How to Describe Fizzy Life: Israel Expands Like Bread

Happy family (mother, baby, grandparents and aunt) at a brit-mila (circumcision) ceremony. Life's fizzy nature buzzes all over the place / © 2010 AV

Recently I notice more books about Isreal's amazing growth and accomplishment. As if suddenly the world has noticed how the country leaped from the dusty backward land to a green modern state. What is missing in these stories is the real people element. After reading a part of The Land of Blood and Honey: The Rise of Modern Israel and comparing it to Start-up Nation: The Story of Israel's Economic Miracle which focuses on the high-tech aspect of Israel's development, I realized how books are great with dry statistics. Books are good with stories about companies and people of the past, but still dry. Pictures help me in seeing the people element, videos help most people, YouTube is the new addictive pastime.

I get a glimpse of everyday family life through my family. The extended one is big, so there are events and gatherings all the time. The family grows and blends into other families with births and weddings. When the families of newlyweds are different, like with my cousin's daughter, I get another view into a whole new culture. My impressions of the last three weeks with the family:

Inside Israeli homes, usually small apartments, you can feel the intimacy. I get this feeling with families living here for three and four generation. Now raising a fourth and fifth generation has lost that feel of a new state or pioneering spirit Israeli were so proud of just 60 years ago. I had this feeling two weeks ago. My cousin's daughter had a boy three weeks ago. My cousin is proud but also pretended to be a little nonchalant. That all ended two weeks ago when the baby had a brit-milah (circumcision.) Brit-milah is the first ceremony a baby boy goes through in the Jewish tradition. In Israel, Jewish circumcision it is a common practice and calls for a small celebration. So my cousins (one brother, the grandfather, and his two sisters) with their families got together.

The new baby's parents come from very different background. In Israel, religious observance can lead to a tear between families and friends. Religion observance from no observance at all to complete orthodox life has many levels. Like a stack of plates, each level in the observance scale has it's own connotation. Add to that differences in cultural background, the Ashkenazim descending from European roots and the Sephardim from middle eastern roots, and you have many social-religious-cultural grades people can divide themselves. In my family, almost everyone has married into a slightly different mix. Some to a totally different one with a wide gap between the two. This means that a woman might have to start being more observant if her new husband wants to keep an orthodox home. Becoming more observant is not hard but does require a change in view. Blending with a different culture with a different set of values and practices is even harder. Having your fist baby all at the same time, makes for a complete change in daily life - overwhelming! Friends and family make it easier. As you can see in the picture, the new mom has her mom and a sister for help. A few older friends with young babies are also helpful. In the mean time, cultural differences blend somehow. Old traditions change in Israel all the time. Eventually Israelis, the younger ones, make their own traditions. Here we do not assume any more, we just watch and learn.