As we walked through the seedier neighborhoods of Tel Aviv, i didn't know what to expect from the evening, nor was I particularly mollified when we walked into the smoky club.
However!
In contrast to the dingy surroundings, the unassuming man on center stage was singing with a voice, a passion, a rare talent and a tenderness that were completely captivating. I have been to more than a few concerts - but this one was special, unforgettable even. With a backup entourage of four musicians and plus a female vocalist, plus lights, and smoke - Idan was still able to snag and maintain everyone's attention. The other musicians - also talented - faded into the background as Idan sang his own creations. Tender, smart songs that ranged from romantic, to introspective to lively and fun.
Ori and I agree - he will be a star. And when we told him so after the show, he humbly thanked us and told that he does not yet have a CD. I wished him good luck, and then assured him he wouldn't need it...
Bedouin Field Trip
Today, we went with our colloquium class to the south of Israel. We spent the day learning about the Bedouin tribes of the Negev Desert. In spite of the logistical nightmares that ensued - unordered buses, lack of directions etc..., we had an incredible experience.
Our group had seven students and we were accompanied by Erez, a young security guard who was very nice, but slept during the long drives in the van. *As we all did, I should add!* Our first stop was at the Bedouin Museum, named (inexplicably) for a forger Israeli pilot named Joe Alon.
The Bedouins are named after the Arabic word for "desert." The museum depicts their life as it was until about 50 years ago - nomadic, tribal based, tent-dwelling. The Bedouins survived off their herds of goats, and some camels - using their bounty for food, clothing and shelter. Today, as I have seen on some of my hikes, many Bedouins still live in the traditional way. Saudi Arabia is mostly Bedouin as is the Sinai Desert. Tribes wander throughout Jordan and make up a large percentage of the population in southern and northern Israel.
In the Negev Desert, with modernization and political agendas squeezing the nomads from all sides, they, too, have begun to settle in permanent communities.
We stopped next in the huge Bedouin city of Rahat. There, we went to the community center, dedicated to encouraging and helping young Bedouins to attend college.
Throughout the day, the people we met expressed the same themes over and over again. On a positive note, the Bedouin are reputed for their hospitality - tea, and copious food (pita, desserts, fruit) was served to us, as it would be to any guest. Even in the midst of the desert, a wandering stranger would receive 3 days of hospitality- no questions asked. We stopped at a roadside convenience store for drinks, and the clerk there insisted on giving our whole group free drinks. Most of us paid anyway, suggesting they give the money to charity instead. The Bedouins of southern Israel have a surprisingly high level of school attendance. They also volunteer for the Israeli army at high rates.
Still, problems are rampant - in Rahat, the major Bedouin 'metropolis' unemployment is 54%. It is worse in other cities and villages.
There are drug problems from the goods smuggled into Israel from across the Sinai in Egypt. Violence is increasing in the major cities and many Bedouins live in unrecognized communities. These residents have no access to facilities for water, electricity or decent schooling. They do have citizenship, however, and free health care.
Polygamy (although illegal in Israel) is still widely practiced and culturally accepted among the Bedouin. Having several wives means that many Bedouin nuclear families can have as many as 60 or more members!
As we drove through Rahat, we also were exposed to the layers of social division and tribal differences within the Bedouin culture. The black Bedouins - orinngally from Sudan and Egypt - are the lowest class. They live in tin shanties sitting on dusty clearings. The children were barefoot, the yard of homes surrounded by barbed wire. Up on a hill, a few meters above the poor neighborhoods, were large villas. In those homes, we were told, lived smaller families of wealthy Bedouins - the lawyers, and other professional of Rahat whose homes literally overlooked the slums of the the city from above a stark, daunting fence. Our guide informed us (after apologizing if he seemed racist) that the black Bedouins tend to be lazy and don;t work, thus explaining their higher poverty rates.
I couldn't help but think back to Ladakh, in India. There, too, the encroaching globalization and modernization had changed the way of life for small villagers. While the modern era has brought cell phones and satellite dishes to remote groups of people it has also destroyed the ability of these groups to live self-sustainably. Their former way of life as nomads isn't possible in modern Israel, and thus they are forming more permanent settlements and facing new problems of modernity - homelessness, drug use, unemployment and increasing domestic violence. Of course the "old way of life" had its problems too, I am sure, and the museum made it clear that the Bedouin life had always been challenging and very divided by gender and tribe.
Our last stop was at the 'unrecognized town' where the manager of the community center lives. We drove around for another 45 minutes or so looking for the place, and finally pulled up a dusty road to the community gathering room. Our bus pulled up beside an outhouse and we were directed into a room lined with cushions and mattresses. We waited about 10 minutes for children to bring us platters piled high with fresh fruit and pastries. Only after we ate and drank did the presentation begin.
We were introduced to the village leader - a man who had served 28 years in the Israeli army and is the holds the highest rank ever achieved by a Bedouin. He told us about the problems of the village which has 11,000 residents. For years, he has been trying to get the Israeli government to recognize the town. They don't want to put in the financial commitment of suppling the settlement with water, electricity or schools. The residents have offered to give up 2/3 of their 15,000 dinams of land in exchange for recognition, but the government still declines.
The government wants them to relocate to already established towns, such as Rahat. The leader pointed out, however, that there are several reasons why the local community does not want to move. They are a different tribe than the reisdents in the cities, and the relationships between different Bedouin groups are not always good. Furthermore, they have been in this settlement for over a generation and do not wnat to leave behind their home or their more rural lifestyles. Finally, they have much less crime and drug problems than a city such as Rahat and they do not want to raise their families among the rpoblems of the urban areas.
In spite of their arguments in favor of obtaining status and their assurance that they will pay taxes, become educated, join the military and generally add to Israeli society, the government requried that they prove that there are at least 800 families
in the town. They lack this number, and are also aware that for Jewish settlements, only a few dozen families or less are necessary in order to obtain government recognition.
All in all, the day was fascinating. There is a clear dearth of nonprofit organizations working in this community and a great deal of need. The problems the Bedouins face are typical of a minority group that is being affected by modernization, overpopulation, under-education and general neglect. Of course the problems are complicated, but I think by visiting the community and learning about it, all Israelis and tourists in Israel can help get a more realistic view of the variety of existence in this country.
PICTURES:
1. Rahat - contrasting neighborhoods
2. Rahat - child in front of her home
3. Unrecognized Village
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