More Fame and Glory, New Venue

2038-01-19T03:14:07Z

Self-published blogs not included, I've received a fair amount of attention from the media lately. The most recent bout* began with a pre-aliyah interview and color photograph in the Washington Jewish Week in July 2005. (The photograph was a picture of me performing wedding shtick that involved tap dancing while wearing a Broadway-style costume hat and my DC Taxation Without Representation t-shirt .) The aliyah-related publicity continued with a published letter to the editor and an interview with AngloFile, both of HaAretz newspaper, relating to my struggles of obtaining Israeli certification as a psychologist.

My next step in stardom: an interview with the Shiur Times. While not as classy or snobby as HaAretz, I got another color photograph. This photograph is a more classic one in which I simply smile at the camera. Behind me is the Mediterranean Sea, as viewed when one is at the beach in Tunis, Tunisia.

The magazine is issued monthly and about a year old. Their target audience is English speaking, religiously-identifying Israel dwellers. In preparation for the August issue that has an aliyah theme, in late June the editors were soliciting self-identifying "successful olim." I replied to the e-mail ad with a few lines about myself offering to be interviewed. Due to the timing, I could not even include that I won the Social Committee elections at my workplace without any effort (or interest). Wouldn't that be the all-time indication of a successful aliyah?

They contacted me a few days later asking to schedule an interview. The rest, as they say, is history. The link to my article is here: http://issuu.com/shiurtimes/docs/august2008/29?mode=embed&documentId =080804101842-dc7e0ee9d240

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Again, sorry for the hideous-looking hyperlink.

For my loyal blog readers, I don't know if anything in the article is new to you. It's only two paragraphs and I believe everything mentioned in there has been noted here, too.

As one loyal blog reader noted, the article paints things a bit rosier than the blog entries. While he is of course correct, I would like to clarify that the segment in question addresses the relevant, meaningful jobs I've held since arriving in Israel. This does not contradict the grief the Board of Psychologists or Overseas Degree Recognition Committee have wielded against me that gets so much air time in this blog. However, the hiring psychologists never cared that some power-hungry committee didn't recognize my psychology training and certifications. Similarly, the research firm that employs me full-time and the college where I hold an adjunct position never cared that the Degree Recognition Committe was doubting my PhD and putting me through the wringer. My degree was totally acceptable to them. While I still resent all of the pointless exercises inflicted upon me by the government agencies, they never created any true, practical, job-related repercussions for me.

*To be precise, my first moment of fame involved being quoted in The Washington Times in a presidential election article in 2000. I attended a speech Al Gore gave on the Maryland campus addressing his higher education initiative. Although, I think my fame really began when I was 4 and the lemonade stand I was running with my sister and neighbor [read: they were running] got a photograph in the local paper.

From Nation's Capital to Nation's Capital: The Azza Street Spy

More Fame and Glory, New Venue