Life in Israel

I want a better life: “This is the thought that never left my mind”

“This is the thought that never left my mind,” writes Natalya as she tells us her story of how she made aliyah (immigration to Israel). Life in Ukraine was hard for her and her husband. Sometimes they “had only bread and water to live on and went on foot to work, as there was not money for public transport fees.” They had no money to pay for utilities, and their debt grew. There was no money for home repair, so after ten years, “our apartment looked like a shed.” Proper food and new clothes were like a “far off dream” for them. “I went mad,” she said whenever she thought of ways to improve their life, because there were no options.

The Making of Tefillin

As I was walking through the Jewish quarter of the Old City of Jerusalem, I spotted a sign hanging outside a Judaica shop that said “Torah Scribe” and sofer stam in Hebrew. Sofer means “scribe”; stam is an acronym for Sefer Torah (“book” of Torah, Gen.–Deut.), tefillin (phylacteries), and mezuzot (Scripture boxes affixed to doorways). In Orthodox circles, only a certified scribe can copy the Torah for a scroll, as well as the Scriptures inside the tefillin and mezuzot.

Israel’s Heroes

Nearly all Jewish men and women serve in the Israeli army. Bedouin and Druze also are conscripted. Some Christians (mostly Arabs) volunteer. At the age of 18, young people are inducted into the army before they go to college. Young men serve for three years, and the young women for two. There is also compulsory reserve duty of up to 32 days a year for men under the age of 40. When Israel is attacked, the standing army engages the enemy. Reservists are called up if the conflict persists or is particularly intense. Most of Israel’s army consists of accountants, truck drivers, shopkeepers, dads, husbands, etc. In other words, the army is the guy next door.

Digging at Dor

In July, Teri and I went on our first archaeological dig, for five days. The dig was probably a once-in-a-lifetime experience for me, as I’m not a young person anymore, and the work is physically quite demanding. However, I’m really glad I did it once and hope that my tale might encourage you to also consider going on a dig sometime.

Dor, an ancient natural seaport just north of Ceasarea, has been dug for 20 years. It is mentioned in the Bible several times. Joshua won it in battle (Josh. 11:1–12), and it became part of the tribe of Manasseh (Josh. 17:11–13). David’s unfortunate census included Dor (2 Sam. 24:1–7).

Searching for Israel’s Extremes

Gary, who is overseeing the new young adult outreach of Bridges for Peace, and I went for a ride a couple of days ago. We decided that somebody needed to have fun in Israel. Most of my tour groups feature folks with white hair and they generally define fun slightly different than a young adult’s definition. Gary is young—at least by my standards. I, on the other hand, occasionally have “young” ideas. I like adventure. In fact, I am likely to try something just because I’ve never done it before. I guess I never really grew up in some ways.

Operation “Prayer Shield” For Israel

What a difference a few minutes can make. That thought must surely be running through the minds of dozens of parents and teenagers at the HaNativ HaYeshivati high school in Sderot after a Palestinian Kassam rocket slammed through the roof of a classroom on May 21st. The day had started like any other, with students attending morning prayers in an adjacent synagogue and then staying behind to hear their teacher deliver a schmooze—a brief discourse on a Torah-related subject.

Meet the New Prime Minister

Ehud Olmert is the head of the Kadima party, a new party established by Ariel Sharon. In the March 28 election, the Kadima party received 29 seats in the Knesset, catapulting Ehud Olmert to the position of Prime Minister. So, who is Ehud Olmert? Olmert’s father, Mordechai, was a Russian Jew but studied in China and made aliyah (immigrated) from there to the British Mandate in 1933. Mordechai served in the third and fourth Knessets and was deeply involved with economic policies as a revisionist.

Meet the New Prime Minister

Ehud Olmert is the head of the Kadima party, a new party established by Ariel Sharon. In the March 28 election, the Kadima party received 29 seats in the Knesset, catapulting Ehud Olmert to the position of Prime Minister. So, who is Ehud Olmert? Olmert’s father, Mordechai, was a Russian Jew but studied in China and made aliyah (immigrated) from there to the British Mandate in 1933. Mordechai served in the third and fourth Knessets and was deeply involved with economic policies as a revisionist.

The Dead Sea Is In Deep Trouble

The Dead Sea is disappearing, according to experts. The water level has fallen some 25 meters (82 feet) in 120 years, leaving the lowest spot in the world even lower. It is shocking to learn that the Dead Sea is now standing at 417 meters (1,369 feet) below sea level. At present the water is dropping at the alarming rate of a meter (39.37 inches) each year.

True Tzedakah

Any of you who’ve visited Israel (or lived here) know what it’s like to be approached by the insistent, persistent beggars of Jerusalem’s city streets. Day by day, I encounter those who have grown to be familiar faces: the woman who wanders Ben Yehuda crying about her babies who do not have food or diapers; the double amputee who sits in his wheelchair in front of my favorite bagel shop; the gentleman who sleeps by my bus stop, trash-bags full of his belongings heaped awkwardly around him.