News and Reflections
A Rose Among Thorns
In just one afternoon, I’d fallen in love with the strong pioneering attitude of the residents, the winding roads and lush greenery and bright homes, and the magnificent sunset panoramas of Einav. It is a place so vital to the pumping heartbeat of the Biblical Heartland, and a place well worth protecting.
Do you want to visit the Holy Land?
Do you want to visit the Holy Land? I can remember as a child dreaming of a visit to the Land of Israel. In those days, it was such a far-fetched idea, that it seemed as realistic as flying to the moon. I still remember my very first trip to Israel, the incredible rush of emotion as the plane touched down at Ben Gurion Airport. As the palm trees flashed by the window, I was unable to stop the tears flowing down my face. My heart was so full and I hadn’t even stepped foot off of the plane yet! Even today, I still get that same rush of emotion every time my plane touches down on the runway at Ben Gurion. There is nothing like coming home to Israel.
Hearts in the East
Before I made Aliyah, I used to hear lots of American Jews repeat the same Hebrew saying: libi b’mizrach v’anochi basof hama’arav. Translated, it means, “My heart is in the east, but I am in the west.”
A Nation of Families
Tomorrow, my husband Ed and I will celebrate 40 years of marriage. It is really hard to believe that it has been that many years already. We met at university in 1975. I had just returned from my gap year in Israel and he was already a 3rd year student. We were part of a group of Orthodox Jews that celebrated Shabbat together each week and over time, we paired off. We got married just a few weeks after I received my BA.
The Miracle of the Six Day War
Even though the Six Day War happened before I was born, it shaped much of my life. I grew up hearing stories of the miracles that took place during those short, yet brutal days of fighting.
Honoring the Pioneering Elders of Tomer
It’s the Fifth out of Ten Commandments. In Judaism, honoring one’s father and mother is a vital mitzvah (commandment) that recognizes the synthesis of God’s power to give life with the physical beings who help carry out that miracle of creation. More simply, it holds the key to the age-old success of the family unit. When children show honor towards their fathers and mothers, parents can be more effective caregivers, and children learn healthy guidance and how to follow rules.
A Comment on the Recent Knesset Fiasco
I stayed up past midnight to watch the Knesset vote to disband itself. And the entire time I could not believe what I was seeing. I could not understand how it was that leaders of this country would go to elections, for the second time in less than a year, with the enormous expense to the taxpayer, and not find a way to avoid it. What became inordinately clear is that too many politicians care more about their seats than they do about their country.
You Have Saved Lives in Israel Today!
Every now and then, we get to witness something truly miraculous. Recently I was able to experience one such miracle, a miracle that you, and other donors of CFOIC Heartland, directly helped to bring about. It is a story that I can’t help but share.
The Price of a State
Zionism runs strong in my family, as deeply connected to my identity as my family name and my devotion to Orthodox Judaism. Zionism was simple when I was growing up in the United States, because all it took to be a Zionist was to love Israel.
As we Remember All Those We Lost
There are two different kinds of sirens in Israel. An urgent rising and falling sound warns of an attack and is the signal to flee to the nearest bomb shelter or safe room. A mournful steady sound is for remembrance.
