Sally Abed, Miriam Herschlag and Noah Efron discuss three topics of incomparable importance and end with an anecdote about something in Israel that made them smile this week.
Showing Up
Should Israel take as many refugees from Ukraine as want to come?
Another Milestone
Sexual assault charges are dropped against a leading light of the gay community because what he did “does not cross the threshold of criminality.”
Making Shabbat
Should government money go to making Shabbat more “relevant” to secular folks?
Haifa O’ Haifa
For our most unreasonably generous Patreon supporters, in our extra-special, special extra discussion, we ask Sally, who just moved to Haifa, why she loves the place.
All this and the remarkable debut record of Revaya Raisch!
Songs
- Lo Haser Lanu Davar
- Ha-Retivut Shel Yerushalayim
- Nirkod (Acoustic Version)
- Pardes
Hi there, avid listener here. Many times in these past few years, you have touched me with your humanity and made me laugh so loud that I scared away the pigeons on the canals of Amsterdam during my late night walks. During your talk about how many refugees Israel should be taking in from Ukraine, however, I was struck by the realisation that when it comes to European matters, speakers are often not entirely accurate. I have noticed this before. This time a picture was painted about various EU member states openness towards refugees. Ukrainians’ right to stay and work in the EU is not a matter so much for member states. A plain mistake, for example, is that it was stated the Netherlands only took in 50 refugees and that Ukrainians are welcome but are “on their own” (housing is being arranged, for example). Ukrainians are welcome in all member states and have a right to all amenities (healthcare, schooling and benefits). Ukraine’s association agreement with the EU already abolished Ukrainians’ need for visas for stays up to 3 months, but the EU has stated that they will be allowed for 2 years now and possibly longer, for as long as it takes. And they are allowed to work.
Just being clear. Regardless of the above, I remain your biggest fan. You keep me connected to Tel Aviv. Almost enough not to become homesick.
Love,
Rem
This may be the kindest corrective-for-my-idiocy that I have ever received (and you won’t be surprised to learn that I have been corrected-for-my-idiocy many times in the past). I am grateful for both aspects of this, the kindness and the correction. About the second, you are right that there is a lot about how the EU works that is opaque to me. I read a great deal about different European nations’ differential attitudes towards the refugees (and at least one was especially critical, for some reason, of the Netherlands, in contrast to Poland and Germany). But — most embarrassing of all — while I knew that Ukraine has a special status in the EU, I did NOT know that this status grants them automatic rights to amenities as you said. That is just flat-out ignorance.
In light of what you’ve told me, Israeli fears of being inundated by refugees are even harder to understand and justify. It seems obvious that most Ukrainians will wish to stay in Europe, and will have every practical reason to do so. Which is to say, understanding Europe better, in this case, helps me see Israel with greater clarity.
As for the kindness of your message, in these days when everyone seems to be judging everyone else so harshly, to be treated with such respect (while being a bona fide idiot) is, well, inspiring. I am grateful.