Summertime, Freedom and Captivity

Growing up in the United States, summertime equalled freedom. We were free from school, free to play, ride bikes, sit by the lake, free to spend much of our time in our imaginations. Celebration of America’s Independence Day on the 4th of July amplified the focus on freedom.
This year, more than the previous [...]

Prayer Placed by Pope in Western Wall

(Quick follow-up to my last post on the Pope’s visit:)
Here is the text of the beautiful prayer he placed in the Western Wall (courtesy of the Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs). View the prayer as well as a photograph of its placement in the wall.
Written prayer by Pope Benedict XVI
God of all the ages,
on [...]

Pope’s Visit to Israel

Pope Benedict XVI’s pilgrimage visit to Israel is creating quite a bit of press coverage. Unlike Pope John Paul II visit a few years ago, Benedict XVI seems to be on a personal/church/religious mission rather than on a mission of interfaith understanding, bridge building and politics.
Many interesting stories accompany his visit:
Trembling Before the Pope [...]

Israel21c Report for CNN on Coexistence Collaboration

Israel21c has been publishing news about Israel that often goes ignored for years. They do amazing work. Recently, two pieces by an Israel21c reporter were on CNN. One is about some inspiring coexistence work in Lod, a city with many struggles. Watch the report here.  The other is about how two [...]

Remembering Rabin z”l

It is hard for me to believe that it has been 13 years since Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin was brutally assassinated.  The irony of the context of the murder hits me every time I go to Kikar Rabin in Tel Aviv. [He was killed at the end of an enormous peace rally, during which Rabin [...]

Some Good News from Israel

Israel is an amazing place filled with inventions and innovations.  Here are just a couple of examples from Israel21c.
Israelis discover cure for bee colony collapse-associated virus
Possible new drugs for Cystic Fibrosis
I hope that I can write many more posts about positive, wonderful news from Israel rather than the sad stuff.

Another Vehicle Terror Attack in Jerusalem

It has happened again, a terrorist using a vehicle as a weapon of terror.  As I type this the news is just breaking.  Keep watching for updates.  The attack was at Tzahal Square (very close to Jaffa Gate of the Old City), the means was driving the car into a crowd of people.  Reports list [...]

Sarah Palin & Jews for Jesus

On August 17, 2008, David Brickner (director of Jews for Jesus) spoke at Sarah Palin’s family church in Wasilla, Alaska.  Govenor Palin was in attendance. Mr. Brickner spoke extensively of his organization’s mission in Israel (they also do extensive work in America – especially with college students) to convert Jews to Christianity.  They call themselves [...]

More on the loss of Eldad & Udi

Today the Jewish world continued to mourn the deaths of Eldad and Udi.  I hope that more than the Jewish world care and are thinking of them.
This is one of the days when I accutely feel far away from Israel.  I wish my aliyah was already complete and I could have been there today.  Reading [...]

Heartbroken

Udi & Eldad are dead.  My heart breaks.  I can’t get Karnit Goldwasser (Udi’s [z"l] wife) out of my mind.  It seems like yesterday that she asked me and a room full of people to raise awareness, write letters and pray for her husband, for Eldad and for Gilad along with all of Israel’s kidnapped [...]

Another Israeli Hero

Here is another bit of good news about Israel on a difficult day.  An Israeli medic travelling in  Morocco saved the life of a Moroccan girl injured in a jeep accident.
An excerpt from the story:
“He found a pair of jeeps, one upright and the second crumpled off the side of a nearly indiscernible path. Huddled [...]

Two Heroes Stop the Bulldozer in Today’s Terror Attack

A Golani Brigade off-duty soldier was one of the heroes who jumped onto the bulldozer to try to stop today’s attack in Jerusalem.
Here are the details of the actions of the Golani soldier and an off-duty police officer according to Connections Israel. (Connections Israel sends emails with the day’s news from Israel.  To subscribe try [...]

A New Kind of Terrorist Attack in Israel

Terror has again struck central Jerusalem. This time it appears that a terrorist used (it is still unknown if the terrorist stole the tractor or worked on a construction site or how he got it) a buldozer as his terrorist weapon.  As the story is coming out now (it is only an hour or so [...]

Give tzedakah, help injured kids and push Gila

I’ve been reading Gila Weiss’s blog My Shrapnel for some time now.  I found her blog through a link (sorry, don’t remember where) and was so inspired by what I read that I went back and read every post.  She is a gifted writer and an interesting woman. The tag line to her blog is [...]