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Emanuel (49), Etty (49), Elad (22), Ori (20), Evyatar (14), Einat (10), Avishai (7). Family Affair / The Samamas By Avner Avrahami, Reli Avrahami Tags: israel news, samama  Jerusalem W The cast: Emanuel (49), Etty (49), Elad (22), Ori (20), Evyatar (14), Einat (10), Avishai (7). W The home: Baka neighborhood, new project, gated, 70 families, tiled inner courtyard with lots of roses, surrounded by two-story stone houses. Theirs is the "upper cottage" (a multilevel home, in Israeli parlance). We enter a small foyer whose walls are covered with family photographs. This level also contains the master bedroom, which has a four-poster bed ("for greater privacy"), and two staircases, one ascending to the living room-kitchen, the other descending to the children's rooms. Advertisement W Ascending: Reddish stone steps lead to a tidy, well-lit space, which ends in a small balcony with herbs in flower boxes; small signs denote the name of each plant. The furniture-filled living room contains a leather sofa, small French armchairs with carved-wood frames, and an antique bureau from Paris which, Emanuel says, sets off the commemoration corner devoted to his parents. The coffee table is from the Talpiot industrial zone, as is the television console. We head toward the kitchen to see what's cooking. Preparations for Shabbat are well under way. This evening the family will partake of chicken soup with soup nuts "and/or croutons." We ask about the collection of cat figurines on the cabinets. "Everyone collects them for me," Etty says. Not all are on display. W Real cat: Bissli, a red feline, was adopted from the SPCA three years ago and joined the family dog, Bamba, who is also named for a popular Israeli snack food. W Bamba the dog: Mongrel, hyperactive, found by Elad six years ago in the building belonging to the religious Scouts troop, and has been part of the family ever since. Before descending to the children's rooms we go up a bit to the balcony, which offers a fine view of eucalyptus-lined Naftali Street. We descend. W The children's rooms: Three in number. When the older ones (Elad and Ori) are in the army, the younger ones sleep in all the rooms, and when the big ones come home for Shabbat, the younger ones share one room. W Real estate history: The house was bought from the first owners in 1993 for $305,000 with the aid of a 25-year mortgage. They estimate that it is now worth twice as much ("People toss around numbers like $600,000-$700,000"). Many of the homes in the neighborhood belong to American Jews who occupy them only during the Jewish holidays. W Livelihoods and occupations: Etty, a former nurse and social worker, is now Health Ministry ombudswoman for the National Health Insurance Law. Her office is in the adjacent Talpiot neighborhood and she works a five-day week ("from 8 A.M. until they throw me out of the office"). She deals with citizens' complaints against the Kupat Holim health maintenance organizations and likes her job very much, feeling that she is doing something meaningful. She uses a seven-seater Peugeot 307 to get to work, even though her office is a five-minute walk ("a slow one") from her home. She is also a member of the committee that decides what the national "health basket" will contain - "and there you can really wield influence." W News: For the next basket, to be authorized for 2009, the committee is considering the addition of Arbitox for intestinal cancer patients ("But no final prioritization has been determined yet"). W Emanuel: Lawyer specializing in torts and insurance, works a five-day week, appears in court two or three times a week, and sometimes has to bring work home. Leaves before 8, returns after 7, drives a 2004 Ssangyong Musso 4X4 ("because we go on a lot of outings"). Loves his job. It's a second career: He started law studies at the age of 40 after 20 years in insurance. W Elad: Paratroops officer, squad commander, home every two weeks (on average), frequent user of his mother's car, wants to study psychology - "a cause for worry to some extent" (Etty). "I worry more about the driving" (Emanuel). W Ori: Paratrooper in Elad's unit, will soon complete a training course, gets home at more or less the same frequency as his brother. "Being 'the brother of,'" he says, is not an advantage ("on the contrary"). Dreams of theater as a profession. W Evyatar: In ninth grade at the Hartman Institute (pluralistic-religious) in the German Colony, which he travels to by bicycle ("three and a half minutes"). Member of the Scouts movement, plays soccer and is a fan of Hapoel Katamon team in Jerusalem; his photograph appears on the season's subscription card ("All the subscribers were able to get into the picture"), dreams of playing for Liverpool. Emanuel: "The assumption that religious people are not Hapoel fans is mistaken." W Einat: In fifth grade at the Efrata School ("one meter away"), plays the flute, member of the Scouts, works regularly as a babysitter, until recently danced ("in Mehola and Studio 6"), dreams of becoming a veterinarian. W Avishai: In second grade in Keshet School (situated in the Katamonim neighborhood), a mixed secular-religious institution. Chose the intimate Keshet after experiencing a crowded class in Efrata ("We contemplated home schooling"). W Emanuel's bio: Born in Paris, 1959, youngest of three children and the only boy. His late father (from Livorno, Italy) was a physician (Sorbonne graduate), who found his heart's desire in Tunis ("Mom"). The family, which was moderate-religious, immigrated to Israel in 1969 and began to tilt politically rightward, Emanuel says ("except for me"). Until sixth grade he attended school in Paris, then Horev in Jerusalem and the Netiv Meir high-school yeshiva ("before all the scandals"). Even then, he says, he already began to realize the messianic tendencies around him. Emanuel: "One day in the middle of a lesson, a student who was one grade ahead of me pounded on the platform in the middle of the beit midrash [study hall] and said, 'Everyone downstairs, the bus to Sebastia [an early and controversial settlement] is waiting.' Everyone abandoned their books like a herd, and I felt that something was very wrong here." W Bio (cont.): Following his studies (including eight months in Kerem d'Yavneh Yeshiva), he entered the army, serving in the Paratroops, did an officers course and stayed in uniform for five years (he was discharged before the first Lebanon War). Subsequently, he was a battalion commander in the reserves. After his discharge, he worked in the Sneh and Manulife insurance companies, rose to district manager and then switched to law (at Ramat Gan College). W Etty's bio: Born in Jerusalem, 1959, in the Orthodox Sanhedria neighborhood, second of six siblings. Her parents, who were mitnagdim (a stream that opposes the Hasidic movement), were Holocaust survivors. She describes the family as moderate in its views ("There are islands like that"). She attended Bais Yaakov (a network of schools for religiously observant girls), switching in seventh grade to Horev in the city center. She was a member of the Ezra religious movement, participated in the Hebrew University's science-enrichment program for talented young people, and at 18 did a year of National Service in Kiryat Ekron. Afterward she studied nursing at the Hebrew University. She married Emanuel while still a student. W The meeting: 1978. He was a soldier, she was about to enter university. They met by chance in Jerusalem's religious Bayit Vegan neighborhood. He was out for a spin in his dad's car (a Peugeot 204 station wagon); deeply impressed, she accepted an invitation to go to a movie with him at the Smadar theater in the German Colony. Their wedding was held at the Hebrew University's guest house, Beit Maiersdorf, on Mount Scopus in December 1979 ("half a hall of male soldiers, half a hall of virgins"). The food was Jerusalem mixed-grill, the dancing was gender-segregated and the gifts included many challah covers and also cutting boards. W Daily routine: Etty gets up first (at 5:45 A.M.) and walks Bamba (as far as the Jerusalem Theater). On her return she takes in the newspaper (Yedioth Ahronoth), has a cup of instant coffee (two sweeteners), nibbles on crackers (while reading) and wakes the children up (one at a time). By now it's about 7 o'clock. Emanuel is already up, making sandwiches and writing the intended recipient's name on each bag ("So it won't be pleasant for them to throw them away"). After cornflakes, yogurt and toast, everyone goes his way. W Lunch: Emanuel frequents the iconic Pinati hummus place in the center of town; Etty orders in a healthy salad and the children are on their own at home. Someone (Etty, Emanuel or Evyatar) picks up Avishai from his after-school play group. W Evening: A hot meal, before 7. Not everyone is present. Etty serves chicken or meatballs ("We eat the Shabbat leftovers until Monday"). On Tuesdays, Emanuel makes ratatouille for everyone (the recipe is from a cookbook for "the liberated man"). W Television: "The children turn it off when I get home from work," Etty says. She herself likes dramatic series such as "Brothers and Sisters." Emanuel watches the Channel 10 news (Israel) and Arte France 5 (France). W Sleep: "Doring the first half of the night, when I am in a state of collapse, I sleep well," Etty says. "From 4 on, I am up and troubled." W Troubled: "Because of the boys." She relates that during the Second Lebanon War, every time the office door opened she was certain it was someone for her ("But I am a fatalist"). Emanuel sleeps well ("like a baby"). W Belief: Emanuel believes in "the God-given ['Elokit'] Torah of Israel," but not in the coming of the messiah. Reward and punishment? "Not in this world." Etty believes, but does not pray ("Sometimes on Shabbat"). W Shabbat: They do not drive or turn on electrical appliances. Etty: "But we don't have forks stuck in our flower pots" (a way to make dairy or meat dishes kosher again after they get mixed up by accident). W Books: Emanuel recently read David Grossman's new novel "Until the End of the Land" and when he finished didn't know what to do with himself ("The book stayed with me"). Etty recommends "C.V." ("The title has a double meaning") by Shulamit Chevion. W The conflict: "I will not see peace in my lifetime," Emanuel says, "but I propose to my kids that they agree to divide the country." Etty: "We have little ability to influence processes." Neither of them is worried about the country's survival ("absolutely not"). W Happiness quotient (scale of 1-10): Etty - 8; Emanuel - 8.75; Elad - 8.5; Ori - 7 ("15 after I finish the army"); Evyatar - 10; Einat - 8; and Avishai - 9.5 ("because school is a pain"). Bookmark to del.icio.us   Back in the Mideast Carter may meet with Hezbollah officials during his visit in Lebanon. Bush's final days Olmert has a thing or two to learn from Bush about an exit strategy.

Read & React Obama to offer Israel 'nuclear umbrella' against Iranian attack Responses: 59 Report: Israeli envoy to U.K. accuses church service of being anti-Semitic Responses: 48 Akiva Eldar: Israeli legal system going soft on settlers Responses: 8 Netanyahu to Haaretz: Likud is behind me; Feiglin will soon disappear Responses: 23 Amira Hass: Shalit campaign should join forces with families of jailed Palestinians Responses: 2 More Headlines 09:33 Obama's atomic umbrella: U.S. nuclear strike if Iran nukes Israel 09:00 Hamas official: Shalit could be freed in a day if Israel were brave enough 03:26 Netanyahu to Haaretz: Likud is behind me; Feiglin will soon disappear 10:00 After controversial release, settler who shot 2 Palestinians to be charged 09:35 60 years on, Israel-bashing diminishes message of UN human rights council 08:23 'Winning the war on radical Islam will be tough, but can be done' 07:17 ANALYSIS / Israeli legal system going soft on settlers 06:47 Build yourself a house at the Dead Sea and live in the lowest community on earth 00:36 Report: Israeli envoy to U.K. accuses church service of being anti-Semitic 09:07 JEWISH WORLD / The Jewish people is becoming its own enemy 06:49 Who benefits from Holocaust victims' money? 07:47 Serial sex offender has Jaffa women on edge 07:51 Anti-Terror Bureau warns Israelis not to travel to Goa 04:46 Israeli students lagging behind in math, science 21:21 Comedian Gil Kopatch to lead Green Leaf party in Knesset elections Previous Editions Select Day 10 dec 09 dec 08 dec 07 dec 05 dec 04 dec 03 dec 02 dec 01 dec 30 nov 28 nov 27 nov

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