Here's a great analysis of Herzl graffiti. One of Herzl's most famous lines is "Im tirtzu, ein zo agada," or, if you will it [namely, the Jewish state], it's no dream. But this graffiti says "Lo rotzim, lo tzarich" - in other words, "We don't want it, leave us alone." The analysis focuses on the sense of disgust and hopelessness Israelis feel toward their government.
Another case in point: I was watching Super Nanny (Web site, in Hebrew) last night. The nanny visited a family on Kibbutz Hazorea, a formerly communal farm. The parents were having difficulty raising their four daughters. Essentially, the wife was lazy and the husband did everything, and together they were completely ineffective. The girls watched four hours of TV a day.
Well, you might think, that sounds like it could happen anywhere. But this is where you would be wrong. Keren (the mom) and Reshef (the dad) Bisker both grew up on the kibbutz back when it was still a socialist communal experiment. The two of them spent the majority of their childhood in the children's house, spending four hours a day with their parents and the rest of their time, including nights, in the care of communal caretakers with other kibbutz children. Now that their kibbutz has done away with the children's houses, Keren and Reshef don't have an idea of how to put their children to bed, wake them up in the morning or even prepare their meals. Super Nanny had to give them advice on getting the kids to set alarm clocks. She also had to train Reshef not to leave his work (in the cow dairy) in the morning to help Keren get the kids to school.
And the best part - at the end, the family had their neighbors over to see the new and improved Bisker family. My heart melted when one of the neighbors, Mike, told the family in American-accented Hebrew about how far they had come, and then they all sang along as Mike strummed classic rock on his guitar.
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