I Voted in Municipal Elections

photo by one of the election staff

I went down to the polling station which is in the Ohel Shiloh Banim, local boys school very early to get "training," since I had volunteered to be an "observer." Well, there was no training, so I just voted early. And I highly doubt that I'll return to "observe." There will be enough "observers" without me, Gd willing.

Even though I have written/blogged quite a bit about my choices, I know from long experience that once people are in office, they tend to "surprise" us. Sometimes it's for good, but more frequently for bad.

Between Free Will, that major responsibility that Gd gifted us, and siyate d'Shmaya, when Gd overrules, it's not a good idea to think that we can predict much. The only thing we can really predict is that things won't go exactly as expected, and that officeholders rarely do what they promised when campaigning. 

When confronting choices, like I had in the "booth" behind the screen, sometimes we change our mind. You may have noticed that I only blogged about two of the choices we had to make, two of the issues. I wrote about head of the region, sort of the governor. And I wrote about the local council list. I wrote nothing about who should represent us in the regional "parliament." That's because I couldn't choose. One campaigned that he'd work as part of the coalition no matter who's in it, which turned me off. I'm too much an idealist. I like policies and plans. The other one just wrote all sorts of ordinary platitudes, to make everything "better." That didn't enthuse me at all. I had been thinking of an empty envelope, or two ripped half ballots. I even thought of playing a "switching game" with my eyes closed and the ballots upside down, so I wouldn't know for whom I voted. At the last second I made a choice, but since it wasn't with my full heart, I won't say who got my vote.

Gd willing, I put the best choice of ballot in each envelope.  

I consider it very important to vote, even in the case when you're not impressed by the candidates.

An important thing I want to show and tell you is that our voting station is handicapped accessible! Take a look at the picture below. Thank Gd the location is perfect. It's also near bus stops.

Gd willing, the results will be the best possible. That we will only discover in the months and years to come.

Handicapped Accessible From Two Sides

This is the main entrance, but for those who need a ramp, it only takes you to the "social" or "simcha" hall, a room added for various "events" like a kiddush or can be rented by members and neighbors for special occasions. 

This is the ramp to the synagogue itself.  A section at its entrance can be curtained off for an extra Ezrat Nashim, Women's Section, since the regular seating area for women is upstairs.

Handicapped Accessibility

Our neighborhood synagogue has expanded and been renovated.  One change is a new front door, and this one is set up for a wheelchair.  Actually, we have two wheelchair ramps.  There's one in the back to a "room" which is partially set up as a second Ezrat Nashim, Women's Section.  (In Orthodox Torah-based synagogues men and women sit separately.)  The main Ezrat Nashim is a gallery/balcony.  The stairs leading up to it are too difficult for many, young and old, with babies and physical handicaps/restrictions.

My son is opening a sports bar-grill in Jerusalem, and there, too, will be facilities for the handicapped.  Today, it's the norm.

For those wondering why the Israel Museum is undergoing very major renovations and the only indoor exhibits are in the Shrine of the Book complex, it's to straighten the floor, make it all one level, instead of that once trendy step up-step down from room to room.  In the 1960's when the museum was planned and constructed nobody thought of easy equal access.  The post-World War Two world was young and healthy.  The disabled were hidden and made to feel guilty for being different.

Actually, Israel was relatively good to the handicapped in some ways.  In the 1970's I went to a concert in Jerusalem with a friend who needed a wheelchair.  She had bought us two tickets and also told them that she'd need a place to sit in her wheelchair.  She was given a great spot for her wheelchair and a comfortable plastic chair was brought for me to sit next to her.  When she tried to give them the tickets, they told her that it was unnecessary, since a certain amount of space was allocated for the handicapped for free, as a service.  I don't know what the practice is today, but she was amazed.

When we made aliyah in 1970, there were few elevators in Israel.  Even large medical clinics required the ill and handicapped to walk up and down stairs.  I'm sure nothing is perfect today, but the situation has improved.