Category: Uncategorized

One day over Chanukah, my family decided that they wanted a traditional Jewish Chanukah experience. So we went to the Jerusalem mall (Malcha). Now when I first made Aliyah, I loved the concept of the mall. No, I really didn’t like the actual mall that much. I have no need for exorbitantly priced clothing or…

I feel like I am standing in the middle of a grand painting. All around me, as far as the eye can see, beautifully sculpted desert mountains extend like colossal ocean waves stretching to the horizon. Far below, the Dead Sea lies in gentle tranquility. To the East, the giant yellow orb of the sun…

In my not so humble opinion, there is nothing more thrilling than riding a bicycle along a rocky trail in the land of Israel. From the forest and mountains around Jerusalem to the stark grandeur of the desert, the land is full of amazing sites that come alive when you use your own power to…

In Israel your choice of head covering is a political statement. If you decide to wear a black, velvet kipah and throw a hat on top, people may draw conclusions about where you live, if your kids will serve in the army, and whether you will have matzo ball soup at Pesach. You actually are…

Running is like biking – same outfit, fewer moving parts Last Thursday I decided to enter a running race. What makes this decision a little strange is that I cannot honestly describe myself as a runner. You know the type: someone who runs in all types of weather and uses glue to keep their running…

I am writing on Friday right before Shabbat. Tomorrow night I leave for Tiveria to join the Alyn Charity Bike ride. About 500 men and women will be riding bikes from the North of Israel to Jerusalem. One week with nothing to do but ride. Talk about the ultimate vacation. As much fun as these…

Weirdos to the left of me… Last year I wrote a column about Sukkot called “I’m not weird.” I wrote about how weird I felt to observe the holiday of Sukkot in the United States. In most “Jewish Orthodox” communities like Potomac, the reality is that the vast majority of people living there are neither…

I have no home. It’s not quite as bad as it sounds though. In fact, it’s quiet nice. In Israel, we are always under-estimating time. When the government says that Jerusalem’s light rail system will be done next year, we hold back on the excitement. I doubt that the “separation fence” that was supposed to…

Throughout history, we Jews have been accused of some pretty nasty stuff. People have said that the bubonic plague was caused because we poisoned all the wells in Europe. We kill Christian (and now Muslim) children to bake our matzos for Pesach. We are an incredibly poor people and live as parasites in whatever country…

(Editor’s Note: Little did I know that I would end up working for the ALYN Wheels of Love ride!) Courage. What does the word mean? Some might say that to take on the ALYN Hospital Bike Ride is an act of courage, riding a bicycle from Jerusalem to Eilat. But that would not be correct.…