I don’t know if we’ve written about Israeli weddings before – I’d be surprised if we hadn’t. There is simply nothing like them in the world. I really think that they are the number one example of the Israeli way of life. We went to a wedding this week of two people in the yishuv.… Read More Wedding, Israel Style

With the end of the school year upon us we have been spending a lot of time at the requisite end-of-the-year programs for the kids. On Sunday, it was Yehuda’s Mesibat Siddur (when the kids receive their first Siddur/prayer book) and last night was Matan’s end of the year Siyum (literally ‘completion’, the Jewish ceremony… Read More Plenty of Parties…

It is Erev Shavuot. Tonight we begin the celebration of Shavuot commemorating the giving of the Torah at Har Sinai (Mt. Sinai). Shavuot is one of the Shalosh Regalim (pilgrimage festivals), along with Pesach and Sukkot, when we are commanded to go to Beit HaMikdash (the Holy Temple) in Jerusalem to bring sacrifices to HaShem.… Read More Aliyah b’Regel the Old Fashioned Way (well, almost)

In the last few weeks, we have been privileged to be at some amazing events. I find our friends are constantly teaching us about parenting, about friendship and about strength. These few weeks have really been an example of that. Two years ago, as I’ve written many times, a four year old boy in the… Read More Amazing Role Models

I’m a complete sucker when it comes to Yom Ha’Atzmaut here in Israel. I always – and I mean always – cry at these performances. If you were here, you’d understand how out of place crying is – but I just don’t seem to be able to help it. Israel has an amazing tradition for… Read More When Fireworks Make You Cry

This small country of ours truly never stops amazing me. I knew that it was Yom HaShoah today – I sent one of my kids to school in blue and white with a yellow Jewish star that he’s going to put on later for a performance they are doing. And obviously it’s all over the… Read More Yom HaShoah 2008

For the last week, we’ve been waiting for Wednesday, Yom Yerushalayim, with a mixture of anticipation and sadness. The yishuv has been busy preparing a beautiful new park right by our son, Yehuda’s gan. This, however, is not just any park. It is a park being built to remember Yehuda’s best friend, Chanan Sivan who… Read More Gan Chanan – A Beautiful Park

For the last week, we’ve been waiting for Wednesday, Yom Yerushalayim, with a mixture of anticipation and sadness. The yishuv has been busy preparing a beautiful new park right by our son, Yehuda’s gan. This, however, is not just any park. It is a park being built to remember Yehuda’s best friend, Chanan Sivan who… Read More Gan Chanan – A Beautiful Park

I’ve never been so happy to do my laundry. I was sitting in the laundry room today, which looks over highway 60 and Efrat, and suddenly saw an army jeep. The road was completely empty of cars. It could only mean one thing – there was a problem on the road and the jeep was… Read More Happy To Do Laundry

Today is Yom HaShoa. The two-minute wail of the air raid sirens that brings the entire country to a halt just ended. As the first sounds of the siren pierced the silence of my office I immediately stood–silently by myself and my thoughts. My first thought was that I wished I was still driving to… Read More Yom HaShoa