Blog

Family History- a Story of cups, & candlesticks

I’ve written posts on social media referencing some of my family history. I've talked about items like books, pictures, and…

Pride Month in Israel

June is Pride Month—thirty days of celebrating the LGBTQ+ community. Parades and parties are held throughout the world. While some…

Eurovision Israeli Style

The Eurovision is a huge event for Europeans and other countries who take part in the contest. This year, in…

Thirteen times Masada

Over the past year, I have been to Masada at least once every. single. month. Some of you may think,…

Israeli Innovations Are Saving the World!

In our day and age, we hear a lot about Israel in the News. But most of that News covers…

Israeli Singers Should You Be Jammin’ Out To!

When I was a teenager, I participated in a lot of the teen events of the JCC. It’s how I…

Your Next Israeli Movie Night!

I remember when I was a teenager I would go to the Rochester JCC every month to watch the monthly…

Are These Israeli Authors on Your Bookshelves!!!

I am a bookworm--always have been, always will be. I was that kid who would spend Saturdays snuggled in bed…

Top 10 Outlooks in Israel… Have You Seen Them?

Visiting an outlook might not seem like a spot to be on the top of your list to visit while…

What does it mean to have an Israeli Passport?

Passports are not necessarily an item we think about on a day-to-day basis. But they are incredibly important in understanding…

Top 10 Graffiti Art in Israel

There are many different views of what graffiti means in society—some people disapprove of the graffiti on the walls of…

What does it mean to have Sigd in Israel?

The holiday of Sigd is an Ethiopian Jewish holiday that became a national Israeli holiday in 2008. It takes place…

What is Israeli Food, Really?

When many people think of Israeli food, they think of falafel, shawarma, and hummus. And all of those dishes are…

Yitzchak Rabin… How Do We Remember?

Today we remember the 23rd anniversary of Yitzchak Rabin’s assassination. Israel commemorates the date on the Hebrew calendar’s date, which…

Israeli Artists, What are we looking at?

In today’s world, we hear a lot about Israel’s politics, history, and religion. But the fact of the manner, is…

Holy Muslim Sites in Israel

The Land, and State, of Israel is the holiest place in both Judaism and Christianity. Cities like Jerusalem, Tzfat, Hebron,…

What is Sukkot 2018 All About?

What is Sukkot 2018? Why do we still celebrate this holiday? Sukkot is a autumn harvest festival holiday lasting a…

What is Yom Kippur 2018 All About?

Rosh HaShanah has passed. So have the ten days of repentance between then and today, Yom Kippur, or the Day…

Celebrate the Jewish New Year 2018!

It is now Jewish New Year 2018! Rosh HaShanah is the Jewish New Year, and it is celebrated around the…

What Can You See on a Shabbat Dinner?!

Beginning every Friday evening, Jews around the world celebrate Shabbat, the Jewish day of rest, or Sabbath. It begins with…

Our Trip in Haredi Jerusalem

About a week ago, I attended a trip through Haredi Jerusalem. It was organized for tour guides, much like my…

Downtown Haifa, Who Knew?

Haifa is Israel’s third largest city in the country. It is known for its universities, falafel, and coexistence. It’s a…

Holy Cities in the Holy Land

The Land of Israel is the holiest place in Judaism. There are four cities that are specifically holy for Jews:…

70 Years Since the UN Partition Plan Vote

This year is a BIG year for Israel and its history. It has been 100 years since the ANZAC victory…

The Time I Guided a Group of Women

I want to dedicate a space to the amazing moments I have had with the women in my groups, especially…

Why is the Holy City of Jerusalem SO important?

Why is the Holy City of Jerusalem SO important? Jerusalem is the holiest city in Judaism, the center of the…

The Balfour Declaration Turns 100 Years Old… Now What?

This year is a big year in Israeli history. It is Israel’s 70th Independence Day, the 70-  year anniversary of…

100 Anniversary of the ANZAC Victory Over Be’er Sheva

This year is a big year for Israel, including today and tomorrow. Today, November 1, 2017 marks the 100- year…

What can we learn from the City of Hebron?

Hebron is one of four holy cities in Judaism, along with Tzfat, Tiberias, and Jerusalem. Many can forget the city’s…

What does Tzfat have for me?

There are four holy cities in Judaism: Jerusalem, Hebron, Tiberius, and Tzfat. Each city is connected to an element of…

Simchat Torah 2017… Say What?!?!

What is that? Let me tell you all about Simchat Torah 2017! Simchat Torah means “the rejoicing of the Torah.”…

Reflections for the High Holidays

Last week was Rosh HaShanah, and this week we will celebrate Yom Kippur, the Jewish Day of Atonement. It’s a…

The Munich Massacre of 1972

The 2016 Olympic in Rio De Janero ended not too long ago, so I want to take the opportunity to…

Water in Judaism, what does it really mean?

If you've ever been to Israel, you might have noticed that there is very little water-- very, very LITTLE water!…

What can we learn from Tisha B’Av today?

Tisha B'Av, or the ninth day of the month of Av, is one of five fast days in the Jewish…

Top 10 Museums in Israel

Israel is filled with museums addressing topics ranging from history to archeology to science to politics. You can spend hours…

5 Reasons Why Tel Aviv is Great in the Summer

Tel Aviv is an AMAZING place to visit in the summer. The city is a cultural center of Israel that…

Can You Keep Up With These Israeli Athletes?

The Maccabiah Games, an international Jewish sports competition, began this weekend. The Games occur every four years, and began in…

BDS: Buy Israeli Products! Do the opposite! Support Israel!

Many people in North America and Europe are familiar with the BDS movement. The movement was founded in July 2005…

Why is Eid al Fitr 2017 so important?

Today Muslims celebrate Eid al Fitr 2017, the celebratory end of Ramadan. It marks the first day of the month…

Why Do You Really Care About Flag Day?!

Yesterday, we celebrated Flag Day 2017 in the United States. The day celebrates adaption of the U.S. flag on June…

50 Years Since the Six Day War

This week marks the fiftieth anniversary since the Six Day War of 1967. The war was an intense fight between…

What are you eating on Shavuot 2017?!

Today is the beginning of Shavuot 2017! Shavuot is the second of three pilgrimage (Passover and Shavuot) festivals to Jerusalem.…

Celebrating Ramadan in Israel

Israel is a country holy to Jews, Christians, and Muslims. The Muslim population is the largest population in the country,…

Why is Yom Yerushalayim so important?

Today is Yom Yerushalayim (Jerusalem Day), celebrating the city and its reunification during the Six Day War. In 1967, Israel…

How Should We Celebrate Lag B’Omer?

Today we celebrate Lag B'Omer, the thirty- third day of the Omer, a period of forty- nine days between the…

Running in the Footsteps of Israeli History

A few weeks ago I ran the Ashdod Night Run. There were two races—one a 2K (1.25 miles), and the…

5 Things You Need to Know About Israel’s Independence Hall

Israel's Independence Hall is the place where the Jewish leadership declared Israel an independent, modern Jewish state! It was an…

Israeli Independence Day 2017

Today is Israeli Independence Day, Yom HaAtzmaut, is celebrated. It is a day full of celebrations, joy, and remembering the importance…

All About Yom HaZikaron 2017

Yom HaZikaron is Israel's Memorial Day. It remembers soldiers who fell during their military services, and those killed in terrorist…

Like Indiana Jones?! Check out archeology in Israel!

Archeology is a thriving industry and part of Israel. That makes sense because it is an ancient area in the…

What was the Holocaust?

What was the Holocaust? Today we mark the Israeli national day we remember the Holocaust, or Shoah in Hebrew, which…

Agriculture in Israel

As you may imagine (or maybe experienced), Israel is a hot country. Agriculture in Israel is not something you may…

Mimouna – North African Jewish Holiday 2017

Mimouna 2017, the North African Jewish celebration welcoming the Messiah With Passover having ended, there are many different ways to celebrate the…

What is the meaning of Easter?

Every spring, Christians around the world celebrated the holiday of Easter. It is one of the most important holidays on the…

Top 10 Things to Do in Israel During Passover 2017

Passover 2017 is starting tonight. It is a week off from school and for many jobs here in Israel. It’s…

Do you really know about the Passover Holiday 2017?

This week Jews around the world finished celebrating the Passover holiday. It is one of the most important, and better-known,…

What is Purim 2017 really all about?

This week we are celebrating the holiday of Purim. It is a fun and exciting holiday, yet it is one…

How are You Starting a New Year 2017?

We have now started a new year, marking new beginnings, new chapters, and new times. It is customary to look…

Christmas in the Holy Land

Christmas is one of the most important holidays in the Christian calendar. The second major holiday is Easter celebrated in…

A Mitzvah A Day Campaign

With Hanukkah starting soon, I want to talk about something very important to me. It’s a sort of campaign I…

What Do You Know About Israeli Politics?

It may be easy for us to think that we know about the Israeli Political System. It began after the…

10 Most Meaningful Things to do at Masada

The story of Masada is a fascinating story. It's a great site to visit while in Israel. But what can…

A Private Tour Guide’s Aliyah

For the past couple months, I’ve written about the waves of immigration, or aliyot, to Israel. It began with the…

10 Places to go during Advent in Israel

Advent is the time for preparing and waiting for the celebration of the Nativity of Jesus at Christmas. It is…

Now You’re An Expert About the Russian Aliyah?

If you’re up-to-date on my blog, then you know I’ve been spending some time writing about all the different aliyot,…

The Great Adventure of the Ethiopian Aliyah

Before Israel was established, there were five waves of Jewish immigration. The First Aliyah began in 1882, and the Fifth…

Memorial Day for Yitzchak Rabin

Today is the Memorial Day for Yitzchak Rabin. Twenty-one years ago, Rabin stood in front of hundreds of Israelis at…

How To Be a Private Tour Guide?

Tour guiding in Israel is an incredibly important job. It in many ways is Israel advocacy at its most basic…

India & Israel: An Israel Tour Guide’s Perspective

This week I guided a group from India for three days. We saw the Galilee, Jerusalem, and Tel Aviv. Through…

Are You Sure You Know About the Yemenite Aliyah?

Before Israel was established in 1948, there were five major waves of immigration to the land. The First Aliyah began…

All About the Fifth Aliyah to Israel

There were five major waves of Jewish immigration before the State of Israel was born. We’ve talked about them before.…

Good-bye Mr. President: Remembering Peres

Dear Shimon Peres, As the nation, and the world, says "Good-bye Mr. President" I want to share with you some thoughts…

The Fourth Aliyah of Israel

When we look at Israeli society today, it can be easy to think how all of it got started, from…

Learn about the Holiday of Shavuot

Today we celebrate the holiday of Shavuot, the holiday of the receiving of the Torah at Mount Sinai. It comes…

All About the Third Aliyah to Israel

An aliyah to Israel is when someone, or a group of people, move to the land of Israel. Before Israel…

The Second Aliyah to Israel

Before the State of Israel was born, there were five major waves of Jewish immigration to the land. Each wave…

People of the Second Aliyah

When we talk about events like a major wave of Jewish immigration to the land of Israel, it is easy…

Israeli Fallen Soldiers’ Stories

There are many stories of Israel's fallen soldiers and victims of terror. They may not be with us today, yet…

The Story of Masada

The story of Masada is a unique story that raises a lot of questions for us today. But there is…

All About the First Aliyah to Israel

When someone Jewish moves to Israel, they are making Aliyah. Aliyah is a Hebrew word meaning ‘to ascend.’ We use…

Ready for your Jewish Birthright Trip to Israel?

The Jewish Birthright trip is a special trip to Israel that has a lot of people talking. The organization brings…

Zippori the Roman capital of the Galilee

In the 3rd c. CE, Zippori was an important Jewish city and seat of the Sanhedrin, the traditional Jewish legislative…

International Women’s Day in Israel

In honor of International Women's Day I want to write about women in Israel. Israel has a lot to learn from…

Prep tips for Your Israel trip

For this blog, I want to talk about how to prepare for a trip to Israel. Everyone needs some prep…

My top 15 Israel Book List

Hi everyone! I wanted to take this time to discuss some of the must- read book list concerning Israel and…

What is a Jewish Wedding?

Hi again! In light of my recent engagement to my now fiancée, I would like to write a little bit…

Tu B’Shvat, the Holiday of Trees

This week we celebrated the holiday of Tu B'Shvat, commonly called the Holiday of Trees. It is a holiday that…

Coexistence in Modern Israel

So I have recently finished guiding a Taglit- Birthright group here in Israel. For those who don't know, Birthright is…

Must Know Tips for a trip in Israel

Ever wonder about tips for a trip in Israel? When people prepare for a trip, there are some things that…

Hanukkah, the Festival of Lights

Tomorrow night is the first night of Hanukkah, an eight day long holiday that many of us have at least…

Anniversary of November 29, 1947

Tomorrow is the 29th of November, which is a very special date in history. Why? Well, because on this day…

What Do You Know About Modern Israelis?

Who are these modern Israelis walking past us on our trip? Today I want to talk about modern Israelis. After all,…