Observations about life in Israel from a Canadian immigrant's perspective.
Field of lupines near my house. The longer I live here in Israel, the harder it is for me to leave, even for a few days. I am not sure why this is, but after I return from being abroad, I am always struck as to how deeply tied I am to this land. Perhaps… Continue reading Here Comes the Sun
Here I go again. Writing about hiking. You may wonder if I ever do anything else. Well, I do. But hiking opens my eyes and heart in such an incredible way, I become inspired to share these experiences. And the darker our world becomes, the more drawn I am to the simple life of the… Continue reading Sir Edmund Hillary
“It had nothing to do with getting from point A to point B. It had to do with how it felt to be in the wild. With what it was like to walk for miles with no reason other than to witness the accumulation of trees and meadows, mountains and deserts, streams and rocks, rivers and… Continue reading Out in the Wild (part 2)
“Thousands of tired, nerve-shaken, over-civilized people are beginning to find out that going to the mountains is going home; that wildness is a necessity.” John Muir, 1923. Our desert adventure of three weeks past was calling to us. We just had to go back. We have been hiking the Israel Trail (the Shvil Israel) in small… Continue reading Wildness in the Negev
Lighting the eighth and last candle of Chanukah, Jews are bringing more light to the world. Here in Israel, this Chanukah holiday has been filled with light in the form of inspiration and togetherness, a sure sign that Israelis are united and strong. It started at the hairdresser when my daughter donated her long locks… Continue reading Chanukah adventure
“Give ear, O heavens, and I will speak; and may the earth hear the words of my mouth.” Devarim (Deuteronomy) 32:1 Erev Yom Kippur. It is now late morning as I sit in my garden to reflect. There is a waft of sweet guava. A bird sings. A gate creaks. The roads are sleepy quiet… Continue reading Simply Being
Jerusalem, Sep 8, 2015 Soupy, moldy, thick, brooding, dark, moist, dank. This is our weather and the forecast calls for more of the same. I walk outside and feel as if I am entering a wet sauna. I try to breathe deeply, but there is little oxygen to enter my lungs. Is that the sun… Continue reading Dispirited Dust
“Why is a Shabbat table behind glass?” My daughter looks at me in shock, confused. “How come Shabbat is a museum exhibit?’ my son asks. My kids are peering at a table adorned with a white tablecloth and two silver candlesticks. Two plastic braided challahs peek out from an embroidered cloth. We are visiting The… Continue reading Exhibit A: Jewish Florence
Words at IDF Officers' Training school "Look on me, and then do likewise." (Judges Ch. 7. v 17) Last week marked ten years of living in Israel. We made aliya on July 13, 2005, landing at Ben Gurion Airport with slight trepidation, crazed looks and four children aged 12, 10, 6 and 4. What has happened… Continue reading Tenth aliya anniversary
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
Life in Israel 