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
Israelis are generally friendly, warm and happy to have guests over. You don’t have to call in advance, just show up and knock on the door. But there is also a different kind of knock on the door. One that is never welcome. In fact, it is every family’s nightmare. Last night a family in … More The knock on the door
I live in a great neighborhood. It’s beautiful and green (except in the places that were burnt by arson terror last December). There is the feeling of quiet seclusion, despite being right next to one of the main areas of town. While I don’t have a direct view of the sea from my house, when … More Taking a walk with my dog
Can you imagine living in exile? Knowing that, although you have lived all your life in one place, as have your parents and maybe even grandparents, you belong to a different land? The Jewish people lived in exile for centuries. Their religion and traditions did not allow them to forget… Maybe, most of all, it … More New Year of the Trees: a love story between a people and their land
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?
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?
Inspiration from Zion: This is a Love Story 