In 2016, it will be 20 years since I bought the book “Paris Tel Aviv” by Yair Garbuz. I had just started my military service and this book became a combination of a Bible and a psychologist. A kind of refuge from the systemic stupidity to which almost everyone who serves in the army is exposed. I read it in the office, I read it on duty (now it is allowed to go out :)), I read it while traveling, and I read it while the Chief of Staff said that “Israel after Rabin’s assassination is like a virgin who was raped and didn’t even enjoy it” (a true story).
In short, I read and reread, then read again. Thirstlessly drinking in every word, my body was among the camp’s huts, but my spirit was already wandering in the gardens of the Tuileries. I was not a Francophile before (I took the trip before the draft, thank God, in England) and to be honest, I didn’t even know that word. The person who discovered it for me was Yair Garbuz thanks to one of the chapters in his book called “The Francophile March.” And so, without me knowing it at the time, half of the name of my website was created.
Paris Tel Aviv – The Secret to Success
So what is it about this book that makes it so successful? Let's start with what it is not. This book does present itself as a travel guide, but as such it fails. It is not organized in any logical order and provides too little historical background on the places you will travel to.
Add to that that most of the recommendations are no longer relevant (after all, 20 years have passed) and you will understand that if you are looking for a good guide toParis You are welcome to browse my website or buy Avital Inbar's book "The Delights of Paris." The secret to the success of "Paris Tel Aviv" stems from Garbuz's loving personality and his charming sense of humor.
The subtitle of the book is “A Missing Guide to the Beloved,” and love pours out from every page. First of all, it is about love for Paris, its streets, its cafes, and basically everything that happens there. It is a refined Francophilia that pours out from every chapter of the book. And when Francophilia connects with its humor, you can’t stop smiling and suddenly, as Edith Piaf sang, your life will truly be colored in pink.
The Garbuz of 1996 is not the misanthrope of the mascot speech, he is still a happy man who loves people for who they are (and a Francophile of course). And so, in the pages of his book, you can find him alongside Israel Gurion, who writes about his trips to Paris with Benny Amdorsky, as well as right-wing figures such as Naomi Shemer and his uncle Elharar, who tell of their experiences from the City of Lights as part of the “Francophile March.” And it is this combination of Yair Garbuz’s writing talent and his love that makes this book immortal and relevant even 20 years after its publication.
I just love Yair Garbuz.
So if I spoke about love earlier, let me say a few words about hate. Anyone who knows me knows that my political views are completely polar opposite to those of Yair Garbuz. However, precisely at this time when a woman is photographed with a sign that says, “A leftist man is a leftist in the grave,” and when a Walla writer suggests that terrorists carry out an attack at a demonstration in support of the soldier who shot in Hebron, it is important for me to say that I love Yair Garbuz with all my heart.
Yes, even though almost every political statement of his makes my blood boil and even though if he knew me he would surely despise my political views, despite all this, I don't hate him and if he had informed me that he was now in Paris I would have dropped everything and joined him.