Paul 2 Israel

Mizrahi Music Part 1

Fri, 23 Nov 2012 17:53:46 -0500

Much to the chagrin of many of my Israeli friends, I love Mizrahi music.

According to Wikipedia, “Mizrahi music (Hebrew: מוזיקה מזרחית, Muziqa mizraḥit, “Oriental music”, “Musica mizrahi”) refers to the music integration that combines elements from Europe, the West, and Middle Eastern/North African countries, transported to Israel by migrating Jews. It is usually sung in Hebrew, literary Hebrew, or Arabic slang.The literal translation of Mizrahi from Hebrew is “Eastern”.

According to me, it’s awesome.

When I first arrived in Israel in 2008 I fell in love with Mizrachi music. I had listened to a bit of Moshik Afia, Zohar Argov and Eyal Golan prior to my arrival, but listening to Mizrachi music on a rainy day in Vancouver is entirely different than experiencing it in the Shuk on a scorching Friday afternoon in Jerusalem.

During that first visit to Israel I barely spoke any Hebrew. My attraction to Mizrahi music centered around the melodies, not the lyrics.

When I hear the exotic metallic slaps and rolls of the darbuka, Eastern violin riffs and the ancient sounds of
The oud and qanan, I am transported to a different world. There is something about this combination of instruments that awakens the soul.

The King of Mizrahi music is Zohar Argov. He was a Yemenite Jew who grew up in poverty. He is known for his hits “Perah Bgani” and my favorite, “Od Yom Yavo.” He fell victim to drugs and died too young.

If Zohar is the king, I would crown Ofra Haza as the queen of Mizrahi music. Her song “Im Ninalu” was a giant hit both in and out of Israel. It is a poem by the famous Yemenite poet Shalom Shabazi. Notable lyrics from this song include “the gates of the rich may be closed, but the gates of heaven are always open.”

Zion Golan is also a very talented Yemenite singer. While many of his songs are in Arabic, my favorite “Pesek Zman” is in Hebrew and is a collaboration with fellow musician Lior Farhi.

Margalit Sanani has been in the news lately for her role in bringing kafkazi Jew Omer Adam to stardom. One of my favorite songs of Sanani’s is “Riech Menta,” about the smell of home: the fragrance of coffee, roses and mint.

Eyal Golan is an institution in the Israeli music world. His numerous albums span decades and many of his songs are inspired by the Torah, including my favorite- “mi she maamin lo mefached (who believes does not fear).”

Dudu Aharon has catapulted to stardom in recent years. His quintessential Yemenite voice mixed with high energy Arabic-inspired electric guitar and techno beats make him a summer favorite.

Yehuda Kaisar is an incredible guitarist who played with Zohar Argov, Sharif and numerous others in the past. Today, you can hear his iconic Mizrahi guitar riffs in the song “Shir Nehama” by the rock fusion band Hadag Nagash.

More info soon!

Tel Aviv vs Jerusalem

Sat, 22 Sep 2012 07:58:57 -0400

I love Jerusalem. The fresh, and often breezy air, is great for me because I sweat WAY too much.

The ancient alleys, arches, architecture and archaeology make me think of pictures of the older cities in Europe (I have never been.)

After spending a few weeks in this Holy City, travelling to Tel Aviv is an incredible trip of sights, sounds, smells, feelings and tastes.

The journey from Jerusalem to Tel Aviv is mesmerizing as the lush green hills fade into the dry coastal plains of the Sharon surrounding Tel Aviv.

Getting off the 61 bus from the Arlozorov station to the Carmel Market is an experience like no other after a few weeks in the religious and beige coloured calmness of Jerusalem.

First the humid air hits you like a furnace. When you sweat upon exiting the air conditioned bus, you stay sane by looking at the sparkling blue Mediterranean a few blocks away.

The streets are filled with the colorful sounds of many languages, vendors shouting about their products and mizrachi music blasting from corner shwarma shops.

The dusty grey concrete buildings and run down bauhause structures in the area of the Carmel Market are spray painted with interesting graffiti that deserves a second look. My favorite is the large stick of asparagus that is common in that neighborhood.

If you walk a few blocks to the beach, the night view of the skyline is incredible. It begins with the dark castle-like shape of Yafo with the walls lit up by blue lights. Continues past the purple glow of the the beach front hotels and ends at the tall blinking red light of the cooling tower at the Reading Power station in north Tel Aviv. Incredible.

The area around the shuk and Opera Tower in Tel Aviv has a distinctive smell. A mixture of humid ocean air, pollution, street food and the musty air being blown out of the bars that line Allenby Street.

With such an explosion of smells, sounds, sights and feeling Tel Aviv may just be be 60km away from my home in Jerusalem, but it is miles away from ordinary.

What is your favorite part of this city that never sleeps?

Hebrew Ulpan Tips

Wed, 12 Sep 2012 09:58:01 -0400

I have not learnt in a classroom for over 3 years and needed some trial and error to get the results I wanted here at Ulpan Etzion in Jerusalem. After 2 months, here are some tips that have have been working for me when it comes to Hebrew.

Write as neatly as possible: you will not want to read or review your notes if you cannot read them. If you take messy notes in class, simply rewrite them neatly on another piece of paper (a great review tool).

Use subtitles in your mother tongue: Subtitles can anchor and clarify a page of hastily written Hebrew.

Try to arrange your workbook page the way your teacher is writing on the board: Teachers often have a vision in their head of what the entire board will look like. Copying the white-board arrangement is ideal (tables, lists, alignment etc.)

Distinguish between concepts with icons: I draw a menorah next to any method of verb parsing so I can easily scan my notes for verbs.

Attack the difficult verbs with practical sentences: Write a few sentences that you can use in public to help remember verbs you find hard.

Utilize your smart phone: use the hebrew keyboard on your iPhone or Android to type words, concepts or SMS’s to friends. Your brain will become accustomed to the layout. I am astonished with how fast I can type in Hebrew simply because I have been playing with the Hebrew on my iPhone for awhile.

Drink coffee (or tea).

What are your tips?

Proud Zionist City Planning in East Talpiyot

Wed, 08 Aug 2012 10:59:13 -0400

I have visited Jerusalem over 10 times in my trips to Israel prior to my recent Aliyah. On these trips, I was limited to frantic visits to the core and new city of Jerusalem full of intense praying, bargaining, and herding Birthright participants in the right direction through the alleys of the old city.

I am now living in a hilly neighbourhood in East Talpiyot (just South of the City Centre) called Armon Hanetziv that is full of history and stories. It was built following the victory in the 6 Day War

From the roof of my building I can gaze south over the gentle rolling hills of the Judean desert to see King Herod’s fortress of Herodium which was connected to the ancient Jewish Temple in Jerusalem via an aqueduct that is under the hill that i live on.

Just a 10 minute jog from my apartment is the Haas Promenade which offers both tourists and locals a stunning vista of Old and New Jerusalem. This is where it is rumoured that G-d showed Abraham where to sacrifice Isaac: Mount Moriah (the site of the Jewish Temples).

Walking back to where I am living (the Canada House Absorption Center) you cross a road called Olei Hagardom, which is named after the Jewish Heroes that were murdered via hanging by the British during the pre-state fighting.

The street that I live on is named after David Raziel z”l, a commander of the Irgun who was killed while fighting the Germans in Iraq in 1941.

Just down the hill from me are streets named after Moshe Barazani and Meir Feinstein z”l, two young fighters from the Irgun who were sentenced to death in the Russian Prison in Jerusalem. After them, no Jew was sentenced to death by the British in Jerusalem.

It is just a 1hour walk to the Old City from my doorstep, and the cool breezes at night in this neighborhood make up for the often horrendous bus service.

What is your favorite neighborhood in Jerusalem?

A Big Fan of the Israeli Attitude

Fri, 13 Jul 2012 06:38:59 -0400

Adopting the Canadian attitude of “politely waiting” in Israel is about futile as using cotton candy to sink a battleship.

In the bank this morning, I was part of a gaggle of new immigrants to Israel (like myself) trying to get their accounts set up. We had all been in to the bank yesterday to fill out paper work and needed to return today.

The woman acknowledged that my account was set up, but since she was so busy helping others who were as frantic as me trying to get their accounts open, I would need to return at 11am.

Not a chance! Since it is Friday, banks close very early (12ish).

So I went and lined up in the line for Israelis at the bank, requested to see someone else and then demanded that they finish the file which was on her coworkers desk.

To my polite Canadian amazement, it worked, and THANK G-D it did because it took 1.5 hours to fill in the paper work WITH the clerk, which means that I would have wasted this afternoon AND Sunday dealing with this.

Win!

Just as I arrived back at the ulpan in East Talpiot I realized I didn’t have buy a fan, one of my goals for the day.

After some initial research over lunch I decided to risk it and take a bus to the mall or “canyon” as it is known in Hebrew.

It was closed, because it is Friday. And so were the three other stores I tried, which made for a scorching walk in Talpiot.

I was about I give up when I remembered seeing a “Superpharm” while on the bus earlier. Superpharm is literally a Hebrew carbon copy of Shoppers Drug Mart, stocked full of LIFE products.

I got a cab and in a mixture of butchered Arabic, Hebrew and English i tried to explain that I needed a fan.

He showed me a Superpharm in a mall, but I had him drive me to the one I saw since it was on my bus route.

We arrived, and it was just a pharmacy attached to a medical clinic.

He drove me to the Superpharm that he had initially showed me and I got out.

Went in and no fans.

I spied a store across the mall and it was full of appliances.

I sprinted over and the door was shut and the last customer was paying.

I start banging on the door and shouting everything about how I am new to israel “Oleh hadash” to how I walked here, from some colorful curse words to the rhetorical question of “how would I sleep tonight.”

The door opened. I picked a model and as I was paying the woman buying a tv told me she demanded the clerk to open the door because she worked at the immigration agency.

Now for a thankfully chilly nap!

"If you don’t will it, it is no dream!"

Thu, 12 Jul 2012 00:02:57 -0400

“If you don’t will it, it is no dream!”

- Spray painted graffiti in Tel Aviv. On my first trip to Israel, I would spent hours wandering around Tel Aviv looking at the diverse array of spray paired graffiti. In Yafo, the graffiti was especially cool to look at as the old buildings framed it well.

From what I have seen, the graffiti in Israel often had more of a message than that in Canada.

Israeli Bizarre Phrases Pt 1

Wed, 11 Jul 2012 04:35:04 -0400

I am sure I can fill volumes of books with phrases used often by Israeli’s that defy explanation, and often translation, and are certainly not covered in any Berlitz guide.

I was baffled by the phrase: “kapara aleicha” which I have heard used in every emotive situation you can imagine.

It was shouted by my friend as a cab almost ran him over. It was passionately yelled by a guy to his girlfriend.

What the hell does it mean?

The woman sitting next to me at Aroma this morning said that its roots lie in Arabic and roughly translated it means “I love you,” but is mostly used in a sarcastic way.

How would YOU use it?

Why is this flight different from all other flights?

Sun, 08 Jul 2012 14:37:10 -0400

This is my 5th flight to Israel. 2 of my 4 flights have been been as a guide for birthright (israel tours of 40 young adults) where I have had to balance my own fatigue with the concurrent need to both inspire and discipline 40 students about to experience Israel for the first time.

My first flight was as one of these aforementioned participants and the other flight was with one of my close friends on route to a 2 month army-like program.

On this flight I am focusing on Hebrew flash cards of the top 100 English verbs.

The night before I went to Israel the first time, I remember laying awake in the suburban basement in Toronto questioning about how I could go so far away from my family, was it wise?

The answer was a resounding yes, and I have had more travelers remorse about purchasing a plane ticket to the USA than I have becoming a citizen of the State of Israel.

My dad told me about my uncle’s Pub in Ireland. There were small rooms called “snugs” where fathers would go with their sons to enjoy a last few moments together before the son would go to America, often never to return.

Not only will I be back-often- I will also be skyping, texting and video chatting with my family quite regularly. Plus, interested parties can read this blog.

I am informed (sometimes a little too much) of my brother’s current volunteering experiences in Ghana HERE.

As I am getting closer to Ben Gurion and the absorption circus that awaits, bizarre questions start to arise:

What if the quirky novelties that I love as a tourist in Israel begin to drive me insane?

What previous barriers of integration will break down as I begin to perfect my Hebrew?

Where will I get a bike?

And most importantly, is לחכות (to buy, pronounced LUH-cha-CHOT or LUH-cha-KOT?

I know these answers lay ahead past the customs of Ben Gurion Airport and in the exciting weeks and months that lay ahead of me.

As the saying goes, “the chase is better than the catch,” and, having never ever caught any fish on my many fishing outings (other than a half dead spawning salmon) I couldn’t agree more!

Aliyah To Do list

Mon, 02 Jul 2012 18:24:03 -0400

Aliyah To Do list

Paintings for Aliyah a Success... almost done!

Fri, 29 Jun 2012 03:02:46 -0400

There are a few days left to get the images that you want painted emailed to me: paulcurranart@gmail.com

This cool campaign has attracted media attention!

Toronto Jewish Tribune: http://www.jewishtribune.ca/arts-and-culture/2012/06/25/jewish-convert-sells-paintings-to-raise-money-for-his-aliyah

Taste and Sip Magazine: http://tasteandsipmagazine.com/2012/06/11/interview-with-paul-curran/

I have three options available for paintings (black and white acrylic on canvas):

$15 for a 8×10″

$50 for a 16×20″

$100 for a 22×14″

please email me at paulcurranart@gmail.com with a picture for me to paint for you!

PS: I always visit my art!

My art: www.paulscurrent.com

Israelis That I Want to Meet!

Wed, 27 Jun 2012 19:20:00 -0400

Does anyone know how I can meet any of these awesomely diverse Israelis when I make Aliyah in a week?

Shimon Peres

Gilad Shalit

Zion Golan

Gidi Gov

Ayoob Kara (MET)

Avi Dahan

Dudu Aharon

Omer Adam

Ishmael Khaldi (MET)

Freeman Poritz (MET)

Reda Mansour

Bibi

Eli Luzon

Idan Raichel

Tomer Yosef

A Start

Wed, 27 Jun 2012 01:11:00 -0400

Less than 2 weeks to go before I head to Israel. Not on a vacation, not on a tour, but to get citizenship and live there.

I’m excited.

Keep up to date on my antics and adventures, as well as musings and mentions HERE!

I am really excited to go a shwarma place called Lahmajoon in Tel Aviv. It is close to Independence Hall on Rothschild Street.

Their lamb is incredible. Too bad I just started a vegan diet.