Chocolate is a hot commodity in Israel, where you can spread it, bake it, and drink it in uniquely Israeli ways. Chocolate establishments dot Israel's countryside as abundantly as sabra (cactus) plants.
Israelis adore chocolate-flavored spreads.
How do you give your country a gift?
What kind of gift will you give your country?
What can you wish to your country?
A country's birthday is a big deal, and for me, my country's birthday is the biggest deal. On Tuesday, we celebrated Yom HaAtzmaut, Israel
If you will it, it will not remain just a dream.
-Theodor Herzl
So I had a little too much to drink at the Independence Day picnic and my head was spinning so I lay down on the grass for a minute…
There were sirens blaring and lights flashing, and the
And the Lord said to Moses, "Command the people of Israel and say to them, 'My offering, my food for my offerings by fire, my pleasing odor, you shall take heed to offer to me in its due season.'"
–Numbers 28:1-2
When I spent a semester in Haifa in 1962
Monday was Memorial Day for the fallen – in the Israeli army, in the pre-state undergrounds, and in terrorist attacks. It is the day before Yom Ha’atzma’ut (to emphasize the connection), and is observed through ceremonies in schools and other public institutions, cemetery visits, and speeches by politicians. The sense of loss is immediate and inescapable as there is no one who does not have a connection of family, friendship, work, or neighborhood with at least one of the 23,000 fallen.
Was this really me, committing to two weeks in Israel as a volunteer working on an Israel Defense Forces base? Completely out of character, but I was leaving my husband, children, and grandchildren for an experience beyond anything I could have imagined.
It
My love affair with Israel began in 1972 when I journeyed for the first time with my immediate family.
Together, we will champion the lessons of Passover by bringing greater wholeness, justice, and belonging to our world.