Summer Update: What to Expect in the Coming Months

Some of the Same, Some Change

I hope that you are all off to a good summer start.

In Israel, it continues to feel like an ongoing October 7^th. Day 281 of hostages held captive by Hamas.

Some Israelis are going on holidays. Many are not. As one of my favorite neighborhood merchants in Tel Aviv said to me recently: “It just doesn’t feel right. To take a holiday. Where would I go? What would I do? I’m just not in the right headspace for that.”

Many parents are trying hard to keep some form of normalcy and routine for their kids in what has been anything but a normal year. The “big holiday” - known as חופש גדול for those of you who read Hebrew, is upon us. It’s one of my favorite expressions - “chofesh gadol” - and the language is full of them. Modern everyday Hebrew, my daughter once said when I asked her to help me translate one of my favorite English expressions, “is like a hammer.” Strong. Blunt. Efficient. Of course, there is poetic language in literature and higher-level studies, but as in all aspects of Israeli society, the day-to-day is “tachlis”, or bottom line, in Yiddish. If one word will suffice then that’s all that is needed.

At the beginning of the long hot summer here I moved from my magnificent, groovy, architecturally designed apartment in the center of Tel Aviv to the Badlands of Ruchama. Seriously. Kibbutz Ruchama, my new home, is situated in the Badlands of Israel. Like most things here the topographical marvel is pint-sized but the real deal. The area is well known among dirt biking and off-road jeep enthusiasts. I’m keen on the former. Love the clothing and accessories too. Stay tuned.

For now, I’m busy acclimatizing to the kibbutz environment and living a whisker away from the area that was ravaged on October 7, known in Israel as the “Otef Aza”, which translates loosely to the “Gaza envelope.” Kibbutz Ruchama is situated 16 km (10 miles) pretty much due east from Sderot. So, a little further from Gaza. To date not a single rocket has ever hit the kibbutz, a miracle I do not want to jinx. Even on October 7^th, there was not one rocket alarm in Ruchama. Only 500 meters (546 yards) separated Kibbutz Dorot, which is 7 kilometers (4.25 miles) down the road towards Sderot, from Hamas terrorists. Had the attackers who invaded Israel not encountered so many young people – quite unexpectedly – at the Nova Music Festival, they would have destroyed many of the villages that were untouched. (Kibbutz Ruchama is marked with a red location pin in the upper right hand corner of the map.)

I had been planning to write a short piece about why I made this move to another world at this time. But as I began writing it became clear, very quickly, that this subject will be a longer piece and I expect it will be ready to publish in the coming weeks. However, I will answer a question that I am sure you have. Why there? And why now?

The honest answer is really that it just worked out this way. For several years I have been toying with the possibility of moving to a smaller, more pastoral community. There are so many in Israel. Finding suitable accommodation to rent is the challenge. This opportunity – to rent a beautiful, new house for one year – fell into my lap. And I jumped. That’s the short story. And, one week in, I am in heaven.

Of course it’s crazy. But we have one life. I intend to live mine. Fully and hard.

More on all of this later. Including the fact that Ruchama is undertaking a major project at the moment; the construction of a housing development that will become a temporary community for the 245 families that have been displaced from their homes on Kibbutz Kfar Aza since October 7^th. Come September it is anticipated that they will begin moving to Ruchama. The long disused kibbutz dining room is being renovated for the Kfar Aza members, and the process of rehabilitation for the survivors will begin a new phase. As fate would have it, will be right in the thick of it and it will be an extraordinary experience that I will be sharing with subscribers. The scope of the disaster and challenge we now deal with in the aftermath of October 7^th is unprecedented in Israel. How the nation manages the challenges - like restoring confidence in the IDF - will determine whether and in what form Israel continues.

And, yes. I’ll just leave that hanging there.

For the next few months, until mid-September-ish, I will continue to produce content for the State of Tel Aviv. The pace will be what you’ve become accustomed to: one or two podcasts each week; the Sunday review of politics and security (Sundays with Ya’akov); and one written piece each week. Sometimes more.

I have a number of ongoing projects, among them the writing of my first book. Topic? One guess.

And then there’s the move. It’s not just about the “stuff” you bring but the administration involved with moving to the “peripheria”, as Israelis call it, is next level. All those address changes and updates to government departments? Nope. Can’t do it online if you’re moving to a village with fewer than 1,500 inhabitants. No. I have to take a day of my life to sit in the chaos of the Ministry of Interior, clutching my computer generated number and watching the clock. For hours.

For much of August and into early September I will be indulging in my annual restoration by a freshwater lake somewhere north of Toronto. Swim. Eat. Nap. Read. Swim. Write. Go to town. Don’t go to town.

Loop.

I’ll be popping into a few cities and towns in Canada and the U.S. and Canada to see family and friends who are more scattered every year. And then I will return to the Badlands of Ruchama. The High Holidays begin late this year, in early October. I will be in Israel for that and, of course, October 7.

I would like to thank our loyal subscribers for your support. Boundlessly.

If you are a non-paying subscriber then please consider a monthly or annual subscription. As with all “things” of quality (and, yes, I do think we produce quality content) our work requires resources. Time and talent and money. Just like a nice meal or new clothing. I know you understand that. Writing and production of podcasts and articles doesn’t just happen.

If you are a paying subscriber, we are all profoundly grateful. Particularly in the last couple of years, when we almost never paywalled content, you stepped up and expressed your appreciation of our work. That is huge. If you have any feedback for us then please send along a note to hello@stateoftelaviv.com or post a comment on the site.

I would like to ask you to think of one person you know (or twenty….I mean…..don’t let me hold you back…:) who you believe would appreciate State of Tel Aviv then please tell them about us. We’re small but growing and staying. Please consider this to help us grow.

Regrettably, we have learned that putting in a paywall works. More people subscribe. I’d love to keep it all free and open but it is just not a feasible model.

So. Going forward most content will be paywalled. Any podcasts dealing with hostages will be open and accessible to all. Our regular Sunday analysis with Ya’akov Katz (or others on the rare occasions when Ya’akov takes a holiday) will be for paying subscribers only.

This fall we will also launch a new feature: an online quarterly event series to address topical issues in a streaming format. Our launch event is already being planned and I can’t wait. It’ll be superb. And for paying subscribers only. That series alone will be worth the annual fee.

State of Tel Aviv operates in a niche market and I am well aware of the other quality sites in this space. Each has its particular focus and character and I truly empathize with how costly it can be to keep up with everything. We are all at a breaking point with the constant change and change again with this emerging media and information environment. I hope that very soon multiple aggregators come along and bundle various small media enterprises so that subscriber revenue is boosted and readers/listeners receive more choice for one fee. But, we’re not there yet. Any visionaries out there looking for a project? Call me.

I also believe strongly that we are living through an historical moment that is more than critical. It will determine the future of western democracies and, of course, the viability and character of the State of Israel. Even hardened veterans of everything – the Holocaust, the pre-state years, all the wars and austerity and crises and hardships – and I know more than a few people like that; even they are despondent and uncertain as to how this will all play out.

“This was not the country we thought we were building.” I have heard variations on this statement so many times. And each one is heartbreaking.

So many of us lament the dreadful quality of legacy media and the strong anti-Israel and antisemitic bias that seems to have proliferated in recent decades. (I happen to think it was always there, semi-dormant.) State of Tel Aviv is a drop in the ocean but it’s a start. It is the responsibility of each one of us to do our bit to ensure that accurate and responsible analysis regarding the future of the West – and Israel – is out there. I need your support to keep fighting the good fight.

For many of us, this is the most consequential time of our lives. And I’m sorry to be the bearer of grim news – but it is not going to improve any time soon. We are at the beginning of a long journey.

I believe our content speaks for itself and is unique among the various offerings. It’s a matter of preference. My lane? Political and geopolitical analysis. Security issues. Economic matters. State of Tel Aviv focuses on Israel but with a North American and European sensibility. I understand both worlds and what is common knowledge in Israel is often unknown elsewhere. Very often it’s the “little things” that help us all understand a complex and foreign environment.

Israel. The war on democracy. The Jewish world. Those are STLV’s sweet spots.

What do we not do? Breaking news. News reporting. Coverage of cultural matters – unless they relate directly to our top-line interests. We are truly independent, not beholden to any benefactor or other interest. We have no partisan affiliations, but we sure do have opinions. And we work hard to offer as many diverse voices as possible.

You know. It’s interesting. In Canada I am often told that I’m a right-wing extremist. I’m not. But Canada has become a shoddy version of the worst and most woke experiments in Europe and South America. So, I take that label as a compliment.

In Israel, I am told that I am a leftist anarchist. Oh, and anti-religious too. I am none of those things. But I do stand fiercely in support of a liberal democracy with a Jewish majority in which all citizens participate fully in civic life and fulfill their collective duty. And at this moment in time among the more critical issues facing the State of Israel is the refusal of 15% of the population – ultra orthodox/haredi Jews – to participate fully in the most basic matters of citizenship. There are so many existential aspects that October 7 has highlighted. The continued status quo is right at the top. And I’m all over that.

Stick to your lane, I always say……

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This project is a labor of love.

My incredibly loyal and talented team are compensated fairly. But no one is getting rich. I am a volunteer. I would much prefer not to subject you to this commercial interruption but, alas, it seems I have no choice.

Please help spread the word about State of Tel Aviv. If you value our work I’d ask you to consider becoming a founding member.

That’s it for now. I have to get back to my book and unpacking. My goodness, I have a lot of stuff. I think it’s a North American thing. This is the year that I go through all those boxes. You know. The ones we shlep around with us for 30 or 40 years. Well. This is the moment.

One of the best parts of kibbutz life?

There always seems to be a reason to sit in the Muskoka (Adirondack to my American friends) chairs (and,  yes, I brought them from Canada) in my large garden with a very frosty beer in hand. Yes. I keep the huge beer mugs in the freezer.

If you’re in the neighborhood, drop by.