Myla Katzav

“Mind your own business” is not a very popular statement here in Israel. On the contrary, Israelis love to mind other people’s business.  In fact, they love doing it. 

I remember once accompanying my sister-in-law at the mall with her baby girl in a stroller.  She needed to try on a blouse and so she asked me to look after her baby.  As she entered the fitting room, her baby started to cry and I took her in my arms.  Immediately, two older women started to talk to me in Hebrew with their voices high.  Its good I didn’t understand them at that time because I just stared at them like “Duhhh?!?”.  My sister-in-law who heard everything told me afterwards that they were asking me why a mother should leave her baby crying like this.  For goodness sake! My sister-in-law spent only a few minutes in the fitting area! And babies are allowed to cry!

Another event I recall was when I was with my kids in the mall, and both of them were crying.  Of course, I couldn’t carry both of them, so I let Rachel hang on to my blouse while I tried to pacify Ben when all of a sudden; an old woman stared at me and commented that I shouldn’t let both babies cry.   This time I understood her and so I told her off.  I know I should respect her because she is much older but I was at the end of my patience for anyone at that time.  And I am not used to this kind of attention.

A friend of ours was biking around with his two sons who were not wearing helmet when, a passing car slowed down and the driver told him that he shouldn’t take them out like this.  I mean they were biking very slowly and far from the road!

It is welcoming when people do care when things go wrong not just in their inner surroundings but at the outside as well.  But it is beyond this when they forcefully push themselves into you specially when the act done is nothing close to being wrong.   I like that the Israelis are protective towards each other specially with babies and kids but too much of it is such a turn off. 

I also notice that they cannot accept a “no” or “yes” for an answer.  They have to know why.  And this is something that I cannot level with up to now. 

I love the statement "Mind your own business" and practice it to the fullest.  And I accept a "yes" or "no" reply gracefully just as much as I give either one with no intention to answer further with the "why's".  And does that bother me?  No!