Both Yaakov and Chaim have served in the Israeli army. They did so as volunteers, though both served in combat units and did all that their fellow soldiers did. They both came to learn in Israel before deciding to enlist in the army.They were what we call in Israel – lone soldiers. They come from far, leaving their families behind. Read More »

Wish I had time to write – I don’t…and so I won’t.Except to say that all is well – I’m tired, cold because we seem to be heading into another winter storm, though a relatively minor one…and I’m usually cold when I’m tired. Read More »

It’s just after midnight here in Israel. I should be finishing a project; I should be sleeping. Instead, my mind is drawn to the fact that it is Aliza’s 12th birthday on the Hebrew calendar. She’s asleep in her bed; excited by the plans we have to celebrate this week. Tomorrow, she and I will steal a day away. Read More »

There are times when I do something that I automatically think of other people. The best example I can give is one that breaks my heart a little, at the same time that it makes me smile. My mother-in-law was a very special person in so many ways. She was also a Holocaust survivor in the most horrible sense. Read More »

I’ve written a lot lately about my Fridays – about the preparation we do for the Sabbath here. I’ve tried to write about our Shabbat and what it means here as well. This Friday, I had more of an opportunity. My parents came to visit, bringing one of my mother’s visiting students along. Read More »

I’ve always been amazed at how many translations and variations there are to the Bible. For me, as my Hebrew has improved, I return more and more often to the Hebrew as the source and smile at the many incorrect translations I see. Perhaps the most notorious is the misconception that we are charged with, “Thou shalt not kill.” That’s wrong. Read More »

As a writer, I prefer to give my own words, rather than rely on others. It is rare that I agree with a politician, even more rare that I will ask to borrow his words, to make them as if they are mine. Read More »

Wait…I shouldn’t congratulate them? Today, the hackers did something amazing. They took down the websites of two Israeli hospitals. That’s right – hospitals. What brave and brilliant minds our enemies have. Who would have thought to do this? I’m so impressed…not.It’s this concept of claiming responsibility that I have never understood. Read More »

This is the last post I am going to make looking back at a war and a time that I never want to live through again. The last post that I’ll reprint here (and thank those of you who allowed me to take this journey again), was called Thoughts of a War. Elie was home; the bar mitzvah of my youngest son just over. Read More »

do brasil said… How does it feel to live in a country hated by millions of people all over the world?NOT because its a jewish country (as you would like to believe), but because of your country´s hatred, racism, war crimes and evil acts.America, Africa, Europe, Asia, Australia… Read More »

Lolo said… You are such a coward! Why don´t you publish all comments?Why are you so scared?Hahaaha its so obvious that you don´t have any answers!Your country, Israel, is EVIL.And Israel is so small and tiny, that when the rest of the world decides to, you will be forced to behave human. Hi Lolo. Thanks for leaving your name. Read More »

See, this is my blog and I don’t have to pass through your nasty comments. I really don’t.So, if your comment includes lies – I’m not going to put it through.If your comment includes a link to propaganda – filled with lies and exaggerations – same deal. I don’t owe you a platform – get your own blog. Read More »

I don’t know the official day that Israel considered the Gaza War to be over. For me, it ended on January 21, 2009 – when I drove down and brought Elie home. It was a roller coaster at the end, a race against time, to see if he would be home for his brother’s bar mitzvah or not. Read More »

Do you read the last page of a book before you finish the rest? Does it spoil the surprise? Take away the suspense?  The end of the story is that Elie came home safely from a war forced upon Israel by a terrorist organization duly elected by the people of Gaza. Read More »

The more things change…the more they remain the same. Today is January 18th – 18 days since the world welcomed 2012 and said goodbye to 2011. In those 18 days, Gaza has fired FIVE rockets at Israel.A post from three years ago – and something to think about as the US enters election year. What you can’t solve up close… January 16, 2009 … Read More »

I’ve been asked to post some recipes – so first let me explain that when I cook…oy, do I cook. I have the recipe – I’ll post it…but take my word for this – you are going to want to scale this down. The recipe makes about 12 medium size loaves of bread…Lauren gave me the recipe and I changed it a bit…so here’s the adapted version. Read More »

If you’ve been following this blog for a while, you’ll know that somewhere during Elie’s service, I hit on the idea that having children in the army was like being on a roller-coaster. You’re cruising along, feeling fine…and then without warning, the bottom drops out and you’re falling in terror. Read More »

It’s 3: 00 a.m. and I’m ready to go to sleep after finishing off work for three different clients. What a day…ended up with having to take my husband to the doctor and lost hours of work but he couldn’t go alone. Things are stable there and that’s what counts. Read More »

I’ve got no time to write and truthfully, with something burning in my stomach, if I wrote, it wouldn’t be good so I’ll let it sit a while and figure if words will do justice to the injustice of others, of what a place of worship should be but all too often is not.For now, I’ll tell you that the soup is cooking, the sweet challah dough is rising. Read More »

I’m still on my reading-the-blog-from-the-war journey…and I found this: What you can’t solve up close…  …you probably can’t solve from thousands of miles away either. That’s a lesson every US president for the last 60 years has learned and yet, somehow never manage to pass on to the new incoming president. Read More »