yehudit rose in israel

01A Special Blessing: Elon Moreh and Ivei HanahalWhen Rabbi Elyakim Levanon, the head of the Hesder Yeshiva in Elon Moreh, welcomed us, he asked how many of us had previously visited the town. A few hands went up. The rabbi smil…
02A Third Intifada Starting?Even before we made aliyah, I had adopted the Israeli habit of counting sirens. In the US, hearing more than one or two emergency vehicle sirens headed in the same direction in a …
03About Me, My Aliyah, and AfterWhen Allen and I made aliyah in the summer of 2012, I needed to make myself feel as at home in Israel as I had in the U.S. “Aliyah” is the Hebrew word for “going up,” and refers t…
04Archeologist Shows Byzantine JerusalemMuch of Jerusalem and the area around it is basically one big archeological dig. In some places, like the Givati parking lot, it is a standard open excavation. In other places, li…
05Avshalom's Tomb in the Kidron ValleyFrom the road on the east side of the Old City, I look out the bus window down into the Kidron Valley. Three impressive tombs stand close to the valley floor. Even at this distanc…
06Awesome Bus DriversI am in awe of the Egged bus drivers, in part because of their ability to multi-task on a superhuman level. It is a given that they can drive a bus, often one handed, and keep at …
07Baking ChallahLast week I attended a Challah workshop, given by Saidel Baking Institute. Les and Sheryl Saidel did not charge for the three hour class. They said they were doing it in support o…
08Bambi at the ZooEvery time we visit the zoo in Jerusalem, we walk along a trail overlooking the large flat area that replicates the African plain, to see the zebras, giraffes, rhinoceros, and gaz…
09Behind the Kotel PlazaFor years the back of the Kotel Plaza at the Western Wall of the Temple Mount was been blocked off with temporary eight foot high metal barriers. I assumed the barriers were to pr…
10Blog Archives — Page 2 of 11After the destruction of the Temple in 70 CE, the Roman conquerors forbid Jews to live in Jerusalem. Although most Jews moved to the north, small groups moved south to Karmiya, Es…
11Blog — Page 2 of 11After the destruction of the Temple in 70 CE, the Roman conquerors forbid Jews to live in Jerusalem. Although most Jews moved to the north, small groups moved south to Karmiya, Es…
12Blog — Page 3 of 11The Number 1 bus to the Kotel goes past the driveway of the Rockefeller Museum. Its collection of antiquities from the land of Israel makes it one of the great archeological museu…
13Breslov in TsfatTsfat is one of the four holy cities of Israel. It is the old city of the mystics and the new city of Bar Ilan University Medical School. Spelled Zefad by Google maps and Safed in…
14Castel: Key to the Siege of JerusalemFrom the Castel fortress, you look down on Road 1, the main route from the coast to Jerusalem. For centuries, this was the only road to Jerusalem. It threaded through Sha’ar HaGai…
15Children at the Israel MuseumOn a cold rainy Wednesday morning in December, I went to the Israel Museum (IMJ) with my class from Pardes. We were, by far, the oldest organized group in the museum. Everywhere w…
16Climbing Tel GivonTel Givon may be one of the most important archeological sites in Israel, according to Professor Yoel Elitzur of Herzog College. He was guiding my class to sites connected to the …
17Climbing the Temple StepsThe steps at the southern wall of Har Habayit, the Temple Mount, are surprisingly well preserved. The limestone is cracked in some places. In places where the limestone was broken…
18Earth Shaking EventsThe first foreign aid to reach the site of the earthquake in Italy last week was an Israeli team of relief workers. Within two days of the tremors, IsraAID volunteer search and re…
19Ein KeremEin Kerem means Spring of the Vineyard, which reflects its role as a wine producing town in the Second Temple Period. At that time, it was a small town, a long four and a half mil…
20Ein Kerem's Holy HillWhen the second Temple stood in Jerusalem, Ein Kerem was part of the belt of towns around Jerusalem that supplied the city. Each small town had its specialty: wood, oil, animals, …
21Eurovision 2026 and the Cultural Hype Around Israel: Music, Controversy, and Public ResonanceEurovision 2026 is shaping up to be more than a song contest. As anticipation builds, discussions around Israel’s participation have reignited debates about music, politics, cultu…
22Evidence from Lachish Confirms Bible StoryAccording to the Bible, Lachish was once the second most important city in the Kingdom of Judea. But after the land was conquered by the Babylonians, it disappeared. There was a l…
23Exploring HazorThe story of Biblical Hazor starts in the Book of Joshua. The Israelites had conquered the Canaanites in the south of the country, from Kadesh-Barnea to Gaza. “And it happened tha…
24Exploring Old TsfatTsfat is said to have been settled in the time of the First Temple. Jews supposedly lived here in the Second Temple period as well. Unfortunately, there is little evidence support…
25Fighting for Kibbutz Yad MordechaiIn 1948, the Egyptians thought it would be easy. The British were leaving the Palestinian Mandate in mid-May. The sparsely populated areas where Jews lived in the south were ripe …
26Following Pilgrims' Route to the Temple MountThe “Tours with the Investigator” follow a set pattern. The archaeologist introduces himself and gives a brief introduction. Then he takes off at a rapid pace, because if we are t…
27Frequently Heard Hebrew PhrasesBoth physically and psychologically, Israel is a very small country. We all feel connected. I told my class coordinator I would miss a scheduled tour because I was traveling to th…
28From Hospital to Cultural Center: Hansen House in JerusalemThroughout history lepers were feared and stigmatized. They were often forced to wear bells around their necks to warn others of their approach. They were forbidden from entering …
29On the Road to Jerusalem: HuldaAll tour guides study the same curriculum and take the same tests to get their license. They all understand and convey how the topography of the land influenced history. They all …
30Pharaoh in CanaanOn Sunday during Passover, Allen and I went to the Israel Museum to view the special exhibition ,”Pharaoh in Canaan.” The exhibition focuses on the second millennium BCE, the peri…
31The Ramchal Synagogue in Akko (Acre)Eliyahu welcomed us to the Ramchal synagogue in Akko in his best English. Unfortunately, his best English is almost incomprehensible. Between his Moroccan/Israeli accent, his limi…
32Touring Sha'are Hesed with the First GradeThis year is the Fiftieth Anniversary of the Reunification of Jerusalem. Every organization and institution in the country seems to be recognizing the event. Special tours, concer…
33Exploring Nachlaot, JerusalemEden and Askadar, the Ethiopian girls I tutor, were reviewing their list of new English vocabulary with me. We were on the page of words that began with S.
34Elijah on Har HaCarmel“Would you invite that man to your Seder?”
35Uncategorized Archives“Would you invite that man to your Seder?”
36Cultural Renaissance: Israel's Art and Film Industries on the Global StageIn recent years, Israel has emerged as a global hub for artistic innovation and cinematic excellence. The nation, often in the spotlight for its geopolitical significance, is gain…