What do a tattoo artist, an IDF wounded warrior, and a scorpion have in common? Brilliant blue eyes and smile lines etched in his face could not diminish the horror of the event he was describing. Possibly it was this inherent charm, his almost apologetic leaning towards me as he spoke as if subconsciously pleading … More Scorpion by Nature: PTSD and other labels
Is it possible to mourn a man you don’t know? A wave of sadness hit me and, with a sigh, I sat down next to the grave of Lt. Col M., tears welling up in my eyes. The fresh grave was piled with flower wreaths, bright and beautiful, a silent testament of the grief of … More Heroism, unsung: Lt. Col M.
Ryan Ashley is like a long cold drink on a hot summer day. Cool, confident and extraordinarily talented, she made history as the first woman to win Ink Master after eight seasons of the tattooing reality tv show competition. That led to her participation in the spin-off show Ink Master: Angels – and despite her prominence … More Art over hate: Ryan Ashley Malarkey
Ice cream is something I used to think of as a luxury item. I needed someone else to make it. I had to pay the prices they dictated. I was glad that it’s not cheap because it made it easier not to have the delicious fat-making stuff around. Now there is ice-cream in my house … More Are you disgusted by Ben & Jerry’s political ice cream? Try Forest’s flavors of yum!
There are some people who don’t hear when others speak the word, “impossible.” Instead, they hear, “it’s possible” or “I am possible.” Their minds begin to race in search for solutions and when there is no logical reason to succeed, faith moves them forward. Who could look at the barren hills of Eretz Yisrael and … More HaShomer HaChadash: This is a love story between a land and her people, a people and their land
Every time I hear about a movie being made from one of the stories of Israel, I cringe. On one hand, our stories are the best stories. On the other hand, all too often, instead of being told as they were, our stories are twisted to fit an agenda, perverted, even to the point of … More Operation Finale – the movie vs reality
Kim Levengrond Yehezkel’s Facebook page is full of her wedding pictures and pictures of her baby, Kai. Her posts are obvious displays of her love towards her husband and their son. Now the posts have comments of crying icons, people describing how beautiful, wonderful and kind she was. And Facebook added that one little word … More Rafael Levengrond: stepping into the gap, for Kim
The saying goes: “The dead tell no tales” but that’s not exactly true. The dead speak to us from beyond the grave but they do so in silent symbols that we, those who are full of life and sometimes full of arrogance, can choose to ignore. Haifa’s cemetery is full. It’s in a beautiful location, … More The dead tell no tales… or do they?
October 1973, Ramat Gan, Israel. Mother and daughter had not seen each other for over two decades. It was before the internet, skype or any form of easy communication. Even calling overseas was a big deal then. It’s hard for me to imagine how they felt. My grandmother was a non-effusive, very practical person. I’m … More Yom Kippur Snapshot
Israel’s system of Basic Laws is kind of weird. There is a saying in Israel that the things that are temporary are the ones that are most permanent and that is how we ended up with Basic Laws rather than a constitution. The Israeli Declaration of Independence stated that a formal constitution will be formulated … More Jewish Rights to Israel (Part 2): Israel’s Nation State Law
Inspiration from Zion: This is a Love Story 