It is the middle of fall. I have not seen any seasonal forecasts, yet, but it certainly feels like it's gonna be a much colder winter than last year. Last year, IMHO, was actually pretty mild, so much so that I wore sandals throughout the entire winter. The question is, will I be able to make through this year?
Recently at work, in Jerusalem, I was greeted with raised eyebrows when I mentioned that I only owned sandals. I do have a pair of slippers, as well as a pair of rain boots with a hole in one of the soles, but my primary footwear are sandals. I have a regular pair for the week and a nicer pair for Shabbath and Haggim. As my regular pair has pretty much fallen apart, my Shabbath pair has defaulted to my only pair. But, they're also falling apart.
So, the next question is, now that winter approaches, and I need some new shoes, will I break down and buy a pair of "real" shoes, as my colleagues might call them, or will I buy another pair of sandals?My colleagues continued the now escalating confrontation, "What do mean you only own sandals?!"
Beginning to get a little annoyed, as work ended for the week, and I needed some serious sleep catch-up, I replied in a very sarcastic manner, "We 'settlers' wear sandals even in the winter."
I hate that word "settler," not because we're doing a misswah (ie. what we're supposed to be doing), but because our name-calling "brethren" in illustrious, limousine leftist communities like Ramath Aviv and K'far Shmaryahu refuse to wake up to the fact that they, too, are view as "settlers" by an increasing number of so-called, "international community" members, such as Muslims, their brainwashed, European lackeys, self-hating Jews, and other assorted self-destructive fools.
But, I digress....
My colleagues: "Oh, c'mon! Every one knows that all settlers own at least one pair of work boots! You can wear boots in the winter!"
This is obviously not true, as at least one "settler," myself, does not. However, his stereotype does have basis in truth. Work boots really are a necessity as a protection against nails, broken glass, and scorpions. That doesn't stop the kids in my neighborhood from running around with bare feet, though. Most every one involved in the building industry does own a pair of work boots.
Back to the set of questions at hand, to sandal, or not to sandal?
Certainly, it would assur (prohibited) to do anything which would be of detriment to my health. According to many, if not most, opinions, "Fashion Hallachah" dictates that I have reached an age at which it is mutar (permissible) for me to wear socks with my sandals. But, still....
Well, today, I suppose I was let off the hook from playing "macho sandalled-settler" this winter, as I saw my teen-aged, "Hilltop Youth" neighbors all wearing boots and other assorted close-toed footwear. Things change....
But, the bottom line is that between work, commuting back and forth from the Shomron to Jerusalem, and finding time to sleep a few measly hours per day, I have to find the time even to get to a shoe shore, regardless of my ultimate decision.So, when it gets cold enough, and I can't take it anymore, I'll probably make the time to get to a shoe store.
I'll let you know....
great post
ReplyDeleteI hope you sent it to westbankmama for her "only in Israel."
Kibbutznikim no longer wear kova tembels and kibbutz sandals, and there are women in yishuvim in high heels on Shabbat.
Wear what's good for your feet and health.
I love sandals, but would go barefoot if it were feasible / socially acceptable. I once wore sandals (no socks, of course) for an entire year, and it snowed a lot that year.
ReplyDeleteB"H When I lived in an absorbtion center, there were three of us who went barefoot: An Argentine Kibbutzniq, an Uruguayan (grew up by the water), and myself, a So. Californian.
ReplyDeleteI'm clueless here- why would you insist on wearing sandals? I'm getting something along the ranges of "I identify with the Mizrachi movement" here, but am not really so clear on this. I would appreciate some elucidation. Thanks. Mindy
ReplyDeleteMindy, I do not identify with the Mizrahi movement, which is too much associated historically with the Mapai (Labor).
ReplyDeleteI identify with the Torah Zionist movement, the minority (unfortunately) of the settlers and others who believe that huqei haTorah come before huqei haAdam, or the State.
We are different from the mamlakhtim who place some sort of crazy qedusha on the state, somply because it's the Israeli state.
We believe in Jewish sovereignty over the Land, but not by corrupt, anti-Torah individuals who are getting us killed and kicked out of our homes, and bowing down to the goyim.
The sandals thing is an association with settlers and kibbutzniqim, dawqa showing that we have different cutoms here than in the U. S. Unfortunately more and more people are caving in and actually wearing ties and other non Jewish clothing.
Sandals are traditional to this part of the world. Wearing them in the winter are just a macho thing, tongue-in-cheek.
Um... Ok- apparenyly we live in very different worlds! I live in Brooklyn. The complaint generally given about our communty is our excessive materialism. That is a valid point- I will tell you my thoughts on that later. It was interesting to me to see that you consider sandals to be non-wEstern clothing. Besides for the fact that I never heard of ties being Western clothing nor did I hear of any such concept of Jews not wearing Western clothing besides for Chassidim, why does wearing sandals, which I assume you say are less Western andmore like the ancient Israelites, make you appear any more Jewish? I wouldn't think that the average person outside of your community would look at your sandals and say, "Oh! I see. He's Jewish." I am in no way attacking you oint of view, I would honestly like to hear more about it in order to understand it.
ReplyDeleteAbout what I said about our excessive materialism. Growing up here in the Brooklyn communitym there were many things about society that I did not like. In my contact with the ( I will use the blanket title since I am not aware of the distinctions you made) "Mizrahi" community, I have admired what I appreciate as being more sincere and real, and have wanted to either integrate it into my lifestyle or adapt it comepletely. (ie- move to a Mizrachi community etc) After a while of dealing with this issue, I realized somethng that has been my motto in life since childhood- Am Yisrael is made up of twelve shevatim. Each of our communities has its benefits and drawbacks which some hand in hand and are ingerent in the life-values epoused by them. We can, of course, try to learn from other communities and take the best from whateverwe see, but I've realized that often the good of a certain way of life comes with irremovable negativites as well that is a part of life. What I am referring to here, of course, does not neccisarily have to play out in an individual's life, since, of course, Man is not crused that no matter what he does he will be crused with incompleteness, but in the way of the world, since a way of life is applied to a society as well as individuals, and the world as it is now being gererally imperfect, society as a whole will bring out those negativites attached to that specific way of life. The reason I am posting what may not seem so relevant is basically to explain to you where I am coming from- I believe many people think that only thier way is right and this is just one other angle of acceptance of other communities.
Also, I'm wondering why you write "q"s instead of "k"s and "w"s instead of "v"s?
Thanks for the clarification,
M
B"H Mindy, Thanks for writing.
ReplyDelete(My comments are in bold.)
Um... Ok- apparenyly we live in very different worlds! I live in Brooklyn. The complaint generally given about our communty is our excessive materialism. That is a valid point- I will tell you my thoughts on that later. It was interesting to me to see that you consider sandals to be non-wEstern clothing.
I actually did not say that. I criticize "ties" for being non-Western.
Besides for the fact that I never heard of ties being Western clothing nor did I hear of any such concept of Jews not wearing Western clothing besides for Chassidim, why does wearing sandals, which I assume you say are less Western andmore like the ancient Israelites, make you appear any more Jewish?
Not necessarily, as people do not focus on footwear, but the whole of ones appearance. Ties most definitely are Western. They're French. Because Hassidim tend to wear long coats or kaftans on Shabbath, they actually look more in line with "Jewish" that certain groups of people who shall remain nameless, who dress up like Italian mafiosos,...clearly a result of assimilation.
I wouldn't think that the average person outside of your community would look at your sandals and say, "Oh! I see. He's Jewish." I am in no way attacking you oint of view, I would honestly like to hear more about it in order to understand it.
I doubt it. Sandals are probably a unifying factor here in Israel,...until now when the evils of materialism have overrun Tel-Aviv and some surrounding areas.
About what I said about our excessive materialism. Growing up here in the Brooklyn communitym there were many things about society that I did not like. In my contact with the ( I will use the blanket title since I am not aware of the distinctions you made) "Mizrahi" community, I have admired what I appreciate as being more sincere and real, and have wanted to either integrate it into my lifestyle or adapt it comepletely. (ie- move to a Mizrachi community etc) After a while of dealing with this issue, I realized somethng that has been my motto in life since childhood- Am Yisrael is made up of twelve shevatim. Each of our communities has its benefits and drawbacks which some hand in hand and are ingerent in the life-values epoused by them. We can, of course, try to learn from other communities and take the best from whateverwe see, but I've realized that often the good of a certain way of life comes with irremovable negativites as well that is a part of life. What I am referring to here, of course, does not neccisarily have to play out in an individual's life, since, of course, Man is not crused that no matter what he does he will be crused with incompleteness, but in the way of the world, since a way of life is applied to a society as well as individuals, and the world as it is now being gererally imperfect, society as a whole will bring out those negativites attached to that specific way of life. The reason I am posting what may not seem so relevant is basically to explain to you where I am coming from- I believe many people think that only thier way is right and this is just one other angle of acceptance of other communities.
"Mizrahi" is an outdated term, and is only useful to describe communities which came from the mizrah, like Teiman or Iraq or Iran, etc. The distinction between religious Zionist communities is extremely important, and simply to understand: One believes in blind loyalty to the state, one does not.
This is getting played out in the news more and more with arrests of rabbis like Rav Palei and Rav Yisrael Ariel for teaching Torah, and of the increasing phenomena of Jews refusing to accept the authority of non-religious courts.
Also, I'm wondering why you write "q"s instead of "k"s and "w"s instead of "v"s?
Not "instead," but "also" as each Hebrew letter has always been pronounced differently, and should continue to be. This how I differentiate between kaf and qoof and vet and waw.
Thanks for the clarification,