I nicked these sugar packets from Ginzburg, my local cafe. I call it Zionist sugar because each packet displays the portrait of some historical figure who was connected to the building of the state, with a brief bio blurb on the reverse side. There are lots more (I didn’t want to be greedy, so I only took a few), featuring a wide range of writers, scientists, philanthropists and political activists. All are portrayed as idealists who were committed to the betterment of society. Well, there’s not much room for historical nuance on a sugar packet. For readers who don’t know Hebrew, the names are as follows:
Top row, l to r: David Ben Gurion, Joseph Trumpeldor, Theodore Herzl, Ahad Ha’am (pen name of Asher Ginzburg).
Bottom row, l to r: Eliyahu David Badash, Zeev Jabotinsky, Henrietta Szold and Moses Montefiore.
I’ve never heard of Badash, and neither has the Hebrew Wikipedia, but according to the sugar packet people he was among the founders of Karkur, which was a small town back then and is still a small town today. You can find information about all the other figures on Wikipedia. Henrietta Szold is my favourite; I discovered her when I was about 11, while avidly reading my way through a series of books about famous women in history that I’d discovered in the school library. Henrietta came in somewhere between Cleopatra and Madame Curie - which is not at all odd, given that I attended a Jewish parochial school.
While reading The Marker (Haaretz’s business newspaper) over yesterday’s morning coffee, I discovered that there might be a looming ice cream shortage. So tragic! Just when winter is starting, too. Apparently, Israel’s powdered milk reserves are nearly empty. For reasons not explained in the article, there has been a sharp rise in demand for dairy products over the past few months - even though the cost of milk has risen - and the cows haven’t been keeping up.
Wheat prices have been rising, too. But no worries - there’s no looming shortage of bread. It’s just going to become more expensive. For me, this is not a big deal. If the price of my crusty organic French country loaf from Lehem Erez, uber-purveyor of bread for discerning tastes, rises to $4.00 from $3.50, my lifestyle will not be affected. I, however, do not have to feed a family on a monthly income of $825 .
There are lots of neighborhoods in Israel where the local grocery store sells single eggs and half loaves of subsidized bread to people who live in a perpetual state of “food insecurity.” Once, when I made a small purchase at a dusty grocery store in Sderot, the proprietor told me sheepishly that he did not have change for my 50 shekel bill (about $12). He told me he’d had only a few customers since the morning, and that they had bought bread, eggs and milk on credit. He said most people in the neighborhood ran out of cash at the end of the month.
Subsidized bread has been a staple of Israeli life since the founding of the state. The government set the price and compensated the factory bakeries, which produced a wide variety of non-subsidized breads in addition to the brick loaf called, in Hebrew, lechem achid (לחם אחיד) - or standard bread. About six months ago, the bakery owners stopped producing subsidized bread for a few days in order to force the government into raising the price by 15 percent, which they said was necessary to cover the higher cost of wheat. So the price was raised from NIS 3.70 to NIS 4.30 per unsliced loaf - i.e., from slightly less than one dollar to slightly more than one dollar. Now, it seems that price controls on bread are going to be lifted altogether, allowing bakeries and shops to charge market prices. Haaretz describes this as a milestone in Israeli socioeconomic policy - and not in a good way.
The social justice theme was taken up by Channel 1, which broadcast a report about this blow to Israel’s poor on its Saturday night news magazine. Afterward, the reporter joined the anchorwoman in the studio, where he launched into a self-righteous tirade about the whithering sense of social justice and the indifferent Israeli bourgeois. Red-faced, his voice rising to a near-shout, he sneered at callous Tel Aviv yuppies and their bread stuffed with organic sun dried tomatoes. The poor anchorwoman was nearly cringing at this populist outburst. She finally had to cut him short before he started to pound his fists on the Plexiglas table.
Bread, of course, is just a symbol. Poor people with large families will feel the difference, because a lot of them buy several loaves each day to feed their large families. But surely the macro issue needs to be addressed. What steps need to be taken in order to raise 1.5 million Israelis out of poverty? How do we help them to benefit from Israel’s prospering economy?
Are Israelis becoming indifferent to issues of social justice?
It’s hard to say. There are so many battles to fight. At some point, outrage fatigue does set in - especially when there are personal lives to be lived. Besides the ever-present and ever-divisive issue of the settlements and the occupation, we’ve got Qassams falling practically every day on Sderot, a failing education system, a polluted environment, a rapidly growing wealth gap, failing municipal governments and - well, the list is long. Pick your issue, there are plenty.
There have actually been a few interesting example of social activism lately. Yochay blogged about the waiters at a Tel Aviv University campus cafe who went on strike to protest unfair tip distribution. A few weeks later, management agreed to meet their demands.
On the other hand, when the employees of Haaretz newspaper formed a union in order to push for little things like toilet paper and soap in the bathrooms (the lack of which was one of my pet peeves during my brief stint at the paper) and perhaps - if that’s not too much to ask - a salary that allows one to live decently, management refused to recognize the right of the workers to organize. (The union’s blog is here, but it’s in Hebrew only).
It seems rather ironic that Haaretz, which is supposed to be the voice of the liberal left intelligentsia, would refuse to recognize a union. But on closer inspection it makes perfect sense: the Marker, with its news about the prospering Israeli high-tech start ups, real estate market and VC funds, is now Haaretz’s main money maker (the newspaper was published at a loss for years). Not for nothing does the staff at the Marker have flash new computers while the staff on the news desk are lucky to snag one that has a mouse - let alone internet access. When I was a proofreader on the news desk we used to fight for a turn at the terminal with internet access, in a losing battle to do a thorough fact-check before deadline.
Shira has a report about the 100,000 Israelis who gathered in Rabin Square on Saturday night to demonstrate for the teachers, who have been on strike for 40 days. Check out her post for a summary of their demands and some excellent photos of the demo.
One of the teachers’ union’s slogans is, “cheap education is costing us a fortune.” So I’ll close this haphazard post (I was sure I had a theme when I started writing it, but it seems to have gotten lost and I don’t have time to look for it) with the not-very-original observation that a well-educated citizenry is more likely to find a job that gets them off public assistance and pays enough to cover the cost of bread. And ice cream, too. Discuss, if you wish.
I’ll leave you with one final thought: if there is a shortage of Crembos this winter, I might be inclined to go to the barricades.
Ynet video report on the making and consumption of the Crembo here.
29 responses so far ↓
Sharvul // November 19, 2007 at 11:57 am
Thanks for the link to the crembo movie on YNET. I learnt two interesting facts:
1. I am in the minority (10%). I am stunned that the vast majority would END with the biscuit. It can’t be. I’m guessing a lot of people simply throw the biscuit away.
2. I had no idea crembos had to be wrapped by hand, although it makes sense when you think about it, given their fragility. 30 per minute… impressive.
Great post by the way.
lisagoldman // November 19, 2007 at 12:15 pm
I simply cannot relate to the concept of eating the biscuit first. Surely the point is to end the Crembo experience with a huge, satisfying bite that combines the chocolate, the cream, AND the biscuit!
More importantly, when are you coming to Tel Aviv so we can have a coffee and talk about what mavericks we are?
Liza // November 19, 2007 at 12:47 pm
I’ve seen those sugar packets as well, when out one evening with a trio of Norwegians several months ago. They were, of course, suitably impressed… One of the founders of Karkur, you say? How interesting!
I hate crembo. Do you still love me? Do you respect me just a little bit less?
lisagoldman // November 19, 2007 at 1:01 pm
I still love you and respect you, despite your barbaric indifference to Crembos. And we will always have smoked salmon sandwiches at Noach.
amir // November 19, 2007 at 1:45 pm
Go live in North Korea, comrade!
lisagoldman // November 19, 2007 at 1:48 pm
I can’t. There are no Crembos or yuppie bread in North Korea.
Fay // November 19, 2007 at 2:39 pm
Aww Lisa, you’re just making me too, too homesick. Prince Albert Square and now Crembos! I didn’t even like Crembos when I lived there. But I’d kill for one now especially after watching that clip.
lisagoldman // November 19, 2007 at 2:49 pm
Aww, Fay. I was just thinking of sending you a dozen, but they’d probably melt during the journey across the equator.
gemma20 // November 19, 2007 at 8:29 pm
I live in Germany where these are still (to some extent) refered to as ‘Negerküsse’. Most now re-label it as ‘Chocoküsse’, but for the ‘average Jo’ it is still Negerküsse. Extremely racist.
I wonder why I associate Crembos with Sambos?
Shira79 // November 19, 2007 at 9:23 pm
Hey Lisa, thanks for linking to me in you article. Im so glad I discovered your blog. Ive added it to my “Noteworthy BLogs” list.. Consider me a regular!
Curt // November 19, 2007 at 10:48 pm
“unfair tip distribution”? I think the founders of the state are probably wiping a tear of pride out of their eye right now. Perhaps with a “Crembo” (*ech*)
Now if you’ll excuse me, I have a _civilized treat_ to attend to: an individually-wrapped convenience story “sweaty lemon bread.”
tamar // November 20, 2007 at 12:59 am
The worst news you report underscores what we have known in person and by reading between the lines of nonsense that passes for news: (1) increased grinding poverty w neither priority nor strategic plans (governments, agencies) to address root causes (already too-well known and documented) (2) utter shambles of the “education” enterprise. Lisa, you are wise; please advise.
Oh, and I most prefer lechem erez workers bread (lechem poalim). I’ll share a loaf; better, buy you one … when a tenant materializes so that I can make good on my offer!
کمانگیر » آرشیو » عکس روز: ما مردمان آرمان دار // November 20, 2007 at 1:16 am
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Sam // November 20, 2007 at 3:20 am
Excellent post, Lisa. I see you’ve discovered what I already figured out. Every time I try to talk to people about trade unionism, all they want to do is comment on the fluff
Nizo // November 20, 2007 at 5:36 am
Great bitter-sweet post ya Lisa.
I think Hannah Szenes should also get a sugar packet, but who asked me
Global Voices Online » Israel: Zionist Sugar // November 20, 2007 at 5:51 am
[...] Goldman from Israel discovers a wide range of writers, scientists, philanthropists and political activists, who helped build [...]
lisagoldman // November 20, 2007 at 8:15 am
Gemma - Crembos were once called by the N-word in Israel, too. And when I saw the film West Beirut, there’s a scene where kids eat the local equivalent of a Crembo, which they also called a N-head. Just so you won’t feel alone….
Shira - You are most welcome, and thanks for the reciprocal link.
Curt - “sweaty lemon bread”?! Is that one of those American junk food staples that has a shelf life of 10 years?
Tamara - I am looking forward to breaking expensive bread with you.
Sam - I know what you mean. Recently, someone told me that the Haaretz workers should just find another job if they were so unhappy with their working conditions. Hmph.
Nizo - I knew you would get it. You always do.
Global Voices بالعربية » الأرشيف » إسرائيل: سكر صهيوني // November 20, 2007 at 11:08 am
[...] ليزا غولدمان من إسرائيل, تكتشف العديد من الكتاب, المحسنين والناشطين السياسيين الذين [...]
lisoosh // November 20, 2007 at 8:01 pm
Smoked salmon sandwiches, Crembo and yuppie bread, oh my!!
Curt // November 20, 2007 at 9:34 pm
Yep. And the best ones are available at the Arab-run market on San Pablo Avenue and Bancroft in Berkeley. But they’re made by Laotian immigrants on Moon Base Alpha.
Samer // November 20, 2007 at 11:03 pm
So Crembo, that’s what they’re called. As you mentioned, in Lebanon we grew up calling them a very offensive racial name, but in recent years they changed their name to “Tarboush” (the Arabic word for Fez); my childhood is laced with Crembo dreams, hehehe — I noticed we soon grow out of them somehow though, at least in Beirut.
…And yes, milk prices are rising and will continue to rise, something to do with cows in New Zealand, and don’t ask how I know this
Leo // November 21, 2007 at 1:29 am
This Sugar is awesome. When I was in Israel the last time I got Begin who was missing in my collection. I called it Zionist Sugar as well.
Katherine // November 21, 2007 at 4:24 pm
I must confess to also being completely indifferent to Crembos - I’d be surprised if I’ve eaten one whole one in my nearly 3 years here. This is because the equivalent in South Africa - called a sweetie pie if I recall right- is just sooo much better. Yum! you taste one of those and you will leave those nasty artificial cremboes alone for ever.
Yeah we had hard sour balls when I was a kid which were called ni**er balls - what can I say us South Africans are slowly catching onto political correctness.
good post - your list of issues is a long and sad one.
Andrew // November 22, 2007 at 12:49 am
How can we get those sugar packets, in English, in the US???
Re the Crembos, in the US we have Malomars. Everyone knows you peel off the chocolate and eat it, then dissect the marshmallow from the wafer, which you eat last. If you are in a hurry, you just pop the whole thing in your mouth.
Aviv // November 23, 2007 at 7:49 pm
This is by no means a haphazard post. Every now and then we need to take a step back and think - WWHD? What would Herzl do?
Herzl started a pluralistic movement, with room for everyone as long as they thought Jews deserved some sort of self-government, eventually in Palestine. How, where and when it would be established, and what kind of self-government it would be like, was, and is, up for discussion. Back then, the issue was whether Uganda was on the table for an interim Jewish state; Today, among other issues, social justice. Who gets computer science classes in high school and who gets 40-student classrooms with no air conditioning? Who gets crembo and who gets subsidized bread?
Zionism had room for capitalist hardliners like Jabotinsky, who had goons who would crash workers’ riots and demonstrations. (Old Ze’ev would have been an avid TheMarker reader). And it had room for soup kitchen builders like Szold.
Americans refer to the constitution and the Founding Fathers when they discuss what the United States is all about. They eat turkey to commemorate what they value and are grateful for. I guess we’re left with crembo, subsidized bread and the founders of Zionism etched on sugar packets.
Jameel @ The Muqata // November 26, 2007 at 3:57 pm
Lisa -
You totally stole that posting from me! Well…almost. I took the exact same packs of sugar to blog about a few weeks ago, but never got around to blogging it.
Kudos
Mama Katz // February 23, 2008 at 3:45 am
Eliyahu David Badash is an ancestor of mine. I would LOVE a sugar packet with his picture and biography.
Larry Badash // March 2, 2008 at 8:58 pm
As my sister indicated - Mama Katz - we are ancestors of Eliyahu David Badash. I am interested in knowing the sugar company phone number so I can contact them. I am trying to track down a sugar packet and also where his photograph and bio came from. Any assistance would be most wonderful.
Adolfo Lopo // October 31, 2008 at 12:52 pm
… but I´m just a sugar packets collector.
Is there any possibilility to get that serie or any others from Israel? I’ve got none of that/your country, in my collection.
I hope you can help me.
Is there any other collector?
Best regards
Adolfo
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