I love the dreidel. Every year the dreidel gives me a sense of deep satisfaction. Why exactly does a little plastic item like a dreidel inspire such an intense reaction? The dreidels I played with as a kid, and that you see outside of Israel, have four letters on them that represent the words, “A… Read More Oh, Dreidel We Will Play
I like to stay in my box. It’s comfortable. And warm (well, lately it’s been very, very cold where I live, but you know what I mean) and safe. So when Josh and I tossed around the idea of going to Eliat for the weekend, I was inclined to say no. Of course I wanted… Read More Thanks You Boys!
This week, I brought a cake to my office to celebrate my ten-year work anniversary. Those of us who have been here from the beginning (or close to it) enjoyed reminiscing and discussing how quickly the time has gone. Others, however, remarked that they were amazed to think about being in the same job for… Read More A Work-aversary to Celebrate
Yes, Israel is a small country. And yes, it feels like half of it goes up North in August (and the other half leaves for European hiking and beach locations). But it still surprises me every time that my kids run into their friends while we are on vacation. We just returned from a 4… Read More Where Everybody Knows Your Name
We’ve spent a lot of time traveling around the country, but we’ve never managed to get ourselves as a family unit to Kiryat Shemona and the surrounding area. So this year, I decided that this would be our destination for Pesach (Passover). We spend a few days each chol hamoed (the interim days of Pesach)… Read More 4 Treasures in Northern Israel
Thursday night, we attended the funeral of a soldier, a student, a son and brother. A child of Israel. But unlike most funerals, this one took 37 years to happen. It brought together thousands upon thousands of Israelis to pay their final respects, and to fulfill a promise that Israel makes to each of us;… Read More Embraced by the Land Once Again
My necklace makes me happy today. Life is complicated and there are so many reasons not to be happy; or maybe I should say there are so many reasons to be frazzled, worried, confused, upset or tired. I try to find little things throughout the day that perk me up and make me smile. And… Read More The Happiness of a Simple Necklace
There are “only in Israel” moments and then there are “you’ve got to be freakin’ kidding me only in Israel” moments. Yesterday was one of the later. My 18 year old is amazingly energetic and creative when it comes to his activities and his transportation. With snow on the way last week in Israel, he… Read More Not Your Typical Ski Day
Life in Israel frequently cracks me up. It’s such a small country and you end up having interactions that weave people and places together in unexpected ways. We don’t have centralized heating in the house; rather, we have small air conditioning/heating units in each of the bedrooms. Two of these units (which are connected with… Read More A Victory with Victor
My two oldest sons have been living out the story of the modern Jewish experience this summer. Matan, who just graduated from high school in Sussya, headed to the Ukraine, Poland and the Czech Republic on a trip about our shared past, our memories and our pain. He traveled with a group of 50 students… Read More Past, Present and Future
