Aloha Bread Lovers – This Sunday we will be calling upon our Uncle Yosef to make an appearance. Uncle Yosef (named after Yael’s own uncle Yosef) is a flat bread that we fill with 3 kinds of cheese and a bit of spinach. When you order it we crack an egg on it and bake the whole thing and then serve it with a splash of olive oil, some chopped scallions and a small chopped salad. It’s good. As for our Uke Jammers to provide some music – honestly, as of this writing we have no idea….but we are hopeful.
Please note that Motek will be closed from October 19th – 30th, re-opening on October 31st. There is an upcoming election in Israel that is just too important so we are joining a group of about 30,000 of our fellow citizens who have organized to fly and vote as there is no such thing as absentee ballots in Israel. Democracy is not something to be taken lightly or trifled with and with so much at stake, it is more important than ever to participate. In discussing AI and democracy the historian and author Yuval Noah Hararri has said that democracy is essentially about people exchanging views, sharing ideas, disagreeing, agreeing but interacting. In the age of AI he claims that this type of interaction has been taken over by AI agents who use algorithms to feed us the most polarizing viewpoints that essentially eliminate the types of discussions between people that are core to a healthy and vibrant exchange which is key to any democracy. As some of you may have noticed, while we typically don’t let politics get in the way of a good pastry, I am always happy to engage in an exchange of views. Last week I had a very healthy and thought-provoking exchange with a customer who passionately defended her viewpoint. A few days later she apologized for the forcefulness of how she spoke. I could not understand why she was apologizing so I explained to her the concept of a “parliament” in Israel.
Every Friday (the start of the weekend in Israel) Israelis go to their “parliaments” which is essentially meeting with the same group of friends at a café in order to discuss and argue about politics. There is a joke that says if you have two Jews, you get three opinions so you can imagine what goes on at a parliament. I have a friend who belongs to 3 parliaments – he meets one group for coffee at 7:30 then moves on to a different group at a different cafe at 9:00 and finishes with a third group at 11:00. In most parliament’s you sit at the same table and in the same seat each week. My friend told me that in his morning parliament someone has to die in order for a seat to open for someone new.
There is no apology necessary for sharing a view, forcefully and passionately. That is the essence of democracy. I think that I understand where the apology came from in the context of Yuval Hararri’s piece – the algorithm-driven public square has become so polarized to the point that it can make you a bit gun shy for fear of becoming one of those contributing to the polarization. No need to apologize – better to have a vibrant exchange along with a nice cardamom knot or apple danish and a cup of coffee.
Mahalo,
David and Yael
P.S. – A Joke: Warning – Click on this link at your own peril: https://www.oldjewstellingjokes.com/2019/01/07/marvin-rachelefsky-golf-outing-499-04
