Sabra (Hebrew: צבר‎, pronounced tzabar) is an informal slang term that refers to Israeli Jews born in Israel… The cactus is compared to Israeli Jews, who are supposedly tough on the outside, but delicate and sweet on the inside.

Photo (above): Arizona #1 & Arizona #2 by Fried Itamar, Solo Exhibition, “No Time”, July 10, 2015, Ramat Gan 

One time I stayed for a week in Herzlyia at a place with a pool and a beautiful cactus garden. This was my first experience surrounded by cacti.

On the afternoon of my arrival, I casually brushed against a cactus in passing. Every hair on the left side of my body was instantly transformed into millions of razor sharp blades that invisibly embedded under my skin, like triple-edged shuang gou Chinese swords without handles. At first, you don’t realize the cactus has adopted you as its child prodigy until you try moving. The slightest hand gesture paralyzes your mind with excruciating pain, the motion forcing each notched hook at the tip of every sword ruthlessly down and simultaneously back and forth, mercilessly ripping millions of holes across swaths of skin while burrowing deep towards your organs. Paralyzed with pain and terrorized by cacti, I envisioned the inevitable end. My inability to ever touch another human being again. Ever. Again. My life had effectively ended. Just like that.

When you touch a cactus you have two options. One, become a cactus.  Two, don’t panic. Smear white glue all over your skin, let it dry, then slowly peel the glue off with the needles. 

Cactus Garden  HaYarkon Park