Observations about life in Israel from a Canadian immigrant's perspective.
Education is not the filling of a pail, but the lighting of a fire. Plutarch I just read an article about the cost of giving a child a Jewish education. I read over the chart listing the tuition of Jewish day schools and then multiplied these enormous sums by the number of children born to families… Continue reading Lighting a Fire
Tzfat during the Klezmer Festival. Summertime in Israel….the living may not be ‘easy’ but it’s sure packed with fun. The summer cycle in Israel is unique, especially from a religious perspective. For most, summertime conjures up exploring exotic destinations, water skiing across pristine, sparkling lakes, canoe trips and cranking up the barbecue. For the religious… Continue reading Summertime….
It is Perseid season, a time when the night skies transform into a spectacular light show. Up to 200 meteors an hour can be seen zipping across the heavens during the month of August. Doubling the regular rates, in astronomical terms, this huge display is called an ‘outburst.’ After eagerly following this story, we discovered… Continue reading Outburst
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
Life in Israel 