Israel Ramble - Israel Through numbers

   Israel Through numbers

 I know numbers are a very dry thing, but not really, if you look at the story the numbers are telling. For example, when I grew up in the kibbutz we had 1 public telephone for 900 people. We had to write a letter few weeks in advance for someone to call us on such and such date and time so we can be by the phone, and when the call came I remember being so scared forgetting what I actually wanted to say, and then it is was waiting for another 3 weeks for the next phone call.

 Especially to my 12 years old students who are receiving these rambles, I would like you to know that we actually sent real snail letters then, which is fun, try it sometime.

 Now a days Israel has 1207 cell phones per 1000 people, more cell phones than people. (It is partially my fault, using a cell phone in Israel but not here.. and that was a joke)

 So who said that numbers are boring? (That is linguistically a Hebrew sentence)

 As a child I was following the amount of rain falling in the Kibbutz whenever it was available, guessing how much rain fell last night was for us the reality show of the time, we could not go to the internet to check that out, the internet was still 40 years ahead. I can still remember the number 526 millimeter average rainfall where we lived.

 Someone asked me jokingly if I can prophesize the future of Israel, and maybe I will relate to it in a different letter, but numbers do tell us where things are going sometimes. Like for example Israel population stayed over the years around 1 per mil of the world population, it is curious that the world has 1 Israeli for every 1000 people, maybe that is what the world needs for some mysterious reason?! So we can predict Israel population will grow in that proportion to the rest of the world. Of cause we can be dead wrong too.

 There are so many numbers that are interesting. Another example, 40 years ago we had only one city with exclusively Haredim people, now a day we have 4, and you can see the trend. On my flight from New York to Israel 2 moths ago I was sitting next to a young 31 years old Haredi person and spoke with him for few hours, that was very intriguing for him and for me, 2 worlds collide, he wanted my seat because he did not want to sit next to a woman, unfortunately for him I will not give up my window seat and miss looking at Israel from above, it is a special moment for me. But that is another story, maybe to be told on a different ramble.

 I highly recommend having sometimes a conversation attempting to view the world from a vantage point that is so different to ours, especially on a transatlantic flight, it can be highly rewarding, if you can stay neutral that is, it is not that easy.  

 Haredi Jewish youth in Jerusalem

 At the mean time you can enjoy Israel from the air you may want to turn off the music when you watch it to get a better sense.

 Stay warm and have a wonderful week,

 Boaz Pnini

Bridges 2 Israel