Chapter 108, (Rated R) Really? More Girls?

     “Hey, Tibi, I need you at the pool.” It was the manager of the hotel where I worked last summer. He called right on time; the company was on a summer break. Being a lifeguard in Israel pays pretty well, so that was an offer I couldn’t refuse. The crew in the hotel was changed and I didn’t see any of my old friends or the not so friendly people. I would come in the morning open the pool and close before evening. This didn’t stop me from walking down to the beach after work.

 

    “Hey! You’re Tibi? I heard a female voice calling me. I turned and saw three girls sitting on the soft sand still dressed in t-shirts and long pants. One of them was wearing a skirt. They were orthodox girls or at least modern orthodox.

 “That is how they call me” I said with a smile. One of the girls with big blue eyes waved at me. 

 “I am Einat” she said, we heard you were looking for dancers for your new dance company.”

 “That’s correct, are you interested?”

 “Yes I am.”

 “We are having auditions tomorrow. But are you really interested?” I asked knowing she might have a problem being orthodox.

 “Yes, but I wanted to ask you if it is OK that I can’t dance on Shabbat?”

 “It is OK because most of the shows will be during the week except for a few Shabbats or holidays.”

 “Come sit with us,” she offered pointing where she wanted me to sit, right in front of her.

 “We are trying to put together a dance for the upcoming holiday, Shavu’ot. I guess you will not be casted for that but if you want to learn the dances come to the audition tomorrow.”

    The young dance company I was working with had a different leader before me. he wasn’t trained as a dancer and the dancers were messy, even their “principal dancer” looked like a limping camel. I had to do something. I needed some new blood, new technic and new choreography. When I agreed to take the company under my wings, I had to make sure the community center director will be off my case for at least six months. There were not going to be any performances until I know they are ready.

 

    I put an ad in the paper and at the local high schools for new dancers with some ballet or modern experience. Unfortunately, I had to let some of the original members go. Well, it wasn’t my plan. I started every rehearsal with almost an hour of warm up and “technic” which was a combination of ballet and modern center work. Some of the “veteran” dancers literally refused to participate.

 “What is this?” one of the boys yelled, “this is mush, we are not ballerinas!”

 “We want to dance!” yelled another one. Most of the resistance I received was from the boys. 

 “You can dance at the dance parties and clubs if you want, here you will work on the way dancers work or leave.” I said quietly and looked how some of the boys left the room. The rest of the group was more open to the new rules, they slowly got used to my “crazy” technic and in short time realized the benefits. Until now they danced some simple choreography, yet they could never keep it together. I had a lot of work to do. 

 

    Besides Einat, we had a few other new dancers. Shoshi, a dirty blond with a contagious smile, was my favorite. She picked up the steps right away, like she anticipated my moves and looked great on stage, as if she was born for it. Naturally, I put her in front so everyone could follow. That cause a little rivalry amongst the rest of the girls (see I am saying girls and not boys? The boys didn’t care they followed whoever was in the front.) Michal a very dark Yemenite girl was also a very good dancer and I put her next to Shoshi. Then came Levana and Yael all good dancers. Slowly but surely, they all learned the combinations I put together, admittedly some were borrowed from other choreographers who also borrowed it from other choreographers.

 

     We needed costumes to worry about. Budget was low, I had to make them. I went shopping in Jaffa for the material I wanted. It just happened that Michal’s mother was a seamstress and together with me we managed to put together one set of costumes. I also found out that Michal’s mother was Sa’adya’s daughter. Her sister was the pretty flight attendant I had a crush on when I was five. We spent many hours talking about the old neighborhood and the rest of her family. 

 

    Measurements I had to take of all the dancers. I brought the measuring tape to one of the rehearsals and Michal took notes. I got all except for Shoshi. I gave her a call she promised to take care of it. And surely, she did, she showed up the next evening at the Tibi Tea. She took me by the hand and walked me to my small room behind the closet.

 “How about them measurements?” she said with a smile and before I could say anything she pulled my pants down. “You know,” she continued, “I can also play the flute …” What was I to do?

 

    “Hope you liked it!” she smiled. “Now let’s finish with the measuring. I have to get back home before my boyfriend is probably looking for me.”

 “What the hell is going on with you girls?” I was thinking, “am I the forbidden fruit?” Almost all the girls who jumped in my bed lately were taken. And they all let me know only after the fact.

 

Well, next was Michal’s turn, she walked home with me after a rehearsal. We stopped at her house to pick up the new costumes and bring them to my house. As soon as we got there, I dropped the pile in my bedroom, and she decided to try the costume in front of me. Michal had a famous soccer player for a boyfriend. “Now, why would she do that here?” 

 

    “I broke up with the boyfriend,” she announced. “Two weeks ago, I didn’t tell anyone yet. She pulled me to my large bed and undressed me. we snuggled a little. She had smooth and soft skin, it felt nice passing my hand all over her back as she moaned softly. And then she got up. 

 “I changed my mind; I don’t want to do it.” She said suddenly, “I am not comfortable”.

 “No problems,” I said and gave her a kiss on her forehead. We dressed up and I walked her back home. I made sure she got in before turning back.

 

    “Tibi?” A voice behind me made me turn and caught me by surprise.

 “A… Aviva? Right?

 “You remember.” Her big black eyes were looking through me. she looked beautiful. Lightly curly long hair and a body to be proud of. 

 “Yes, one of the three Avivas I met in one day. How are you?”

 “I am fine, thanks, just finished my military service.”

 “You stopped writing; did I offend you in anyway?”

 “Well, you got involved with green eyed Aviva. The third Aviva told me all about it. I didn’t want to interfere.”

 “You wouldn’t, I always keep contact with all my friends.”

 “How about I make it up to you?” She grabbed my hand and pulled me toward the tea house.

 

   The next day at the rehearsal I announced to the dancers that we were admitted to the upcoming festival of folk dance at the kibbutz Tzemah on the Kineret. Every year on Shavu’ot kibbutz Tzemah hosted a Folk-Dance Festival for two days. The best dance companies would come from all over the country. I had the pleasure to perform there twice already in years before, I even got to meet there my longtime lost friend Rachel from Afula. This year I was surprised to find out that we were accepted to perform there this year. My company was new, it had no history. It looked like our community center director has been pulling some strings.

 

    “Starting tomorrow,” I announced, “I will be on the beach at 6:00AM for the next three weeks. I will be giving a warm-up class and a rehearsal of the dance we will perform in Tzemah. 

 “Why on the beach?” Asked one of the dancers.

 “Why so early?” asked another one.

 “First,” I answered, “We don’t have space to practice in; our center is available only once a week for us. Second, I can’t manage according to everyone’s schedule. I know all of you are not at work or school early in the morning.”

 “Good, I am coming even if I can’t perform with you on Shavu’ot.” said Einat.

 “Me too,” said Michal. And so on – almost everyone agreed to come. 

 

    “Roul!” I called my dog, “Hop in!” He jumped happily onto the side car and we rode to the beach where I saw everyone getting there one after the other. A big green dodge arrived just behind me and parked next to me. The door opened and out came Einat.

 “Nice Car!” I said.

 “Nice Motorcycles! You must give me a ride one day.”

 “Sure! Didn’t know you had a car; I didn’t know you drove. “

 “My father’s car, it is too early for him, so I borrowed it for the morning.”

 

    We walked to the beach a little away from the few old people who were there. We practiced some warmups and went directly to the dance. But without the accompaniment of the musicians. An hour later the small crowd of old people was facing us and gave us a standing ovation.

 “Hey, Tibi,” Einat said after I dismissed everyone and asked them to be back in the next morning. Roue was waiting in the side car already. “How about living that dog home tomorrow and come pick me up?”

 

    Einat lived in one of the richest areas in Netanya, a long street connecting Netanya to Avihayil. A row of private houses, each prettier than the other. Her house was one of them. I knocked on the large door and waited. A moment later the door opened and in front of me stood a man I did not see for a long time. He was of course older, just as handsome, his mustache was showing some grey, but there was no way I would forget him. He had only one arm. He smiled as he opened the door.

 “Yes? So early in the morning?”

 “I am her to…” I started to say

 “That’s OK Dad, it’s for me. I will not need your car today.” Einat was calling from inside the house, “I will be right there.”

 “Ah, you are the man who’s on my daughter’s mind lately. As you heard, she will be right out.” Obviously, he didn’t recognize me; the kid who testified in his company’s tractor accident so many years ago.

 

   “I know your dad,” I told Einat as she jumped onto the sidecar. “I met him long ago when I was Seven years old.”

 “Interesting,” she said, “I like your monocycle! This is fun!”

We drove to the beach and again had a nice rehearsal. At the end I went for a short swim while Einat waited on the beach.

 

    “How orthodox are you?” I asked, “I mean how observant are you?”

 “Well,” she thought for a moment, “I know for sure my dad will not let me get involved with a secular boy, for sure not be happy if I married one.”

 “I see,” I said, and kick started the motorcycle.”

 “The funny part,” she continued, getting on to the sidecar. “My Mom isn’t orthodox, but she will support him.”

I dropped her home and promised to continue this discussion some other time.

 

    I stopped at the market to grab something to eat before heading to the swimming pool. Right in front of me was a familiar short woman with slightly brown hair. She looked right at me and smiled.

 “Good morning Tibi!” I remembered her in an instant. “It’s been a long time since Yamit.”

 “Yes, what have you been doing with yourself Becca?”

 “Oh, this and that, still looking for a job and going to the university.”

 “Hey, I am on my way to work, can we meet later today?” I gave her the tea house address and continued to the pool.

 

    It was a normal day in the pool, not too many swimmers. I closed early and was looking forward for that evening meeting with my old friend Becca. After the first dinner at the Pilots’ Grill, we ended up seeing each other, no strings attached, mostly fun time. It turned out Becca wasn’t that shy, innocent girl I thought she was while we were in the military.

 “I have to go away for two days,” I said to Becca as we were getting dressed. “I even made sure the swimming pool is closed for the holiday, I have the first performance of my dance company in Tzemach Shavu’ot’s Festival.”

 “Good luck with it!” 

 “Thanks, see you when I get back?”

 “Yup.”

 

    As in all the other festivals before, the place was packed with dancers. Our bus dropped us as the party was going. We had to fine a place to camp and drop our gear. I took us to a spot on the grass next to the shore of the Kineret. I remember loving that spot when I swam to there from the other side of the lake just a few years ago. We dropped our stuff and ran to the dance area and joined everyone. I saw friends from around the country that I haven’t seen for a long time, and we danced almost all night.

 

    The party was interrupted for a short time with some announcements and an attempt of some politician to make it a political event with his speech that everyone booed until he left shamefully. There is no politics when it comes to dance, no matter your political views, race, religion or sexual preference. It was almost morning when I wrapped myself in the sleeping bag. Everyone else in my company was sleeping already. We got up late and did some warmup exercises before going back to the stage area. We grabbed some food at the concessions stands and found a place to sit before the show started.

 

    One after one, companies got up and performed their dance. I could see many similarities between their dances and others, even with ours. After all this was “folk-Dance” a combination of familiar dance steps.

 

    We were all excited to step up to the stage I was conducting the little band we had, an accordionist, a flutist, and a darbuka player. We gave a nice performance, not like the semiprofessional companies who were a lot better, but we did a good job. I was proud of them. The whole drive back home was noisy from the excitement of my new dancers. They were so happy to be a part of this prestigious event. 

    The phone didn’t stop ringing, I finally to let go of Becca for a few moments to pick up the phone.

 “Turn on the TV, turn on the TV the voice on the other side was yelling.”

 “What’s wrong Michal?’ I asked and turned the small TV behind the counter. “Look, look, we are on TV.” And sure enough, there was an article about the Tzemah festival, and here we were. They showed two dance companies and discussed the fact that the costumes didn’t exactly match the name of the dance. But really who cared, the new young company was shown on national TV for the whole country to see on their debut performance. I got back to Becca but again the phone rang, and again with all the company members calling to thank me or share with me their feeling. By the time the phone stopped ringing Becca was sleeping and I was totally exhausted to even try to wake her up for some fun. 

 

   Fame doesn’t come without a price; besides the fact that we were one of the only two companies, (The other company I learned later, belonged to the camera operator’s wife.) shown on national TV, some animosity has started to form between my dancers. Some were not happy that they were not picked to be on stage. (They weren’t ready) and Michal for example, decided to spread a rumor that the reason she wasn’t the front center was because she refused to sleep with me. I decided not to react to that and pretended I never heard it.

 

    Something good did come out of that though. The next day at the swimming pool my old friend Rabbi Eliezer Spar showed up with his son for more swimming lessons.

 “He is a lot better,” the Rabbi said, “but he needs some training now.” Personally, I think he was just looking for an excuse to leave him unsupervised in the pool while he could go run his errands.

 “Hey,” he continued, “did you see the article about the folk dancing last night?” he asked, “That was a nice Festival.”

 “Sure, that was my dance company you saw.” I said so proudly.

 “I’d like to come see you work with them.”

 “I have a rehearsal Thursday evening at the community center.”

 “I’ll be there, but I could use your help if you have some time.”

 “What is it?”

 “I hate it, even in the USA, I need to take my car for reregistration at the DMV.”

 “I will go with you as long as we go early in the morning, I need to open the pool by ten.”

 “That’s great, thanks, I’ll pick you up at 7:30 tomorrow morning?”

 “Great, see you then.”

 

    The line at the DMV was long as usual. We were standing there for about ten minutes when a woman walked out of the counter and approached us.

 “I know you,” she said “you are the dancer, I saw you perform so many times. Please come forward to the next counter.” Rabbi Eliezer looked at me oddly, but he followed us. Within ten minutes we finished the registration and drove back. He dropped me at the pool and went to pick up his son. That evening after I closed the pool Rabbi Eliezer met me at the community center. He sat at the back row of the auditorium until we finished our rehearsal.

 “I want you to pack your stuff and I want you in New York in two weeks.” He said when I approached him on the way out. “I need you to be the youth director for our synagogue.”

 

    It took him about three weeks to get all the papers and permissions including my special visa to work in the USA. I had to get some letters from Inbal Dance Theatre and the Hotel I work at. Now came the task of saying goodbye to all my friends. Or should I say girl friends? In fact, it was all of them who supported me except for maybe Michal. The male friends didn’t care much either way. Well, Tzvika was, just like Michal, spreading rumors. I didn’t care much about the rumors Michal spread but Tzvika disappointed me. After all the friendship we developed, the fact that I helped him go on our trip to Europe didn’t change a thing. He spread around that Tibi is delusional and is dreaming of going to the USA. “To Mc Donald’s he is going,” he kept telling everyone. 

 

    There were a few things I had to take care of. I rode my Motorcycle to Avihayil and stopped at Arlene’s house. She opened the door holding her new baby.

 “Tibi!”

 “Hi Arlene, I have a proposal for you, well, something that could help me too.”

She looked at me, saying nothing.

 “I want you to take over my dance company. You have the credentials, more than a lot of the choreographers and dance leaders in this country.”

 “Why? What about you?”

 “You studied dance in the USA, you have the folk-dance teaching certificate you are a good teacher, and I am leaving for the USA.”

 “USA? That’s news for me, how come?”

 “It all came too fast, I was invited to be a youth director in a congregation on Long Island, I am leaving next week.”

 “I’ll do it.”

 “Great! Come tomorrow to the community center. I will break the news to the kids.

 

    Sarah Yohai was both surprised and happy for me. It happened she knew Rabbi Eliezer from some of her philanthropies she was involved with. She was thankful for the new jobs I helped her start and wished me good luck and a safe return.

 

    I still don’t know how I managed it but the last day I got to say goodbye to everyone, one at a time Shoshi was the first to come over and took her pants off.

 “Sorry dear,” I said, “I can’t do it now, how about next year when I get back if you really love me, we could try?”

 “Only a year?” She asked, “are you sure you’ll be back in a year?”

 “I have too, I have only one year visa.”

 “We’ll see…”

Aviva didn’t show up, I don’t think she even knew I was invited to go to the USA, she didn’t come after that time she was here. Maybe I wasn’t good enough for her. Hanita stopped bye and promised to contact me when she gets to the USA that same year. The pretty big girl came bye and gave me a rose.

 “I will miss my boy toy!” She said sadly.

Einat promised to keep in touch and gave me a little clay puppy and wished me good luck.

 “I really wish we could have made something about our relationship without offending my father,” she said.

That little clay puppy is still on my bookshelf reminding me of the good friend I had, so many years ago.

I called Hadar to say goodbye, and of course, I had to say goodbye to Mom and Dad and promised to keep in touch and not disappoint them.

I spent the last night with Becca. And she, too, gave me a little gift, a small silver figurine of a hawk and kissed me goodbye when I finally took the bus to the airport.

 

September 11, 1981 at 8:00AM I landed in NYC to start a new chapter in my life.

 

 

***

 

 

Cauliflower Techina Salad

 

  For someone who grew up not liking cauliflower I found out that I like this tasty salad. It is simple and easy to make. It holds well in the refrigerator for a few days.

 

Ingredients:

1 Cauliflower

½ Cup Raw Techina

1 Onion 

3 Crushed Garlic Cloves 

¼ Cup Lemon

½ tsp Salt

1 tsp Crushed Fresh Ginger 

3 TBSP Olive Oil

 

Preparation:

  Chop and sauté the onion until golden brown add garlic and ginger until all caramelized. 

Cut up the cauliflower, put in a baking sheet, sprinkle olive oil and salt and bake on 350 for 45 minute or until soft with a little golden color.

Mix all ingredients and chill.

 

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