Working at the Israel Forever Foundation has given me the opportunity and impetus to write about subjects that I would not have instinctually thought to write about. This is one of them. Inclusion is given different priority in different societies. Even when it is agreed that inclusion is a worthy goal, the amount of effort … More 3 principles that make Inclusion in Israel a success
Jerusalem is a city of surprises. You never know what you will see, who you will meet, what you will witness or experience. Sometimes it is the smallest incidents that are the most meaningful. The last time I was there, it was a child. It was at the Kotel. Every time we visit Jerusalem, we … More He’s a just a little emotional because…
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
Inspiration from Zion: This is a Love Story 