Ma’ashe and Maasiyah
The memory of the fallen will be preserved through Ma’ashe – deeds/actions, and Maasiyah – storytelling. In Jewish tradition, this is also known as Halakhah and Aggadah.
Yom HaShoah, Yom HaZikaron and Yom Ha’atzmaut 2024
This year, we confront two very challenging questions regarding these Ten Days on our national calendar. The first concerns our emotional state and our ability to celebrate these days while we are a state in trauma. The second concerns the meaning of these days to the State of Israel and its citizens, as well as to the Jewish world as a whole.
Sleepless Nights
Published on facebook on March 26, 2024 At 8 p.m. on a winter Friday night, their cozy apartment in Jerusalem was enveloped in a tranquil ambiance. The flickering Shabbat candles signaled their final moments before extinguishing, awaiting the next week. Hastily abandoned, the Shabbat table in the dining room bore witness to the evening’s abrupt […]
Flower Boy
Every Friday for the past three years, Boaz would wake up at 5:00 am to the tune of ‘Avoda Kasha’ – Hard Work on his smartphone. He’d throw on a pair of jeans and a t-shirt, then rush to wake up his father. This routine never changed. His father would drive him down to the […]
‘Solidarity Missions’ – “May He who dwells in this house comfort you.”
I’ve been asked about my perspective on visiting Israel amidst the current challenges, following the October 7th massacre, the ongoing conflict with Hamas in Gaza, Hezbollah in Lebanon, and increased tensions in the West Bank. There’s a specific interest in my thoughts on ‘solidarity missions’ tied to these events and the overall Israeli society situation. […]
Israel Points of View
A picture is worth a thousand words. Discovering fresh perspectives to explore a country is always enriching. In April 2019, we embarked on an expedition to uncover the wonders of Israel from a novel vantage point— the skies. This aerial adventure involved traversing the entire country in a helicopter, offering a unique viewpoint that went […]
Route 60 Southbound
My formative years were spent in the Judean Hills, a mere 12 kilometers to the south of Jerusalem, nestled between Bethlehem and Hebron within the Jewish community of Efrat. In the eyes of the international community, it’s considered an illegal Israeli settlement in the West Bank, but for many, it is simply their cherished home […]
These synagogues provoke me to question, “Who am I?”
“We are reaching the final stretch of our capital campaign, having successfully secured the funds required for the renovation of our synagogue. I want to express my deep appreciation for your involvement in the planning committee. Together, you will be responsible for establishing the architectural and interior design guidelines. Your choices will significantly influence how […]
Teaching Israel A – Z
I truly love my work. And Israel A-Z challenges me to find more ways to teach, relate and connect people to an ever changing, diverse and dynamic State of Israel. This is my mission… my ongoing mission.
If you have not filled out your personal Israel A-Z, or would like to give another go at it, you can do it here https://forms.gle/QeSuA9iWQBGsVudv7
Derech HaRaglayim
I have come to know my land and its people… Derech HaRaglayim. Derech HaRaglayim is a Hebrew expression that literally translates to: “Through the feet” but truly means to learn via physical and experiential experiences. Derech HaRaglayim doesn’t always mean walking and hiking, but rather to use all of the senses, to create intellectual, emotional, and meaningful experiences. Derech HaRaglayim is a physical method that opens minds and hearts. Derech HaRaglayim is an interaction between the individual and his or her surroundings. It begins the moment you get up and start a journey. Whether it is a new path or one you have taken before… each time is a new learning experience that leaves an imprint on you, whether you are aware of it or not.
Common Practice
*This story is written with male characters but could equally apply to a female. Driving around the country is something I do a lot. Often, I am in the driver’s seat, but I do not mind at all being in the passenger’s seat. See, not driving gives me the opportunity to do many things I […]
I am a Nofan!
Zev Vilnay, Veahavta L’artzecha Kamocha (Translation by Zalman Spivack) I am a Nofan! I am often asked: What are you, really- a Geographer? historian? archaeologist? botanist? zoologist? After all in your explanation you talk about the geography of the place, the events that occurred there, the ancient remains, about plants and animals … Well, what […]
My Friend – The Forester
It is a well-known and wonderful tradition in Israel to plant a tree. Families, schools and youth movements have embraced the tradition of going out and planting trees on the day of Tu Be’shvat in early springtime. Jews and non-Jews around the world have been supporting this project by “sponsoring” trees, mainly through the Jewish […]
Route 90
Route 90 is a long road; some say the longest road in Israel, beginning all the way in the North, on the mountainous border of Israel and Lebanon, traversing the entire eastern side of our country, through the Jordan Rift Valley, along the Dead Sea, down the Arava desert, ending with a splash on the […]
We Are on The Map
Whenever I guide a group around Israel, I provide a map of Israel to each and every participant to allow them to follow our journey through the county. Not a special map, just a simple folding paper map, either one printed by the Ministry of Tourism or a map created by the agency I am […]
Welcome Home!
November 2000, I’m at the arrival hall at John F. Kennedy Airport in New York. My brother and I have just got off a ten-hour flight from Israel on our way to join the rest of my family, who had arrived 2 weeks earlier, for my eldest brother’s wedding. We are arriving just two days […]
“Welcome Home” – The Transformative Effect Of Arriving In Israel
Throughout the history of the Jewish people, entering, or maybe we should use the term arriving in, the Land of Israel and later the State of Israel, have been transformative experiences with a profound impact on the individual and in many aspects on the state of our people and our nation as a whole. When I say […]
Size Matters
Growing up I was not a very big boy at all. I was not very tall either. I was actually pretty skinny and wasn’t all buff with muscles. This worried me as my army service approached. I believe it had less to do with who I saw around me, as most of the other guys […]