Over and over I keep hearing the word “narrative”. Most often it is spoken by people who insist on the importance of understanding and respecting the “Palestinian narrative.” How many people have actually paused to consider what “narrative” means? More importantly, how should we respond to a narrative that is …

My grandmother was alone in the house. Not really alone, her two small babies were there and the accountant that would be useless in a fight was there too. Her husband (first husband, not my grandfather) Haim Natanzon was away guarding the territory they had been assigned to protect. She …

I once heard Bill Maher say that: “Israel has won every war she ever had to fight because she has to, she has no choice. If she loses she will be wiped off the map.” So true. In 2006, Israel was attacked by Hezbollah and was forced to go to …

Two nights ago I sat in a restaurant with my family.  The singing from the table behind us signified that it was not just my birthday. Grandparents were sitting at the center of a long table.  The grandmother holding a newborn baby, her husband next to her, surrounded by their …

I #LoveIsraelBecause ours are a visionary people. In 1912 Yosef Yekutiel learned that numerous Jews participated in the Olympics and won medals. He envisioned Jewish athletes winning medals, not for the countries of their residence but for their homeland, Israel. After the war, his vision was denied by the Olympic …

We are a tiny tribe. Threatened from all corners of the earth, from near and from far. We are Jews. So few. So threatened. So brilliant and yet so very stupid. Our enemies laugh while, instead of uniting against them, we fight amongst ourselves. I follow the religion more correctly …

Why do companies like Amazon and Sears think it’s OK to profit from Jew hate? Why do companies like Amazon and Sears think it’s OK to profit from Jew hate? The answer is simple – because we let them. Jews and non-Jews, from fear or from apathy are allowing hate …

Watching Trump’s first trip abroad from my home in Israel was a nail biting experience. As an American, I was shocked to see him elected POTUS. As an Israeli, I was glad it was him and not her. We’d seen the results of the Clinton-Obama policies regarding the Middle East …

Achinoam Nini was invited to perform on May 18th in the Adat Shalom Synagogue in Farmington Hills.  Pressure from a local group in the Jewish community caused the performance to be cancelled.  An article was written about this in The Detroit Jewish News – this is my response to that article. I …

Sneakers put out to dry. Wet and full of sand, they looked tired. My heart almost bursts to see them. They tell a story people who live elsewhere wouldn’t recognize – but most Israelis would. Those who don’t have this story in their own home know the story well. Across …

Israel is something you have to experience in order to truly understand.  This land is both less and much more than people tend to assume. These are some of the things I learned living in Israel: In Israel, I learned that “no” means “maybe.” Rules are for the boring. There …

On April 24th Israelis will commemorate Holocaust Memorial Day.  This is not the same date as the International Holocaust Memorial Day.  This date was chosen to emphasize the place of the Holocaust in the story of the Jewish people. We do this by first celebrating Passover.  One week later, we …

This is not about Linda Sarsour. This is about Jews who are afraid to identify themselves as Zionists.  This is about people worldwide who hear the word “Zionist” and think about tanks vs “freedom fighters,” “occupiers” vs “oppressed” people. This is about women who are put off by the title …

Words are used to explain reality but they can also be used to shape reality, to create it. Sometimes exchanging a single word for another can change the picture entirely. Personally, I don’t believe there is any neutrality on the issue of Israel.  There are people who are uninvolved and …