What has it been like this summer, living and working in Israel, in possibly the most dangerous period in Israeli history since its independence?
Most of us artists have been trying desperately to continue working throughout this period. Work consists mainly of going to work (if you’re lucky enough to have work), turning on the radio, TV, any mobile device with regular updates (approx 24 hours a day), frequent visits to Coffix (our 5 shekel cheap coffee bar now in every major high street), having long conversations with all your neighbours and every stranger who dares to enter your workplace about the ‘war’, moaning at the government, worrying about soldiers, getting mad at Hamas, running for cover from missile attacks (anywhere between 30 minutes-17 hours a day, depending on where you live), making sure you’re home for the extended evening news (approx from 5.00 pm to 23:30 pm EVERY night) (and if by any chance you don’t have a TV, no worries, your neighbours have it on so loud, you hear it anyway!), trying desperately to actually get some work done and going to bed every night at 3.00 am only to be woken at 6.00 am with a red alert siren…
This past week, we’ve been utterly spoilt! NO sirens! I’ve accomplished more this week than in the past 6 put together…I could possibly get used to this! But seriously, ask anyone, we’re fine – absolutely fine!
Shalom from Jerusalem,
Mel Brickman, BlueWhite’s Israeli Director.
