Super Cows

I worked in the ravitz or dairy farm today for a few hours this morning and learned a wikipedia page about Israeli dairy farming, genetics and milk production. 

Danny is the boss of the ravitz. He is an American/Israeli that grew up on the kibbutz, moved to Florida with his family and moved back to Israeli in his teen years because he missed it so much. 

Danny explains to me that the cows in Israel are super cows. Every animal is electronically monitored on their ankles and around their necks and every bit of information is channeled to one central data bank. 

The best females and paired with the best males, artificially inseminated and reared so that their offspring will produce the highest fat to protein ratio in their milk. 

The cows are mixed with the best cows of the United States and around the world to produce stronger breeds but the cows in Israel have the highest average milk production per cow in the world! 

This could explain why the yogurt, chocolate milk and cottage cheese is so damned good! 

Suicide Bombers

Let's just cut to the chase, no sugar coating Israel's complicated history of "martyrs." Noam, my friend from Herzilya who was a soldier that came on my birthright trip, told me some stories today that i will repeat here below... it's an eye opening, contemplative view of what it means to be a jew in this world and especially to be Israeli.

Noam is in her early 20's now. She tells me this story about when she was in 8th grade and she knew a girl in the 9th grade. They both were eating at a shwarma/falafel place in herzilya. Noam wanted to stay but her friends wanted her to leave so she went with them. In the car on the way home she hears the radio that there was a suicide bomber in this restaurant in herzilya and she thinks - i saw that girl a few minutes ago and now she's dead.

Part two is the story of the Dolphinarium. This is a party spot located on the mediteranean in tel aviv. It used to be a place you could go and see dolphins but in 2001 it was a nightclub that was hit by a suicide bomber named Saeed Hotari. Twenty one teens were killed and 132 injured.

Today this is a spot covered in amazing murals and street art, it's a bar and concession area, and there's a musical outlet where you can rent instruments and have drum circles on friday night to kick off shabbat. i was here last night and it was one of my favorite experiences in israel so far. i didn't know the story of the suicide bomber. when my friend told me today i was shocked. if i was there in 2001 at 11:30pm on a Saturday night doing exactly what i was doing last night - i wouldn't be here today.

the israeli girls i spent the day with tell me after a bombing the phone lines are jammed. families are calling each other across Israel, to the states - just wanting to hear a hello and know a random bomb hasn't murdered their friends and relatives.

When i get back to the farm in Netanya I ask Amir's wife Tsrit about suicide bombers. She says up to about 2 years ago they were still happening a lot. She sites three cases in Netanya and the surround area alone - one at a bus stop filled with soldiers and others just buses on the roads. She says as a parent in Israel you don't go to the mall or crowded places with a lot of people. she tells me when she goes to the mall she thinks more than twice should i bring my children or leave them at home. basically - better me than them, just in case.