Haim Watzman On Monday, January 29, 1945, by swerve of shore and bend of bay, the SS Rizwani sailed into Alexandria and Tally Clerk Elias David Levy went ashore. The photo on his leave pass shows a dark youth with intense eyes, broad shoulders, and oiled hair, carefully parted on the left. He’s wearing a [...]
The Story of Mr. In-Between– “Necessary Stories” column from The Jerusalem Report
June 20th, 2010 · 1 Comment · Culture and Ideas
Tags: Alexandria·Andrews Sisters·Baghdad·Bing Crosby·Bombay·Finnegans Wake·Iraqi Jewry·Israel·Mogul Line
My Big Fat Iraqi Hummus Joint–”Necessary Stories” from The Jerusalem Report
August 14th, 2009 · 5 Comments · Culture and Ideas
Haim Watzman Ilana’s got that look on her face. “It’s August,” she says, “and all our friends are going to Corfu, Barcelona, and Antalya. But us?” “If you wanted fancy European vacations, you shouldn’t have married a freelance writer,” I reply. “J.K. Rowling is a freelance writer,” Ilana observes, “and I bet she’s not vacationing [...]
Tags: Baghdad·Israeli-Palestinian conflict·Zionism
The Oud Plays for Peace
May 1st, 2008 · No Comments · Culture and Ideas
It’s become dangerous to play the oud in Baghdad, the New York Times reports today. Religious extremists of all stripes apparently agree that secular music is unacceptable. No matter that the oud has been part of Islamic life for centuries. Fundamentalism (in all faiths) is a modern creation claiming to be old – a sort [...]
