After the recent horrific school shooting in Florida, have been watching my American friends debate the issue of gun control. It is amazing what an enormous chasm there is between Israel and America when it comes to guns. From Israel it looks to me like Americans are shouting at each other, no one is listening … More Gun Control: America, Israel and the chasm in between
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
Imagine being in cold and grey Europe and being told that somewhere, there is a sun-drenched land where everything our people have hoped for will come true. Imagine being weary of persecution, of never being left alone and knowing that there is a land where Jews will again be their own Maccabees. Shaul Tchernichovsky … More Longing for the sun-drenched land of Zion
I’ll admit that it has been a while since I have thought of Martin Luther King Day. In Israel, Dr. King is known and highly respected but while there is (at least one) street named in his honor, there is obviously, no national holiday. As part of my work for the Israel Forever Foundation, I … More Honoring Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
“But why does he have to make provocations with these declarations of his?!” I was shocked to hear this sentence come out of the mouths of my Jewish American relatives. Yes, they were referring to Trump (who they hate) and to the Jerusalem Declaration. I love my relatives but they live in a completely different … More Jews from a different planet
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
My American Hanukah’s were tainted by Christmas. Without even realizing it, the way my family celebrated Hanukah was a reflection, not of our Jewish holiday or it’s true meaning but rather of the holiday that our Christian friends and neighbors were celebrating. The homes of our Christian friends were covered in Christmas decorations. Our home … More My diaspora Hanukah vs my Israeli Hanukah
Hanukah is not a holiday of the Jewish religion, it is a holiday of the Jewish people. Although not really considered a religious holiday, it is a holiday of miracles. We’re complicated that way. The Hanukah miracle most people focus on is that of the oil that lasted eight days when it should only have … More A small Hanukah tradition, a lot of Jewish defiance.
Dear all, I am pleased to announce that I have joined the team of dedicated educators at the Israel Forever Foundation. My position will be that of Content and Marketing Specialist, responsible for content and branding. Those who follow me know that I do what I do out of a passion for Israel that is … More The Israel Forever Foundation is my new home
Inspiration from Zion: This is a Love Story 