Asking for peace

If I forget thee....

But we did not forget, did we? This week, we are in Jerusalem, and let me tell you, no one here forgets anything. From the Arab cab driver who remembers every little insult hurled his way by passing Jews, to the pilgrims standing in line to touch the rock upon which Jesus was crucified, to the Jewish women who sit and cry in front of the one spot at the Kotel tunnels that the archaeologists had determined is located directly in front of the holy-of-hollies. People here have long memories. Thousands of years long. 

But the ones who touched our hearts this week were the guides. Young men and women who take people from all over the world around their beloved city and tell about its history with pride, passion and conviction. The guide who took us through the Kotel tunnels had tears in his eyes when he talked about being so close to the holy-of-hollies, yet so impossibly far away from it, since it is located under the dome of the rock mosque. The guide who led us around the city of David must have told the story many, many times and still there was awe in her voice when she told of finding seals inscribed with names of people who are actually mentioned in the bible. And their excitement was contagious. My youngest daughter told me, as we strolled past the Kotel (for the third time this week), after visiting the city of David : "Can you imagine how amazing it would be if Beit HaMikdash was standing?" Can you imagine what a heartbreak it was to explain that the chances for it happening without divine intervention are between zero and nothing? That as long as the mosque is there, we can't even build a succah at the holiest place for Judaism?

In this week's parasha, in D'varim chapter 20, verses 10-13, the Israelites are commanded to always ask for peace before attacking an enemy. If the enemy agrees to peace, OK. But if not; if they make war with you - then, go for it, baby, smite this enemy, mwahaha. But first you must try the "peace talks" route.

Which the Israelis did. Many, many times. Over many, many years. At the cost of many, many lives. The "enemy" keeps resisting. These, btw, are facts; not opinions. Check history if you don't believe me. No matter what accusations the Palestinians put at the feet (or rather, 'hurl at the head') of Israel, the fact remains that Israel always tries for peace and they always refuse. So it seems the time has come for activating some of the Jerusalemite memory and move to the next phase, as described in the bible. This, btw, is an opinion.

Meanwhile, the "simple people" here, try their best to live as normal a life as it is possible to live in a place where every stone is loaded with historical meaning. People like the above mentioned cab driver, the stall merchants in the old city, the tour guides and the cooks and waiters in the city's eateries. Everyone is simply trying to make a living. And in the evenings, when the harsh heat abates, they spill into the streets and sit in the many cafes, little restaurants and bars; most of them outdoors, enjoying the refreshing breeze and the night life; just trying to live as if it is perfectly normal to have signs everywhere directing you to the nearest bomb shelter, soldiers patrolling holy places and guards asking you to open your bags when you enter a store, so you can prove you carry no weapons. Too bad they don't check people's mouths. I know some teenage girls who should register theirs as lethal.

Naturally, we ate a lot in restaurants this week, which is how we were introduced to our new favorite dish: Eggplant "Baladi". Now, when I was a young girl, back in the olden days, the word 'baladi' meant 'homegrown' or 'organic'. Sort of "this was raised by simple farmers on a small farm using no sophisticated modern methods". Nowadays, apparently, it means "smothered in Tahini". It's a dish that represents very well what can happen when Israelis and Palestinians actually cooperate. I'm sure they did not mean to, and it's only in the kitchen, but hey, whatever works, right?

I, being on vacation, and having zero access to a proper kitchen this week, am not a 100% sure how this dish is made. But, I can sort of tell you the 'storyline' of the dish, with ideas and hints, and let you work from there. OK?

Eggplant with Tahini and tomato sauces

So, first of all, you need the type of eggplant that is fat and chunky. It's not exactly black and not exactly purple but a mixture of both. It's also not smooth like the regular eggplants but has some sort of vertical, not very large ridges. You may be able to do this with a regular eggplant that is very fat around but it will have plenty of seeds and taste not so great.

OK. You've got the right eggplant. You will need one per person. You need to get the flesh super soft without charring the skin too badly. This can be done by baking it thoroughly and then peeling carefully. So, put the eggplant in a pan (it's a good idea to spray it first). Make one or two small slits in it. Cover with foil (see if you can make sure the foil does not touch the eggplant.) Bake at 450F for about 20-30 minutes or until a fork can get in easily. Check after the first 20 minutes and every 10 minutes after, until you get a consistency you can imagine eating without any real chewing.

Take it out and let it cool a little. Peel it very carefully, leaving it as whole as you can, leaving the stem intact. You should have a peeled, cooked, whole eggplant, with the stem holding it all together.

Prepare some Tahini (mix sesame paste with enough water to the consistency of stirred yogurt; this requires patient stirring and plenty of faith; add the water slowly.) Spice it up to your liking with salt, pepper, crushed garlic, lemon juice and (optional) chopped parsley.

Next, prepare a tomato sauce. We had this with either a freshly made tomato salsa (quite spicy) or a cooked sauce a little like creamy tomato sauce for pasta, very mild and sweet-like. Both versions are excellent. 

Reheat the eggplant a little (microwave, maybe?) The dish is supposed to be served warm. Put the whole eggplant on a plate, pour some tahini on and around it on one side and the tomato sauce on the other side (the tomato sauce was never served on the eggplant, although they are eaten together.) The way this is eaten is by forking a piece of eggplant, dragging it through both sauces, putting the whole thing in your mouth and moaning with pleasure.


This will, hopefully, put you in a mellow mood which will help you ask for peace in Jerusalem. This time, however, I recommend asking G-d. The people we keep asking for peace have made their answer very clear. Ask G-d. Pray for the peace of Jerusalem. It's a hauntingly beautiful place that desperately needs some peace and quiet. Sha-aloo Sh'lom Yerushalayim.