Author: Ashira

Cat Links NY, photography, UWS

9-11 at the Firefighter’s Memorial

Posted on Ashira

To mark the anniversary of 9-11 we decided to attend the memorial ceremony at the firefighter’s memorial at w100th st. It was quite moving. There were firefighters in attendance from all over the world including: Los Angeles, Belgium, New South Wales, Los Vegas, Canada, even Mirimar, FL. They read the names of all 343 firefighters who died on 9/11/01 pausing for moments of silence to mark the collapse of each tower and the crash of flight 93. It was very nicely done. Here were a few photos that I took: Saluting during the national anthem Following along as the list of 343 firefighters was read Listening to Amazing Grace being sung… Afterwards we went back to see the memorial: Some people left notes or gifts including a wreath from the London Fire Brigade There were lots of flowers (click to view bigger) Others were coming too, to see what was left, to contemplate or to take pictures…

Cat Links nature, NY, photography, UWS

Red-Tailed Hawk

Posted on Ashira

Was on my way out to meet a friend at 5pm when I spotted this: This fellow was just across on the next building’s fire escape (around 96th near Riverside Dr.) He was eating something that used to have white feathers. I had to run out, but Tim snapped the rest of these awesome photos. Note the blood on its talons! He posed for a portrait before flying off.

Cat Links Israel realizations, musings, Travel

Reflections from Sderot

Posted on Ashira

Visiting Sderot felt a bit too much like disaster tourism. I kept wondering how those who live there felt when we drove by in our bus. Are they used to it? Do they consider visitors flooding their town to be a second wave of disruption, preventing them from getting on with the normal lives that I’m sure they want to live? I would have liked to ask that question to someone in Sderot, but unfortunately the group wasn’t given this opportunity. We did however, have a fascinating meeting with the mayor of Sderot, David Buskila. Buskila has the difficult role of trying to restore order to a town filled with constant disruption. He can quickly quote the number of rockets that fall in a given year, and describes vividly the 15 seconds between when an alert is issued and the rockets land. Of the statistics that was most difficult to hear, we learned that 25% of the residents of Sderot are afflicted with post traumatic stress disorder. But what was most surprising was what he said next: The children in Gaza are also suffering. Do you think they are responsible for this violence either? How can their parents vote freely

Continue readingReflections from Sderot

Cat Links Israel realizations, musings, my life, Travel

Love- of what exactly?

Posted on Ashira

I remember the first time I got off the plane in Tel Aviv. The excitement at every little thing. Falling in love with Israel, my country.The foreign landscapeThe ancient treesThe street signs in Hebrew, Arabic and EnglishCNN internationalSpeaking Hebrew to ‘real’ IsraelisThe sense of historyJerusalem stone Between that visit and now, I’ve been in Israel a number of times.Each visit less and less exotic. This time, as I sat in the sherut from the airport to Yerusahalyimwith the sun setting golden over the Jerusalem mountainsand the moon, nearly full faintly on display,It should be more romantic.Instead I felt empty. Perhaps it was not Israel that I lovedbut traveling. Since that first visit to IsraelI’ve seen more foreign landscapesmore ancient treesstreet signs in many languages.I’ve watched other tv channelsspoken in more languagesand seen more historyand more stones. There are memories I relish moreand places where I have felt more free.What is Israel to me?Why do I feel so empty?