Observations about life in Israel from a Canadian immigrant's perspective.
On Tuesday, I took apart my sukkah. I pulled down my decorations, rolled up the bamboo roof, slid the white cotton fabric off the poles, then washed and neatly folded them. I swept up the area where our sukkah stood, gathering pieces of tinsel into a neat pile. After a week full of singing, dining,… Continue reading Zman Simchateinu
Heavy, somber, hushed, introspective. These are the words I would use to describe the prayers that are recited every morning by the Ashkenazim starting before Rosh Hashana until Yom Kippur. (The Sephardim say Selichot a few weeks earlier, starting on Rosh Chodesh Elul.) The Selichot prayers ask for forgiveness on a community and national level. … Continue reading Selichot in Jerusalem
Shana Tova May this be a sweet year filled with peace and understanding. I have recently felt a bit challenged by my own lack of understanding and by the chaotic, brash and pressurized culture I find here in Israel. Like fingernails on a chalkboard, life here can grate my sensitive Canadian side and offend my… Continue reading Of Swimming Pools & Tiger Tails
It is Elul, a month of introspection and change. We search inside and see where improvements can be made. So I decided to dig deep and change myself from the inside out. Literally. I went on a cleanse, in hopes that a shiny, updated inner me would develop into a more organized, energized, lucid,… Continue reading Burnt Quinoa and A Stamp
I want to deposit a cheque. Simple, no? I can usually do this at a “kaspomat’ machine outside the bank. It takes about 30 seconds. Today the machine decides it cannot read my cheque. Hmm. I feel privileged that the bank is actually open. Israeli banks keep such bizarre hours; they are never open to… Continue reading I Want to Deposit a Cheque
“It makes my prayers clearer.” These were the words of Thomas, the trekker who is still walking the Pacific Crest Trail, hiking from Mexico to Canada. (See entry "Where Prayer Is Clear.") These words describe his passion for walking long distances. Alone, his belongings are in one neat backpack: his kitchen, a light-weight pot atop… Continue reading Riding In The Moment
Having just written about Israelis on the trail, I feel I have to include this incredible tale of valor and kindness. On May 19, an Israeli was approaching the summit of Mount Everest. So close to scaling the world's tallest mountain, he was just 250 metres from the peak. He climbed along the icy ridge… Continue reading As If He Saved An Entire World
“Where are you from?” Relieved to take a break from hiking up switchbacks, I shifted the heavy pack on my back, then answered, “Israel.” Silence. I looked into his eyes and saw tears. He had been hiking the Sierra Nevada for six weeks. He started the Pacific Crest Trail in Mexico and would finish in… Continue reading Where Prayer Is Clear
A crowd gathers. Chatting, joking, milling, shifting on their feet. They are waiting for something. A crowd thickens. Little boys chase each other, spinning imaginary circles around their dads. Women hover on the hillside. They look down at the men, a sea of black and white with wide brimmed hats bobbing in the evening breeze.… Continue reading Flight
“Forget it.” Forget it. These words still sting. They are akin to saying ‘give up.’ Throw in the towel. Laisse pisser. Sayonara. One morning last week, I was on the phone with my son’s yeshiva. I was trying to sort out a simple tuition issue. But before I could even address my matter, I had… Continue reading Forget It!
Life in Israel 