tel-aviv – Page 2 – gobriantravel

Israel 14,

April 3, 2025,

Hi Everyone,

We did a major cleanup last evening as it was our last night at the base. The planes were out all night and we could hear the bombing and shelling in Gaza. Hamas once again gave there nonsensical terms that they would give back some of the hostages if the Israelis withdraw completely, if they continue to remain in power and if some country rebuilds Gaza for them. They don’t seem to learn or even try to remember that it was they who started the war in the first place. 5000 Hamas came across the border, attacked a peaceful kibbutz as well as young people dancing at a music festival. They killed 1200 Israelis, wounded 2500, took 251 hostages and raped many women. Do they really believe that after 500 days that they can now go back to square one with no consequences? What other country in the world would accept this nonsense?

We were up early this morning for breakfast as we were taking the bus to Natanya for our Krav Maga session with the Grand Master. He is a heavy set 65 year old man who really knows his stuff. It is amazing how fast he can move if attacked from any angle. He emphasized how important it is to know one’s surroundings. A woman walking alone, carrying a purse, walking and talking at the same time on her cell phone is an easy target even if there are people around. Always be aware and constantly look around. In Krav Maga, speed is more important than strength. A small person reacting quickly can overcome a bigger, untrained assailant. A terrorist is a different story as he is often well trained to kill.

The Master would pick out one of us to demonstrate his craft. In practice you are supposed to pull your punches but it is not hard to accumulate a few bruises. Once he finished his demonstration, we would split up into pairs or groups of 3 to practice the movements. First we would do the movement in slow motion, gradually picking up speed both with the attack and with the defence. I think that we all learned quite a few defensive moves. Several of us said that they would try to continue practicing with a Krav Maga school on their return to their home country. There are half a dozen schools in Montreal, though not as many as karate or tae kwondo schools. I may or may not decide to continue in Montreal.

The class lasted a whole day at the Wingate Academy. We took the bus back to Tel Aviv and I checked into my usual Maxim Hotel. I then took the bus and train to the airport to get my car rental. I went out to eat at a great seafood restaurant with my friend from Grand Rapids Michigan.

Love,

Brian

Our shelter on the base. We have 45 seconds to get there

Brian

Modern Tel Aviv

Wingate Academy for the study of the science of athletics.

Dizengoff square (which is a circle) with pictures of the hostages and victims of Oct. 7

A great Tel Aviv restaurant

Israel 9,

Mar. 28-29, 2025,

Hi Everyone,

We got back to Tel Aviv at around 4:00 pm. Most of the volunteers took a taxi to the hotel. I elected to take a bus as I have a pass and wanted to do some shopping in Dizengoff Square which is a circle. I purchased a few necessities and then walked back to Maxim, a distance of 10 minutes. I was glad to get back to the hotel and get my old room back. At 6:00 we had the usual wine and soup and then 3 of us went down to the beach for supper. As usual in the evening there was a cool breeze and we could hear the waves lapping up on the shore.

Friday morning I usually go to the laundromat to wash my week’s laundry. Friday was no exception. It’s silly I suppose, but I love laundromats. They are always the same, buy the powdered soap, choose a washing machine, and pay for 30 minutes. Usually I go for a cappuccino at the cafe next door. I was disappointed to find that the cafe had closed so I just sat outside on a chair and read my emails. The dryer lasted for another30 minutes and I then I was on my way back to the hotel with a fresh batch of clean clothes.

I skipped lunch and went off to the beach which is just across the street. They were not renting chairs yet so I just found a place on the sand. The beach was crowded but you can always find a 10 ft private space for yourself. I lathered up with lotion and lay down to get my first suntan. When I was hot enough, I went for a swim. It was 30C with no breeze and the water was dead calm. The beach was black flagged, meaning no swimming, or swim at your own risk as there were no life guards. There were no swimming signs everywhere. Every hour or so, there was a taped announcement that swimming was dangerous and prohibited. That did not prevent the Israelis from going into the water and swimming. I swam out to the breakwater twice, a distance of 250m, 1 km in total, not bad for a first swim since October.

The Tel Aviv beach is fabulous. The boardwalk extends for miles with restaurants, cafes and bars all along the way. The Israelis are incredibly fit. I did not see 1 overweight person on the beach. The men are 6ft tall, dark skinned, muscled, and very good looking. The typical Ashkenazie Jew that we think of is long gone. There has been 3 generations of intermarriage between the Ashkenazi Jews from Europe, the Sephardic Jews from North Africa and the Mizrahi Jews from the Middle East. Add to that the new arrival of Russian Jews, Yemenites and Ethiopians and you get an incredible mix of genes and cultures. When you see a French person, you usually know by their look that they are French. The same is true for Italians and Greeks. Now, with the intermarriage there is a typical Israeli look both with the men and the women. The women are relatively tall and absolutely gorgeous. They are usually dark skinned with dark hair. Once again they all appear to be in good shape. The men wear shorts for bathing suits. The women wear strings, front, back and top. Everyone is playing soccer, keep the soccer ball in the air with everyone in a circle, volleyball, paddle ball and frisbee. You have to dodge the balls if you are walking on the beach. I had a Magnum ice cream for lunch at 4:00.

I was invited for Shabat dinner at Vickie’s. As usual she had other invited guests. Her brother and sister-in-law were there. Her sister-in-law is from New York and made Alliah in 1970 about the same time that I came to Israel for the first time. I was close to making a similar decision at the time but in the end elected to go to France to study medicine. A Swiss-American doctor was also invited and is working as a paramedic on an ambulance like me. We had a splendid evening together.

Today was more of the same. I had some business to catch up with with the College des Medecins de Quebec that took several hours. I then headed off to the beach. It was slightly cooler today with a 20 knot breeze on the water. There were many sailboats out and I envied them. There were 3 foot waves and the usual no swimming signs and announcements. There were a fair number of surfers out taking advantage of the waves. I swam out to the breakwater. I had to do a breast stroke to see the waves coming and to get past them. Every time I saw a wave, I dove down and let it go ever my head. Eventually, I reached the breakwater. I was the only swimmer out there and the surfers looked like they were wondering what I was doing there. I will admit that it was a little crazy on my part and perhaps somewhat dangerous, but I felt really good and I was swimming well. After my swim, I rested for half an hour and then ran 10 km along the beach in 1:10. Overall it is not a great time but for me it is not bad. Richard asked me to run a 10 km with him next Friday so I must practice a bit this week.

We sat around the table for for our usual wine and soup. A young German girl told us that she was supposed to go to the Nova Festival but some how ended up giving her ticket to her best friend. Her friend was one of the persons killed at the concert. She is in the process of converting and making Aliah. Her husband who is Israeli and in the army was killed several weeks later. Several persons at the table did their best to comfort her and a few of them were crying with her. What a tragedy. How do you get past an experience like that and continue with your life.

Love,

Brian