Observations about life in Israel from a Canadian immigrant's perspective.
We are a tight nation. The more fiercely we are attacked, the closer we become; the more we are threatened, the stronger we grow. On June 11, Ayala Shapira celebrated her bat mitzvah. Seems like a wonderful simcha for any 12-year-old girl. But Ayala is not a regular 12 year old. She is a hero,… Continue reading United We Grow
I recently read an article in ynetnews.com entitled “Tourists have stopped coming to Israel.” It reported that tourism to Israel has seen a 28% drop in the first quarter. I was a little shocked. To date, there is no war like there was last summer. I actually feel as if it is peaceful here these… Continue reading The Evil Spies
Last Tuesday, two sirens went off across the country as part of a test from the Home Front Command. This war drill was to test preparedness if Israel were to experience heavy rocket attack on multiple fronts. We all knew it was coming so we had the ‘luxury’ of planning our actions beforehand. A country… Continue reading Sounds of Israel
Prague is a gorgeous city. Tourists seem to joyfully ‘float’ along the cobblestoned streets, eyeing intricately designed buildings painted in pastel hues, carefully carved and sculpted into unique jewels. Like faces, no two are alike. Prague is also a Disney World for history and culture buffs, complete with a castle that dates back 1,000 years… Continue reading Jewish Prague
I received this email from a friend in Canada. I read it with curiosity, but after a few paragraphs, felt choked up. By the end, I was in tears. The next morning, cradling my steaming coffee, I read it aloud to my husband. Again, I could not finish it as I was choked by tears.… Continue reading A Love Letter to Israel
Newspaper headline reads: "The honor of helping." A natural disaster hit Nepal on Saturday. An earthquake that registered 7.8 crushed the country. The quake killed over 5,200 people, injured 10,000 and created a state of homelessness and hunger for tens of thousands of survivors. Countries around the world offered help and aid. The US, India… Continue reading How Israel loves mankind
Selling flags in anticipation of Yom Ha'atzma'ut. Twenty three thousand three hundred and twenty flags are flying half-mast today. These blue and white flags were lovingly placed at the graveside of fallen Israeli soldiers and victims of terror. Sixty seven years of statehood: 23,320 lives lost for the sake of being Jews in a Jewish… Continue reading 23,320 flags
We are about to light our Yom Tov candles and enter into the eighth and final day of Pesach. We started counting the Omer on the second night of Pesach. We will count up each night until we reach 49 and arrive at Shavuot, the giving of the Torah. These seven weeks represent self growth… Continue reading The power of giving
I crank up our little gas oven to kasher it. I soak the knobs in soapy water, clean out the fridge and wash down the counters. Now ready for the final phase of kashering, I pour boiling water across all of the counters and tabletops. Carefully wiping up the steaming water with a clean towel,… Continue reading Spiritual cleansing
It has been another challenging week here in Israel. Life in Israel is similar to being on a roller coaster. There are ups and downs, curves and moments of terror, then incredible highs before a steep plummet. The day before election, this country was perched at the top of a deep abyss. We voted and… Continue reading It's a roller coaster ride
Life in Israel 