Living Through Terror

Blogging the War

July 17, 2006

You may have been wondering why I haven’t blogged the war that has been raging in Israel. I have…but not here on This Normal Life…yet. I’ve been hired by Jewish Renaissance Media to provide daily posts on the war on its sites: Jewish.com, the Detroit Jewish News and the Atlana Jewish News. Those reports began […]

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License to Camp

May 11, 2006

Every year come May we’re amazed. One day it’s cold and rainy and the next, summer is upon us with temperatures in the mid-80s Fahrenheit. Sweaters get packed away, shorts and sandals come out. May also signifies the start of camping season. Which got me thinking about our last camping experience in Israel. “We’re going […]

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The Return of Paranoia

February 2, 2006

When Hamas swept the Palestinian Authority elections at the end of last week, my first thought was, well, it’s not such a big deal. It just makes overt what was always the thinly veiled policy of the now outgoing government. Maybe this could even be a good thing, I consoled myself. By removing ambiguity, the […]

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Red Lines

January 12, 2006

It was only a matter of time before one of our kids demanded access to what may be the most rebellious, dangerous and terrifying activities known to parents in Israel. In this case, the culprit in question was twelve-year-old Merav, and her act of teenage defiance? She wanted to ride the bus. In normal circumstances, […]

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Deleting Marla

August 26, 2005

A cell phone is an intensely intimate device. It’s not just that it can be used for conducting personal conversations in discrete locations. What you have stored on your phone’s memory card tells a lot about a person. I’ve had several phones over the years, all with the little SIM memory cards that can go […]

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Three Minutes

April 14, 2005

I admit it: I’m a bit obsessive compulsive. No surprise to regular readers of this column. When I set out to make a purchase – whether it’s a new piece of computer equipment or a vacation – I more often than not spend days doing research on the Internet, talking to anyone and everyone I […]

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Second Exodus

October 13, 2004

I’ve never visited the Sinai. And now I fear I never will. The nearly simultaneous bombings that killed 33 last week at the Taba Hilton and the beaches at Ras al-Satan delivered destruction to a destination regarded by many Israelis as a refuge, an oasis in the desert where one could get away from the […]

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A Few Words About Our Cousin Marla

August 25, 2002

Our cousin Marla came into our lives only two years ago when she arrived in Israel to study at the Pardes Institute of Jewish Studies. But as soon as we found each other, she became a close part of our family in Jerusalem. We both had very little family here, and so finding each other […]

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