Observations about life in Israel from a Canadian immigrant's perspective.
“Send me photos. It’s beautiful there.” Instead of sending my daughter pictures of Rhodes with its azure skies, Grecian ruins, and sparkling Aegean beaches where sunbathers sip cocktails on beach chairs, I sent a photo of three memorial candles. The caption on this photo read: We lit these candles to commemorate the lost lives and atrocities of October 7th. These… Continue reading Accidental Tourists
I take a break to sit outside on this brilliant November afternoon. Feeling the warm sun tickle my face, I look way up to a cloudless, deep blue sky. Birds perch in treetops and sing. It all feels so tranquil - idyllic for a former Canadian who knows about November sleet and snow all too… Continue reading What's Next?
Israel is a paradox. A tiny land on a large planet with incredible contrasts: from stark desert to snow-capped Mount Hermon; from secular Tel Aviv to observant B’nai Brak; from shepherding to software developing; and from tragedy to joy. We just had a mini-vacation in Crete where I also found interesting polarities. Israel is… Continue reading A Living Paradox
Life in Israel is intense. It can bounce from harmony to terror; from serenity to fear and from wholeness to shattered – within seconds. Recently a pregnant woman waiting at a bus stop was shot by terrorists. She and her husband were seriously wounded and her baby who had to be prematurely delivered died a… Continue reading Everything is Possible – הכל אפשרי
I’ve heard it said that Israel is a dangerous place. People from abroad have visions of a war-torn country, of simmering conflict, of injustice. They imagine a barrage of gunfire, thunderous tanks and shattering explosions. Well, this is not exactly a precise description of Ra’anana. At least, not in terms of large weapons. In Ra’anana,… Continue reading If Ra'anana Were Rivendell…
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
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
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
“Chik chak.” That’s what he said when he left the Misrad Hap'nim, the Ministry of the Interior. Black Israeli humor at its finest; there is no chik chak in government offices. Here we were sitting, standing, fidgeting, playing with smart phones, hemming and hawing, checking our watches…all waiting to receive our new identity cards, the… Continue reading Chik Chak
Life in Israel is surreal now. Hundreds of rockets are being blasted from Gaza into Israel daily. Reaching as far north as Haifa, these rockets are threatening a huge percentage of the Israeli population. Israel’s largest, most densely populated cities, including Tel Aviv, Jerusalem and Haifa, are under threat. But not under siege. Everyone outside… Continue reading Boom
Life in Israel 