Happy Friday! ☀️
Hello from Tel Aviv. It’s my second time back in Israel and compared to the first time, I’m connecting with it more than I did the first time around. It’s intense, stimulating, and exhausting at the same time with moments of tranquility and reflection.
What I’m reading 📖
We spent a day exploring Jerusalem with a German-born historian who now lives and works near Jerusalem and during the visit, he mentioned Heinrich Heine’s poem ‘Die Disputation’, a quite humorous take on a dispute about which of two religions is the right one. Find out in the last verse.
What I’m listening to 🎧
In preparing for the trip, I checked Spotify’s country charts for Isreal and discovered the artist Tuna. This is my favourite of his tracks and it’s been on repeat all week.
What I’m watching 📺
It seemed fitting to watch Shtisel while in Israel. The 3-season Israeli series follows a fictional Haredi family in Jerusalem. The family and community adhere to strict Haredi customs and violating the norms often causes chaos within the family, a family that also includes members who are more open to a secular lifestyle. Find it on Netflix.
What I’m thinking about 🧠
It’s difficult for me to find the right words to describe my visit to Yad Vashem, the Holocaust Memorial Site in Jerusalem. The building and layout of the galleries reel you into the narration of the background leading to the horrifying events of the Holocaust, supported by artifacts, witness testimony, and audio commentary that left me somber and educated, and thankful that this site exists, particularly given the recent examples of antisemitism.
What else?! 💯
If you’re planning a visit to Israel soon, here are my three highlights from this trip: Stay at Hotel Ruby in Tel Aviv, eat the tasting menu at vegetarian restaurant Tzemach in Jerusalem, and book a full-day tour of Jerusalem with a historian, not a tour guide.
Thanks for reading, have a great weekend!
David
Instagram | Website | 2021 Playlist | Company