"We haven't learned anything yet, it seems"

40 years ago, when they have just left Egypt, the Israelites received a long list of basic human community rules. How well they followed them I don't know, but they were not very exemplary in most of their behavior. Hence, the 40 years.

Now the journey is almost over and here comes a "new" list of basic behavior for a human society. The lists are surprisingly alike with the new one mostly containing elaborations on and extensions of the original one. Didn't they learn anything in the last 40 years?

We are leaving Israel this week. It's been an eye opening trip and my kids learned a lot (mostly about dirt.) The majority of Israelis that we met fell into 2 categories: unbearably rude and crass or overly familiar and helpful. Israelis are very proud of their rudeness. They view other nations as cold, uncaring and phoney. There is charm in the rudeness sometimes but mostly it creates a sense of stress and danger. Not surprising. Israelis live under constant danger and with endless stress. The question I ask myself as I am headed to the airport is: "Did the danger and stress create the impatience, unruliness and rudeness, or did the behavior cause a feeling of constant stress and danger?"

I have no answer. I am leaving with more questions than what I have arrived with. 

Looking at the parasha, the Israelis are big on helping each other. We always found help when we really needed it. Sometimes more than we expected (We fondly recall a site guard in Ramla who entertained us with stories, waited an extra hour before leaving the site on a Friday afternoon so we can finish our picnic, changed some bills for us and offered cold water and the use of his home for the night. Typical Israeli.) So it seems the Israelis have remembered the laws about communal responsibility.

But in between the lines of the parasha, there are additional rules that are a step beyond the basics. Rules about politeness, gentleness and kindness. These are rare in Israel. Especially the first. I have not heard the words "please", "thank you" or "sorry" except on very rare occasions and practically never from kids speaking to adults. Pushing ahead of others is a way of life and people simply expect violence (verbal and even physical) from others. 

Almost everywhere we went this week, we heard the sound of the shofar, reminding us that the high holidays are upon us. Time for taking stock and making some changes. I appeal to my Israeli brethren: "Chevreh, please consider being a little nicer to each other. Or at least to strangers." 

We stayed this week with Galit and her family. Galit is one of hubby's many (many, many) cousins and she had introduced me, way back at the beginning of our visit to the following dish. It immediately captured my heart because it tastes like it has cheese in it, but it doesn't. Perfect for either dairy or meat meal (a separation that no Israeli I met seems to make or care about, alas.) Parve dishes are the most polite and considerate of all dishes. They are nice for everything and nice to everybody. Especially this one:


Cousin Galit's onion pie with no cheese


4 large onions, thinly sliced
Optional - 2 cups of thinly sliced mushrooms
3 eggs
1/3 cup vegetable or canola oil
3/4 cup self rising flour
1/2 cup water
1 Tbs onion soup mix (optional)
Salt and pepper to taste
2-3 tsp oil for oiling the pan
1/4-1/3 cup  breadcrumbs


You can saute the onions in a little oil (besides the oil mentioned here) until golden or use it raw (it will have a different flavor. I prefer to cook it first). You can also saute 2 cups of sliced mushrooms along with it, if you wish.
Add eggs, oil, flour, water, onion soup mix (if using), salt and pepper.
Oil a 9x13 pan and sprinkle a nice layer of breadcrumbs on top of the oil (sort of like "flouring" a pan for a cake.) Make sure to oil and breadcrumb the bottom and the walls of the pan. 
Pour onion mixture in and sprinkle more breadcrumbs on top.
Bake at 385F for about 40 minutes (check after 30minutes, though) or until pie is golden-brown.



Thank you to all the Israelis who were kind, nice and helpful above and beyond the call of duty (and sometimes without any duty, just for the joy of helping a fellow Israeli.) Here is my b'racha to you as I leave: "May you soon find yourselves without an outside reason for being stressed, so that you'll be able to at least consider becoming calm, patient and polite."

Peace be unto you.