Sarah Kovan - blog post 1

We are approached by a man. Dressed slickly in his black and white attire, he adopts a forthright persistence, eager to move us along and out of his neighborhood. Tzitzit hang loosely from underneath his clothing, complimenting a “black hat” complacently settled on his head. The gentleman is uncomfortable with our appearance and questioning curiosity. In this ultra-orthodox neighborhood, Meah Shearim, the sight of our toes and uncovered hair is immodest. Little girls peer at us from behind barred balconies and a little boy runs by, covering his eyes in order to avoid looking at the semi-modestly dressed girls. 

Meah Shearim, while located in the heart of Jerusalem, starkly contrasts more secular areas in Israel such as Tel-Aviv. For me, this neighborhood highlighted the large range of ethnicities and religiosities within Israel. In class, we have quickly begun to delve into these varying demographics. We have focused on both the hardships and racism faced by Ethiopian and Russian Jews, discussed in chapter eight of The Israelis and an in in-class documentary, Russian Israelis. Along with this, in our discussion of Zionism and the State of Israel, we began to discuss the Israeli and Palestinian conflict. As we began our tour of Meah Shearim, we approached a road sign containing three languages. The middle language, Arabic, had been harshly blackened out. In a country containing so many viewpoints, ideologies and opinions, it becomes clear how difficult it is to appease all populations in an effort to create peace both domestically and internationally.

These varying demographics also contribute largely to a broad range of political ideologies. The Israeli Right, as seen by Robert O. Freedman, while once credited for the want of an “exclusive Jewish dominion on both sides of the Jordan River,” is characterized by “carrying out the Zionist dream to its extreme.” The Israeli Left, represented by parties such as the Labor Party and Meretz, starkly contrast the Israeli Right by focusing on a template for Israeli-Palestinian peace and a two-state solution. Many other parties fall in-between these two extremes. While we have just begun to discuss the Israeli government, political ideologies and Israeli-Palestinian conflict in class, it has already become obvious that there is an inherent need for a pragmatic compromise. Yet, political figures struggle to negotiate due to varying beliefs both within Israel and internationally.

In the tour of the Old City, our tour guide Danny Herman, highlighted that conflicting interests have permeated Israel’s past for centuries. He continually used the word “balagan” (Hebrew for mess), to characterize the continuous conflicting situations. Today, the word balagan continues to remain relevant. Meah Shearim, along with other readings and tours, have highlighted the complex and conflicting nature of both Israeli society and politics.