newsletter May 3, 2009

As we were taught in cheder, the Pesach (Passover) festival is blessed with four names: Passover; the Festival of Spring, the Festival of Freedom and the Festival of Matzot. I would like to propose another: the Festival of Juggling.

“Juggling?”. Yes, juggling. Because for five days of Hol Hamoed Pesach, over 1000 jugglers from around Israel converge on “Gan HaShelosha” (also known as the “Sachne”) for a juggling extravaganza. The festival is an around-the-clock school and theatre of jugglers which people who cannot juggle (Harry Potter would call them “Juggles”) can also attend.

The setting, the Sachne, is one of the most exquisite national parks in the country with natural deep pools stretching maybe for 300 metres, round-the-year warm water (26 degrees), children’s pools, toddlers’ pools, waterfalls, natural Jacuzzis, lawns and, for Elisheva, ice-cream shops.

Participants in the juggling festival all had to camp, which, as you know, is our “thing”. So we had it all–camping, swimming, barbecues and, to make the experience authentic, mosquitoes. Paradise.

The atmosphere at the juggling festival is reminiscent of the fairground from Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. Wherever you go, people are practising tricks. Some are highly-skilled, keeping aloft five, six or seven balls or pins or rings at a time, and juggling in pairs, threesomes and foursomes. There were those who specialized in juggling a “Diablo” (juggling hour-glass shaped bottles on a string), or rolling balls and hats on their hands and arms and backs and necks. Others did tricks with sticks, throwing, spinning and catching, sometimes behind their back or blind. At any time of day or night, in the basketball hall (mifal hapayis) you could find over 100 jugglers (and a few “juggles” such as ourselves, enjoying the show). The hall also had a tight-rope, juggling workshops and master-classes, and fun things for non-experts, like balloon twisting and trampolines.

The atmosphere was spontaneous. At 12 o’clock on Monday night of chol hamoed, a few guys just decided to put on an impromptu show in juggling with fire. On the Sunday night, there was a “juggling jam” – an improvised audience participation show where everyone and anyone could perform a brief, often extraordinary, often not-yet-ready trick, on an improvised stage, with disco music and a DJ to create the atmosphere. Some performers were fantastic; others were mediocre at best; but the audience cheered enthusiastically for all, especially when a trick went wrong, encouraging the performer to try again and again till the trick succeeded.

On the Monday evening, there was a show by three acrobats who combined burlesque, acrobatics, trampolining and juggling. Between me, you and the lamppost, they weren’t quite on the level of “Billy Smart’s Circus”. What was memorable was not the show, but the audience (of about 1000). They cheered, whistled and clapped incessantly throughout, rolling in the isles at the burlesque, giving a standing ovation and stubbornly demanding an encore. It was as if the audience was made up of 1000 proud mothers. In short, I have fallen in love with jugglers (even although I am still a “juggle”). Thanks to the Mellicks who brought us along.

Now let’s blow things out of proportion
At the annual Isaacs Independence day barbecue (only 30 people this year), we did a “round robin” in which each family member had three minutes in the limelight to tell the extended family what’s new(s) in their life. (Think of it as a sort of verbal newsletter). When it was the turn of our attention-shy son Elon (19), rather than telling his own news, he suggested: “Let Daddy tell. He knows how to exaggerate” (לנפח).

“Luck is good the prize is pleasant / But the glory’s in the game” (King Edward’s School anthem)
Elon’s basketball team ended the season in last place of the lowest league. All season, their only three wins were technical wins due to opponents failing to appear. On Hol Hamoed Pesach, I finally had a chance to watch Elon play in the last match of the season against the league champions. David vs. Goliath. At least Elon had the home advantage.
Elon battled like a Titan, blocking, shoving, hustling and scoring 20 points out of his team’s total of 48 (the opponents scored 96). Just as well they had the home advantage. Even if the team needs bolstering, Elon is clearly a star, a fighter, and a champion in our eyes.

Naphtali O’Isaacs
I am in awe of those who have the gift to play music effortlessly, to play by ear and to improvise. Dozens of children in Naphtali’s music school have this gift. Before Pesach, the school held their annual concert. During more than two hours, 15 different ensembles of children performed music in a wide variety of styles including jazz, rock, modern, classical and Jewish. Several of the pieces were original compositions by the children.

Naphtali put together one of the ensembles - a band of nine which performed beautifully a piece of Irish music – the sort of music that shouts “Riverdance” and makes you want to put on your taps.

How had the players learned their parts? Naphtali downloaded the music to his mobile and transferred it to his friends’ mobiles. Each listened to the piece, and then just played it, by ear and from memory, without music. This amazing feat seems to be something that musical people take for granted, non-musical people do not understand, and perhaps only failed musicians, such as myself, can truly appreciate.

Comrade Judy
You may have thought of Judy, thus far, as a sweet girl. All that is going to change. Judy is a red; a commie; a unionist; a social agitator; a rebel. You see, Judy, the “sweetie-pie”, is on strike. Power to the people! Man the picket lines! Bread and Work!

Judy has been lecturing in the Open University for 12 years. During this time, she has not received tenure and is actually sacked twice a year at the end of each semester. Enough is enough. The time for action has arrived.

Well, not really. What actually happened is some junior, hot-blooded lecturers organized and imposed the strike on an apathetic majority. (Judy’s reputation as a sweetie-pie is intact.)

Is there anybody there?
I am short of time and space to update you on the other children. I’d beg their forgiveness, but don’t really need to since they will never know. You see, like most of you, they never read my newsletters (certainly not to the end).

Lots of Love
Judy, Michael, Ari, Elon, Naphtali, Orli, Abigail and Elisheva Isaacs
Elkana