News and Reflections
People in My Neighborhood: Meet David Cohen
Up until 20 years ago, I lived in America, a country which preaches, rigorously, a separation of church and state. Prayers are kept out of public school classrooms and synagogues and religious education are funded privately, by those who are interested… those who...
G-d is Involved in Our Land – August 7, 2012
In the early hours of Monday morning, Jihadist terrorists attacked an Egyptian army base in the Sinai Desert, killed some of the soldiers and made off with two armored vehicles. They then made their way to the Israeli border. As they attempted to cross and...
People in My Neighborhood: Meet Celia
It was a little difficult to write about Celia Ulanovsky. I knew her as a neighbor—as a lovely, modest, always pleasant, incredibly kind woman. But when I spoke to her, to get a bit of background, a little more of who she was, I was met with “Oh, there’s really...
Let’s Make a Difference – July 10, 2012
Yesterday was a fast day, the 17th of the Hebrew month of Tammuz, which ushers in a 3-week mourning period for the first and second temples, thousands of years ago. Our sages have long laid the blame for the destruction of the Second Temple and the subsequent...
People in My Neighborhood: Meet Alex
I will always associate my neighbor Alex with my move to Israel. Twenty years ago, I arrived in Karnei Shomron with my husband and four daughters, ages 9 months to 7 years old. We asked around for extra curricular activities which would appeal to the girls and...
Justice For Israel – June 5, 2012
The major story in Israel today is one that affects the Jewish communities in Judea and Samaria directly. It is the story of the Ulpana neighborhood in Bet El, a relatively large community in the Benjamin region of Samaria. Many years ago, the community of Bet El...
People in My Neighborhood: Meet Nomi
I spoke to Nomi Teplow the other night and it gave me a little twinge in my heart when I realized it was Sunday night and the women’s choir was assembling in her living room. And I wasn’t there... The past two years I stopped going to choir practice when life got...
Politics in Israel – May 8, 2012
What a topsy-turvy week this has been for Israeli politics. Just a few days ago, Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu made it clear that he was moving towards early elections, and initiated legislation in the Knesset to send Israel to the polls the first week of...
People in My Neighborhood: Lenny
My friend and neighbor, Lenny, is back at work this week after taking off for the week-long Passover holiday. Lenny is the creator, owner, manager and chief baker for his bakery, here in Karnei Shomron, and Passover, with its strict and inherent prohibitions...
Blessed is He Who Keeps His Promise – April 15, 2012
Today is the day after Passover and everything goes back to normal. Last night we were up late washing and drying dishes, putting away the Passover dishes and taking out the regular dishes, stripping the beds from the company that stayed with us for the holiday,...