On air

My friend Katka works for the "youth section" of Czech Radio Prague. She prepares programs for teenagers and young adults. Every Sunday night she has a program called "P.S." in which she interviews people she hopes might be interesting for her listeners. Tonight, she asked me to be her guest and to talk about my year in the yeshiva. So we talked about Judaism, Israeli-Palestinian conflict, the conflict in Lebanon, Kosher food and about yeshiva routine. I took several phone questions from the listeners (one whom was Lukas, a good friend of mine I have not seen in a long time, who just happened to be listening to the radio - that was awesome) and tried to explain the ins and outs of the talmud study, moral issues one has to face when living in the middle of the conflict, mixed feelings one has when their nation is in danger and defends itself but when another nation loses so many civilians... It was a great experience and I was very happy to see how many listeners phoned in and were interested in my story and in Israel in general.

Apart from the strong experience of meeting people on air and talking about Israel in the radio, this night will forever be known as the night of my big radio eye-opening. Czech radio Prague is a channel I listen to very often. Every hour they read the main news of the day. One of the people preparing and reading the news is called Zdeněk Novák. Without really having thought about it before, I really like him - he has a deep and sort of seducive voice, which I like to listen to; every time he is on air it catches my ear. Today, when we were getting ready for the show in the studio, I heard his voice from the speakers, from which you hear the actual broadcasting. I was immediately on the top of my toes and asked Katka where he was broadcasting from. "Behind you," she said. And then - I saw him... behind the glass wall, in the other studio. Well, yes ...tall, glasses, calm expression in a handsome face and still this beautiful, soft voice. But far, far, painfully far away from the image I realized at that very second I had always had. That is the beauty of radio - you just hear the people, you never see them and you can imagine whatever you like. Today, I realized I have always imagined Clark Kent - dark suit, broad shoulders, self confident gestures, always ready to fight the world of bad news he communicates to his audience. But Zdeněk is a gibbous man in old jeans, loosly tuck in shirt and worn out khaki vest. Only the beautiful voice, that so sharply contrasts with his body, remains...charming.