Only in Israel

Dystopian fiction cuts close to home

February 14, 2021

The haredi “autonomy” we’re seeing in real-world Israel today is strikingly similar to the fictional “Autonomies” on TV. What can we learn?

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Tuesday tiyulim and Wednesday walks: Prescription for a pandemic

January 31, 2021

With international travel off the table for the last year, Jody and I have been exploring what’s closer to home. 8 short treks near Jerusalem.

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Vaccinations and lockdowns reveal Israel’s extremes

January 15, 2021

Israel’s vaccination drive is offset only by its high number of new cases and our third lockdown. They highlight the extremes of living in Israel.

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Twenty-five reasons to live in Israel

October 13, 2019

Last week marked our “aliyah-versary.” Twenty-five years ago, on October 10, 1994, my wife, Jody, and our two young children immigrated to Jerusalem from Berkeley, Calif. A third child – our only Sabra – was born a few years later. So, on this, the silver anniversary of our Israeli citizenship, I present 25 reasons to […]

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New kosher restaurants make dining out on Shabbat a mitzvah

September 1, 2019

A few weekends ago, my wife, Jody, and I ate out in a kosher restaurant open on Shabbat. In Jerusalem of all places.

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Datlashim: can there be a second generation?

August 4, 2019

Last year, I wrote a column that asked the question: “how do datlashim – the Hebrew acronym for formerly religious Jews – want to raise their children?” The main response I received during the course of my research: “to be just like them”– that is, to also be datlashim. This poses a dilemma, as to […]

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Transforming rage into creativity

February 18, 2019

The SUV was right on my tail, flashing his lights and frantically marking his territory like a mean dog without a muzzle. Classic road rage.

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Under fire: a student in Sderot

September 3, 2018

My daughter Merav is a proud Zionist. But even Zionists get scared sometimes. And living in Sderot, there’s been a lot to be frightened of.

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Secrets of the Startup Nation

February 5, 2018

How did Israel become the Startup Nation? Here are five new reasons.

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Why live in Israel?

April 30, 2017

Why do Jews live in Israel? That was the question Jerusalem Post editor Yaakov Katz asked in his Friday column two weeks ago. With Yom Ha’atzmaut just around the corner, it’s a question we should all be asking ourselves. Katz sets up – and then deconstructs – two answers popular in recent years with Israeli […]

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