You didn’t just save me, you saved my entire family

24 year old Rabbi Yerachmiel Levin, decided to donate a kidney to someone he doesn’t know. He wanted to save a life in honor of his father Rabbi Kalman Levin whose life was stolen away by a terrorist who murdered him while he was praying in the Har Nof synagogue. The man who received his kidney … More You didn’t just save me, you saved my entire family

Facebook Safety Check In: Are you safe from the bush fires in Haifa?

It’s amazing how many things can be wrong with one little sentence. Nov 24th was the day fires started appearing in different places in Haifa. 60,000 people were evacuated from 12 neighborhoods in the city. The day before the fires were in Zichron Ya’acov. Throughout the week fires appeared in towns in the north and … More Facebook Safety Check In: Are you safe from the bush fires in Haifa?

What do you do when someone sets your neighborhood on fire?

One week after my city was set on fire, I’m having a hard time writing about what happened. It’s different when something traumatic happens to you. I don’t even have a full picture of the day in my head. It’s like scenes in a play, disjointed blips and in between, blank. Last week, before the … More What do you do when someone sets your neighborhood on fire?

5 reasons IDF soldiers suffer less from PTSD

  Why is it that, although terrorism and war are not infrequent in Israel, the number of IDF soldiers suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is actually amongst the lowest in militaries around the world? In 2013 the Israel Defense Forces Medical Corps Mental Health Department released a study on PTSD with staggering statistics. For … More 5 reasons IDF soldiers suffer less from PTSD

People of books

Last week I went to a library dedication ceremony. Those words sound so normal when I write them but what I attended was something uniquely Israeli. The ceremony took place in the Reali high-school in Haifa. During the evening my thoughts ranged from the history of the school, the ceremony itself, the library and the … More People of books

The Hoshana Connection Between Jews and Christians

Yesterday was Hoshana Rabbah the seventh day of the Jewish holiday of Sukkot. It is believed that God judges each person, beginning on Rosh Hashana, deciding what their fate will be for the year to come. The judgment for the new year is sealed on Yom Kippur, but it is not “delivered” until the end of Sukkot (i.e., Hoshana … More The Hoshana Connection Between Jews and Christians

Paint your own way

I wish I could have attended the event organized by Artists 4 Israel who tattooed wounded soldiers and survivors of terrorism. In some cases, they covered scars with beautiful new graphics, in other cases, people chose to place their body art elsewhere. The special event took place last week at the Israel Museum in Jerusalem. Tattooing … More Paint your own way