Observations about life in Israel from a Canadian immigrant's perspective.
Often, here in Israel, tears of sadness fall, meeting up with tears of joy. From tragedy, hope is built. When terror strikes, people here often pick up the bitter pieces and then try to mend the world. There are many organizations here that were established by families who lost loved ones to terror. Yesterday, I… Continue reading Building Blocks
As yesterday marked my 11th-year anniversary of making aliyah to Israel, here's 11 observations about life here. 1. The weather is amazing. Day in. Day out. Pure sunshine and heat. Ahhh. For a former sun-deprived Canadian, I just can’t get enough. Ever. It is so bright here, I feel the urge to put on sunglasses… Continue reading 11 things I learned after 11 years in Israel
Summertime….and the living is sticky. I live in a sauna. The air in Ra'anana is soupy thick, burning, as if the lid were taken off a giant, simmering stew. So we steam, feeling lethargic. I love running yet find I cannot breathe, I can hardly place one foot in front of the other even to… Continue reading Nocturnal Surprises
The world has gone mad. Completely mad. Hidden evil lurks in many corners of our world these days. We go about our lives as if all is normal because we have no choice. We have children whom we love and we try our best to protect them. But what happens when a 13-year-old girl is… Continue reading Madness
Sarona, Tel Aviv There are seconds between a beautiful moment, one of casual conversation, of laughs and connections with people you care for. And a second later, it falls apart. A gunman on a spree. Or a knife in the back of a simple bystander who is in the wrong place at the wrong second.… Continue reading Seconds
Yesterday we mourned, united. Today we celebrate our independence, united. We made the switch from Memorial Day to Independence Day last night as the shofar blasted in synagogue and people burst into dance and song: "Ani ma'amin b'emunah shleimah beviat haMashiach, v'af al pi sheyitmameiha, im kol zeh achakeh lo b'chol yom sheyavo." "I believe… Continue reading You're invited…
Remembrance Day for the Fallen Soldiers is one of the hardest days here in Israel. Every town and city, moshav and kibbutz has a gathering the evening before. When the siren wails across the country at 8pm sharp, every adult and child stands still and quiet. I am always saddened to see that even very… Continue reading No better place to be
Nobody said it was easy, no one ever said it would be this hard… This is the headline of a blog posting I recently read. It appeared on April 5 in the Times of Israel and was written by a woman who is 20 years old and who recently made aliyah all by herself. She writes about… Continue reading Nobody said it was easy
We all have our wish lists: places we want to see and things we want to do. Being part of an archaeological dig is on my list. Maybe it’s my passion for history, my penchant for digging around in the garden and getting my hands dirty. Or maybe it’s my love for being outdoors. Did… Continue reading A Drop in the Bucket
From mefakedet (sergeant) to a twentysomething... Last week, my daughter finished her army service. She arrived at base in uniform, then changed into civilian clothes and walked out the front gate. Just like that. (Of course there were many offices she had to visit and lots of paperwork involved…bureaucracy and the IDF are solid roommates!)… Continue reading From Army Boots to Naots
Life in Israel 