Israeli Boys

I have a weakness for Israeli boys - I suppose most Diaspora girls go through that phase during their lives. Nothing new.

We meet an attractive and fearless boy that has survived a certain hell on earth, and the local pussies fade in comparison. Israel is a kind of hell - it sucks you in, the madness and urgency that boils in that country seeps through every aspect of its culture. I love it. The music, the pursuit of a good time, the community that travelling bands of Israelis form overseas. You can't see it happening with Jewish Australians, somehow. Yes, we're from the same town, perhaps even the same suburb - but that doesn't equate to any closeness or shared understanding. Often it only aggrevates. Perhaps our community is just too small, too insulated, too self-conscious.

Maybe that's why I love Israeli men. They command attention, not respect; they require moderation, not nurturing; they're not the mummies' boys that we seem to find in Melbourne. They grow their hair long, they are loud, they are up for a laugh and a party any time. They fuck - not 'make love'.

And that's what I need right now. As my good friend D____ said, "RJ, you're just living on the wrong continent." D____ is a Russian Israeli who's been living here since being discharged from the army at the end of last year - a blue-eyed blondini who is fervent follower of hiphop and all things black. A little how I used to be when I lived in America.

D___ couldn't understand how I've been single for five months - "You wouldn't go for more than two weeks in Israel," he told me. Which is quite true when considering the number of relationships I had when travelling last year. I suppose I appeal to the Israeli man because
a) I understand and speak Hebrew - not as fluent as I used to, but the awkwardness associated with foreign communication is somewhat distilled.
b) I'm different to Israeli girls in that I have an acute sense of social responsibility; I am softly spoken and come across as a 'nice' girl.
c)I also speak my opinion and try not to take shit - I am nobody's doormat.

Perhaps I'm just me.

Back to Israeli boys. Or men. These are guys who have fought in one of the most dangerous regions in the world, boys who have to grow up and be men much earlier than the common Australian. They are rugged, they are resourceful, they are invincible. They are arrogant. They can be insensitive pricks, self-centred users and suspicious characters.

They are a Diaspora Girl's wet dream - the complete opposite of the boys waiting for them at home.

But we do come from different homes - us Diaspora Girls and our Israeli Boys. We grew up in very different situations, families, expectations. Yes, we're both Jewish - but how far does that connection stretch? In some of my relationships, the sheer culture clash creates the wedge in the relationship; distance also plays a significant part. Are you Ashkenazi? Sephardi? How does that make us so different? We all know what Shabbat is. We know a little bit about the Tanach. We know where the Chabad centres in developing countries are to get a good free meal. Is that all?

Perhaps this is just a passing phase - and I, like so many other Diaspora Girls will slowly get over it. That is certainly possible. But since there are no prospects here in Australia, my mind wanders to the what ifs. Then again, I'm no fortune teller.

Meanwhile, I'll just enjoy the attraction.