Israeli-Americans hold all-nighter to watch election

Alcohol, food and a disregard for bedtime common theme at many of the election-night parties.

By ABE SELIG
US-Israeli obama fans 248.88 (photo credit: AP)
US-Israeli obama fans 248.88
(photo credit: AP)
As Americans went to the polls in record numbers Tuesday - electing Barack Obama the 44th president of the United States and the country's first African-American to ever hold that office - Americans in Israel tuned in to the monumental event by gathering in homes and bars across the country and missing out on a night of sleep to catch a glimpse of history. Alcohol, food, and a disregard for bedtime seemed to be the common theme at many of the election-night parties, which took place in various American enclaves in Jerusalem and Tel Aviv. Emily Schaeffer, a lawyer in Tel Aviv originally from San Francisco, spent the evening at a friend's apartment, trying to stay awake and following the results closely as they came in. "At various points throughout the night, one or two of us would take naps on the couch and the others would wake us up when something important happened," she said. Schaeffer also said that as she and her friends were watching CNN, they simultaneously viewed updates and Youtube videos over the Internet. "We were watching TV and Youtubing and showing each other clips of different videos," she said. "We were also sending SMS messages to our friends in the states the whole time, and the girl whose house we were at had an unlimited call plan to the States, so that was nice - we all got to speak to our friends and family as the results were coming in," she added. Schaeffer said the excitement of the night hadn't been lost on her even though she was an ocean away, but that the sheer historic importance and scenes of Americans cheering in the streets made her a bit homesick - a feeling she hadn't had for a long time. "I've been here off and on for the last 10 years," she said, "and I really thought I was past the point were I got homesick. But last night I was surprised by how much I wanted to be there. "I'm not sure if it was just a fleeting moment, but it's the first time in a long time I've felt that way." Others told similar stories of sleep deprivation and excitement as the election tallies continued to pour in. "I took a nap from about 1 a.m. to 2 a.m.," said Orna Dickman, who made aliya from Kansas and now lives in Tel Aviv. "But we really didn't sleep that much. I watched Obama's acceptance speech this morning and then went straight to work." Dickman explained that her aim for the evening had been to stay up and watch the election results with friends - much as she would have done had she been in America. "I was happy to be among friends," Dickman said. "It seemed like something pretty incredible was happening over there, and I'm glad I got the chance to watch it." Nonetheless, Dickman also conceded that she felt a bit homesick watching the returns. "It did make me want to be there," she said. "But I was still able to enjoy the significance of the moment, even over here. The only thing I might have done differently had I been in the states was go out and celebrate after the results were in." But that was also being done Tuesday night, or rather early Wednesday morning, as Americans packed pubs and rubbed elbows on bars, fighting off the urge to sleep and staring at the TV screens projecting nonstop election returns. In the PresenTense offices on Jerusalem's Emek Refaim street, Tachlis 2.0, a consulting group that helps integrate social networking into marketing plans, hosted an election-night viewing party dubbed "Bourekas and Booze." There, 40-50 people ate and drank the night away as CNN played on a TV in the background. At Mike's Place - A Jerusalem bar frequented by the large Anglo community in the city - CNN was broadcast on the big-screen televisions usually reserved for sports. FOX News was on briefly, but a Mike's Place Bartender told the Post that patrons had asked for it to be switched for something else. "There were a lot of people coming in and out all night," the bartender said. "Mostly young Americans on college programs and yeshiva students. By three in the morning we were packed, and the crowd, who were by and large Obama supporters, were having a great time." Still, the scenes of Obama voters pouring out on the street from Brooklyn to the Bay Area were not repeated in Israel on Tuesday night. The country's large American population watched the election results indoors and emerged to a sunrise when all was said and done. Others, who didn't make it all night, were just as eager to see the results when they woke up Wednesday morning. "It was kind of like a birthday," said one girl, an Obama supporter. "I went to sleep excited, and when I woke up, it was already here."