Friday, October 18, 2013

Mirror mirror on the billboard, for whom to cast my Tuesday vote?

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Libby and I walked home from  pre-school and found nice  things along the way.
Like this clever  campaign that has hung mirrors on billboards that are advertising candidates for this Tuesday's local elections.

The paper above the mirror says "Kehila zeh be'etsem ATA!!!"  which means  "Actually, community is YOU!!!

I should explain that Meitar (aka Metar) is a yeshuv kehilati.
The term means "community settlement"  but it can also be translated as an  "incorporated community."
Meitar has grown to almost 8,000 since it was begun in 1984.

Wikipedia makes this good point: 

Residents of community settlements are typically very involved in their community. They know their neighbors well, they volunteer for various committees which run the town and its facilities, and they often meet together for various events and celebrations. A genuine feeling of community is often felt in these settlements, which is why that word was chosen to describe this form of settlement. The strong sense of community is of course made possible by the small size of the towns, and also by favoring applicants who seek strong community ties over applicants who seek to live within their own four walls without ever seeing a neighbor.

A Government ministry publication explains like this:
Yishuvim kehilatim (plural) range in size from 10 to 20 residents to hundreds of families.  Many reach populations of up to 1000 families.  Yet, on a yishuv kehilati, a rural atmosphere is preserved.
Residents maintain a network that provides educational and cultural services but do not have any economic ties to each other. 
On a yishuv kehilati, each family builds or purchases a home.  On some, each family makes its own arrangements for buildings, while on others construction is centrally organized. . . .
Many of these communities have an acceptance committee that handles membership applications.
UPDATE: Meanwhile I learned that Kehila, as well as meaning community, is also the name of the party of the incumbent Head of the Local Council (like a mayor).
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(Linking to Weekend Reflections.)
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20 comments:

  1. P.S. Having said that, I should make it clear that I am one of the few renters in Meitar. My 2.5 rooms are on the ground floor of a house owner's 3-level "villa."

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  2. However, it's an interesting self-portrait, and Libby is so cute and lovely!

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  3. lovely reflection of you and your loved one! The concept of planned communities has intrigued me.
    BTW what exactly is a half-room?

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  4. Lovely double self-portrait. I am sure a relatively young community is much better place to live than an aging city...

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  5. Thanks, Malyss. Libby really is a sweetie.

    Nonnie, in my case, the half-room is the "protected room," aka the bomb shelter. I can't fill it full of stuff. It has to remain almost empty. The 4+ members of the owner's family will be running down here in case of missile attacks and there has to be space for all of us to sit inside the small room.

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  6. Very clever campaign indeed. And the self portrait makes it even more clever.

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  7. I hate political campaigns, I'm really fed up with lies, but I have to recognize this mirror idea is very clever!

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  8. Very informative and fascinating post ~ and of course, love your reflection shot ~ most creative ~ carol xx

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  9. I can sense the feeling of community.


    Shalom

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  10. so cute and lovely "candidat" great art of reflection

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  11. Fine self portrait, and with Libby there how could you miss? She is darling, a real treasure.

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  12. I'd say, "VOTE for YOU!" After the shutdown over here, they're all being thrown out of office come Nov.

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  13. That's a very clever campaign.

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  14. What a lovely selfportrait... The child is so cute too !

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  15. You both look very comfortable there. Shabbat Shalom

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  16. My oh my Libby has gotten so big. I remember when she was born. Bet you are having such a great time, granny!

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  17. My grandparents alway took me to vote with them, long before I was old enough to vote myself. They wanted their grandchildren to be very comfortable with the entire process.

    Libby will not forget your part in her early years :)

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  18. The two of you in a mirror, so lovely you are:-)

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  19. Hey, I know these two in the mirror :)

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  20. Beautiful reflections photo!
    Greetings, RW & SK

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