Only in Israel could I — or any other Jew — begin the day in a church and end it in a mosque. I attended the annual Ahmadiyya conference. It’s not the first time I’ve been to their cultural center. I’ve built my impressions over time, listening and learning… The Ahmadiyya Muslims are a reformist … More In Haifa, the Ahmadiyya community rejects violent jihad but what do they believe?
Why the Holiday of Holidays in Haifa is a problem In December Haifa celebrates the “holiday of holidays”, a festival marking Hannukah, Christmas, and the Muslim holiday Eid Al-Adha. A celebration of multiculturalism, Jews, Muslims, and Christians living together peacefully. The historic German quarter with the Bahai Temple at the top of the road is … More The Holiday of Holidays in Haifa is a lot of fun. And a big problem
Sirens throughout the day, but not here. It was a beautiful Saturday (November 16th) and we were trying to enjoy the wonderful weather, lovely people, interesting things – although we knew that others were not. I was hearing the sirens and interceptions in the distance. Israelis closer to the border with Lebanon were hearing sirens … More Missile in Haifa – “just” property damage
On October 13th, I had a very interesting day. Too interesting. By the end of the day, I felt like I had been steam-rolled and it took me 24 hours to bring myself back to normal. Of course, our normal here in Israel, particularly in the north, isn’t normal at all. Our day began with … More Stress poisoning and bombs in northern Israel
The Hamas massacre happened because many people did not take Hamas at their word. Although Hamas openly declared their intentions and goals and followed up consistently with actions, many people in Israel and around the world pretended they did not see, did not know. It was easier. Less scary. Long before the Hamas massacre of … More 048 is the writing on the wall
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?
I’ve heard that people who are bipolar often go off their medication because, although the lows of depression are difficult and sometimes even dangerous, the highs they experience are so thrilling, they don’t want to give them up for the sake of being normal. The highs open the door to genius, to creativity, to the … More Dancing across the tightrope
Our healthcare is pretty good Israelis like to complain, it’s a kind of national sport. The truth is that our health care is pretty good. At the same time, there is a bizarre dichotomy between cutting-edge medicine and the overly complicated bureaucracy of socialized medicine. In hospitals that may have leaky ceilings and be in … More 3 things you should know about Israeli hospitals
It was Saturday morning. I woke up to the sound of the Red Alert siren app ringing, announcing in-coming missiles somewhere in Israel. Where? I knew it wasn’t in Haifa (yet) because the municipal siren wasn’t screaming outside but elsewhere in Israel, people were running to their bomb shelters. In the north or in the … More The BOOM I heard from Haifa
When I lived in America, I loved Christmas. In Israel, not so much. Actually, I hate it. In America, Christmas was the holiday of my non-Jewish friends, my neighbors, the majority of the people around me. It was their holiday and I enjoyed the by-products: beautiful lights, an atmosphere of excitement and celebration and, my … More The Occupation that Stole Christmas
Inspiration from Zion: This is a Love Story 