Hamas War

Thursday, July 10, 2008

Disengaged

Detached
Uninvolved
Removed
yes, Disengaged

That's how I feel here in New York. I rarely get on a computer and don't hear the radio, nor see newspapers, at least not more than once or twice a week at best.

I gave up trying to find news about Israel on TV. Headlines are about Billy Joel's ex-wife the famous model and her very peculiar marriage with her soon to be additional "ex." There's also important news about Madonna and her "admirer."

So, I don't know at all what is going on. I guess I'm presently typical of your typical non-Israeli. News topic among people here concern the price of gas for the car and whether they're voting for Obama or McCain.

And yes, there are some great sales. Lord & Taylor have some things 50%off sales price. With the dollar down, bargains. But why is the dollar down? Nobody seems to know. Probably all the outsourcing.

Next week, G-d willing, I'll be back in the real world, but at present, I'm disengaged.

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

Gap has a great sale going on now, as well. Syms, great for Shabbat/Yom Tov/formal clothing, is also having a big sale, with some of the best (re: designer) merchandise I've ever seen there. I shopped very well this summer.

Hadassa DeYoung said...

Shalom Batya and everyone!
How's the family? Oh, and as long as you're in New York could you get me...? Sorry I couldn't resist. We actually try to buy Israeli as much as I can.
We visited friends in a hareidi community - not in New York - about 12 years ago. They announced the following week's baseball game in the after Shaharit announcements on Shabbat. But what really disgusted us was that at the kiddush, you know those weekly feasts served in American synagogues because they start prayers so late that they get home after midday and have to eat before that, when my husband mentioned that we lived in Gush Katif, and he had to say the Gaza Strip because no-one knew what Gush Katif was then, the man replied, "The Gaza Strip? Whoa, rough place! Have you tried the gefilte fish, it's great?"
I'm sure that most of the families are still there, still in their huge suburban houses, still convinced that they can live complete Jewish lives in America because their local supermarket is totally "kasher l'mehandrin" (I should add that the management gave families who kashered their kitchens a $100 gift certificate, yasher koah!), still convinced they couldn't possibly afford to live in Israel. G-d willing the few that have come to Israel will convince their friends to come too.
I'm sure that you're counting the days until you return to the Holy Land!
Hadassa

Anonymous said...

Bring back some gap baby clothes for your friends and they will kiss your feet if they already aren't. I think it's the only thing I ever ask people to bring over these days. The quality is so much better than the junk so widely available here.

Batya said...

t' and josh, Gap had nothing to offer and not even Children's Place for the kids. I got a few things in Lord & Taylor half price of sale price. But honestly, and Hadassa I do agree with you, I generally do better in Israel. I only buy in the states if both quality and price are better. Considering the car fare, I can get better stuff in Israel. I prefer supporting the Israeli economy and in Israel I try shopping downtown or in Shiloh, rather than the malls.