How to Use the URJ Reflection Tool
How to Get into the High Holidays State of Mind
How to Make Israel Independence Day a Sacred Day
How to Turn Your Home into a Sanctuary for the High Holidays
Personal Journey: On Vacation and On Duty
Was this really me, committing to two weeks in Israel as a volunteer working on an Israel Defense Forces base? Completely out of character, but I was leaving my husband, children, and grandchildren for an experience beyond anything I could have imagined.
Galilee Diary: In the Memory Bunker
Monday was Memorial Day for the fallen – in the Israeli army, in the pre-state undergrounds, and in terrorist attacks. It is the day before Yom Ha’atzma’ut (to emphasize the connection), and is observed through ceremonies in schools and other public institutions, cemetery visits, and speeches by politicians. The sense of loss is immediate and inescapable as there is no one who does not have a connection of family, friendship, work, or neighborhood with at least one of the 23,000 fallen.
"It's Personal": Scenes from Israel on Yom HaZikaron and Yom HaAtzmaut
Connected at the Core: Remembering and Celebrating in Israel
Growing up in Israel, I took part in my school’s Yom HaZikaron (Israeli Memorial Day) memorial ceremony every year, commemorating Israel’s fallen soldiers and terror victims. It was always sad and always painful, though I experienced it differently each time.
My Love Affair with Israel
My love affair with Israel began in 1972 when I journeyed for the first time with my immediate family. My parents had been for the first time in February of 1968, six months after the Six Day War. We also were there six months before the Yom Kippur War.
Yom HaAtzmaut Will Make You Believe in Miracles
After Yom HaZikaron, we make the heart-wrenching, 180-degree transition from deep mourning to joyous celebration of the miraculous feat of independence.