Hamas War

Tuesday, January 22, 2013

I Voted. Did You? Some Non-Political Election Day Reflections

Believe me I did.  I even asked a friend who was working at the polling station to take my picture.  But somehow no picture was taken.  I should have checked it.  But I took this picture of them.

We had elections in the school.  Our school has grown in the thirty-one years of its existence.  On September 1, 1981, a total of eighteen children in the First, Second and Third Grades began studying in empty prefabricated cement homes huts our new neighborhood "up the hill" in Shiloh.  In those days boys and girls studied all subjects together.  All of the classes were considered "undersized" and we parents had to subsidize the school budget to help pay teachers' salaries.  Today the school is in the middle of Shiloh, near the supermarket, green grocers, library, clothing store, mikvah, preschools and more.  It's a maze of buildings.  Actually there are two schools, one for boys and another for girls.  Each school has classes from First to Eight Grades and usually more than one class per grade per school.

All day I have been receiving phone calls and SMS text messages reminding me to vote.

Many immigrants and Israelis who have spent time abroad where there's a "Sunday" are saying that they're enjoying the day off.  If only we had "Sundays" they keep repeating.  Well, I hate to break it to you, but not everybody is off today.  No, I'm not referring to those employed by the government to supervise polling stations.  Today stores and restaurants are open, even though government workers including teachers and all sorts of other workers have a day of paid vacation.

There was a time when we had more true leisure.  When I was young, there were very few stores allowed to be open in New York on a Sunday.  And stores closed early every evening.  People rested more. Television wasn't 24/7.  In Israel, stores and businesses were closed on Shabbat, even if nobody was a "Sabbath observer."  It was a family day.  And stores were closed early afternoon from 1-4 or just 2-4 to give people time to get home for a nice meal and a rest.  And then they closed again by 7pm at the very latest.

Today's leisure isn't real leisure; it's not relaxing.  It's run, run, run... rush, rush, rush...

Yes, I voted today. I voted for the party and politicians I think are the best for the State of Israel, all of its citizens and residents.  I did what I can do.  I pray that those elected will do what's really best for our country.

6 comments:

NormanF said...

The Likud collapsed and took a disappointing 31 seats. Jewish Home limped in with with 12-13. Yesh Atid, the new centrist party won 19.

The worst enemy of the Israeli Right was... Netanyahu and Likud voters saw little reason to come out and give him a mandate.

Anonymous said...

Hashem can change anything in a split second. even people's hearts.the only consolation is that no matter who is voted or who wins, Hashem is the main chess player. whatever happens may this open the gateway for the arrival of the long long await mosiach.

Batya said...

Norman, I still have no doubt that if all those who had wanted Otzma would have voted with their neshamas, instead there's no Right. Bennett said that NRP is Center. NO surprise. Likud limped, because it was too parve.

10, yes, G-d willing...

Amihai said...

Batya,
sorry to disappoint you, but a surprisingly big numbers of my friends did voted Oztma just to be sure it will pass and no voices would be wasted.
Otherwise they would all have voted for Bennett.
So no, sorry, Otzma really don't have the support to get in the knesset.
Third time Ben-Ari fails now, he should learn.

As to NRP being center, you're playing journalist's favorite sport : isolating sentence to make it say something else.
When he said this (heard it live twice), he said that because Zionism, Eretz Israel and Judaism too, are what should be called center in Israel were the media honnest, making Beit Yehudi tne Middle Way party.

Batya said...

Amichai, why do you say "Third time Ben-Ari fails?"
Bennett will prove himself more Center than Right.
That's democracy, so be it.

Amihai said...

Ben Ari and Marzel actually already tried twice to enter the knesset as a separate list. First as Herut (no link with historic Herut) in 2003, second in 2006 as Jewish National Front.
And then the threshold was only 1.5%.