Our second son starts the army today. And you would think that things get easier, that we adjust, that we know what to expect after doing this once. But it doesn’t get easier. And I’m not sure it will with the subsequent kids either. Perhaps it’s because it’s been an incredibly painful process and so… Read More The Second Time Around
On Fridays I usually don’t look at my phone much. So, when my soldier called about an hour before Shabbat, I was thrilled to talk to him about mundane things. He was staying on base for Shabbat, as planned the week before, and I had a normal conversation with him, asking about his week. Towards… Read More War, Again
Guest post from Josh Sussman in memory of someone who was really influential in his life and just passed away. I write today in tears…a bit of background. In the Fall of my senior year in college I picked up the book ‘The Haj’ by Leon Uris and it forever changed my life. I’ve had… Read More Life Angels
For 15 months I haven’t seen you. You’ve been behind that mask. No, not the mask you wear around your heart, or the one you use to keep your guard up. I mean your real, tangible mask. The mask that has hidden your beautiful smile for all this time; the one that you’ve worn to… Read More I See You
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
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
