In the wake of the furore over International Women's Day, Saudi style
http://timescolumns.typepad.com/gledhill/2007/03/saudi_woman_get.html,
it was interesting to see how it is celebrated here in Israel. The day before, I was in the Education Dept of the Jewish Agency in Jerusalem, participating in a video conference on Middle East history between gifted Israeli teenagers and their counterparts in Ohio, USA. In the event, loaded questions were not in evidence, and instead the American students were interested in every day life here, joining the army, music, food and dress preferences and what happens if you don't do your homework. This is an example of an earlier video conference held by the Jewish Agency:
http://www.ujc.org/content_display.html?ArticleID=67130
The conference was a great success and the next day (International Women's Day) my friend who works in the Department got off work early and invited me to a slap-up meal as thanks for my input into the video conference.
Then she went home and started to clean for Pesach. I returned to Haifa and did likewise, even though I won't actually be here for the festival.
http://www.jewfaq.org/holidaya.htm
Habit, I suppose, and not a lash in sight.
And yet Israel is supposed to be the worst country in the world!
http://www.worldpublicopinion.org/pipa/articles/home_page/325.php?nid=&id=&pnt=325&lb=hmpg1
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