62 things to love about Israel

A friend of mine and fellow blogger, Benji Lovitt, of What War Zone, compiled a list of the 62 things he loves most about Israel, in honor of Israel’s 62nd, featured in the Jerusalem Post. It’s great; check it out! To give you a taste, here are his top ten:

1. I love attending a religious wedding for the laughs that come from hearing “The Final Countdown” played klezmer-style. I don’t know if the band Europe are dead yet but I suspect they’re digging their graves so they can someday roll in them.

2. I love how everyone who watched “Avatar” discovered that the Navi have a famous singer named Ninat. Who’s their favorite author, JB Yehoshua?

3. I love how the Jeopardy crew came here to research the country for their show. “What are freichot?”

4. I love how this country is a kibbutz galuyot which means that you can watch American football with Argentinians and have them say things like “I ken not watch theez game! Thees eeez alimut! (violence)”

5. I love the kumkum (electric hot water kettle). I’m not saying that I brought it into my bathroom to shave because the dood (solar water heater) wasn’t hot, butÂ… Ok, that’s exactly what I’m saying.

6. I love how the painter not only asked me for coffee before working on my apartment but how I immediately made it for him without any feelings of weirdness. In the US, I’d have him committed.

7. I love how the Nefesh B’Nefesh Hanukka video on Ben Yehudah Street got a million hits. Now if you’ll please excuse me, I have to go do a flash mob in Gaza. (The Black-Eyed Peas are huge in Khan Yunis.)

8. I love humous for approximately 47,000 different reasons. By the way, when Israeli kids try to pull a fast one on the substitute teacher, do they use the fake name “Hugh Muss”?

9. I love watching the robot beat the tar out of a suspicious object. That rules. Who needs cable?

10. I love that our 80-something-year-old president is hip enough to have his own YouTube channel. Come on, Shimmy, GET ON JDATE! “Likes: winning the Nobel Peace Prize and telling off the Turkish Prime Minister. Dislikes: disco and hula hoops.”