind when I open my eyes
- fantasy novels written by Australian writers such as Garth Nix or Trudi Canavan.
-entering a bookshop and choosing books at frist sight without knowing anything about the writers. That's ahow I discovered the two Australians.
- watching Shreck for the 100th time. Ice Age too.
- windy summer evenings in my mother's garden
-sunsets
- fast Internet
- old silver jewelry
- stray cats in Lebanon who never cuddle
- little tiny kittens who show up from a huge fishery and miew at you under the table
- home made sweets
- fruit ice-cream
- cappuccino in Byblos, in a coffeshop in the old souk
- countryside trips
-mom's voice on the phone
- the smell of her embrace when I get home after a long time
-staying awake at night and writing
- having a glass of wine and talking to an old friend
- old women who always have a story to tell
- stories and fairy tales
- fantasy movies and sci fi
- people with imagination
- dancing alone in the house
- dreaming stories with plots and characters and remembering the dreams
- the smell of a library
- grandfather's records
- dancing tango with grandpa
- watermelons
- holding hands
- kissing in the storm
- Christmas mornings
- cuddling under a blanket on a stormy night.
UPDATE: How about MISHU, MARA, ALEX. You guys, Mara and Alex should write more often.
NEW REPORT ON ANTENA3
The Romanian priest in Lebanon and the two Romanian sisters helping him with the service in Romanian.
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