Shachar

Dateline Jerusalem – Just when we think things are going well, we are brought back to reality. My city of Rehovot, where I have felt so safe for the last 5½ years that I could walk the streets after midnight without fear, has experienced a mob-related drive-by shooting in the middle of the day on the busiest street in the city.

Dateline Jerusalem – While sitting around the dinner table at a friend's home, the subject of my weekly articles became a topic of discussion. We were commenting about the delicious meal before us when one guest suggested I write about Israeli food.

Dateline Jerusalem – It is springtime in Israel, and the weather is glorious, bright blue skies, comfortable temperatures. For the rest of the world, people north of the equator who had been snowbound or cold are also out and about, beginning spring cleaning. The yearly habit of cleaning one's home top to bottom reminds me of

Dateline Jerusalem - Reminiscent of that biblical plague, just last week swarms of locusts, the size of small birds in concentrations of millions, formed a black cloud over Egypt. Locusts are not unusual in Egypt, except when they come in biblical proportions, like now. However, the locusts last week were not content to remain in Egypt.

Making aliyah ("ascent" or "going up") refers to the immigration of Jews to Israel. I made aliyah 5½ years ago, and I never have regretted my decision. It is difficult to explain why I did it. I do not have one specific reason. All I know is...

Dateline Jerusalem – The music is blaring while people are dancing in the streets. Loudspeakers are turned up to the highest of decibels. A totally festive atmosphere, as fireworks explode along with the sound of rifles shot into the air and cap guns popping, car horns honking, lyrical tunes being sung while the aroma of meat grilling on barbecues wafts through the air. Adults and children alike are dressed in colorful masks and costumes. They greet friends, neighbors and strangers with...

Dateline Jerusalem – Every so often I am asked about The Situation in the Middle East. Sometimes I have first-hand information, due to my personal experiences or that of close friends. Other times I relate what I read in various publications and via the media. The news coverage in Israel is far different than the States. Sometimes events here are not even reported there. I am frequently questioned about The Situation because I live in Israel, a country the size of New Jersey with a population of less than 8 million people surrounded by Arab and Muslim lands 650 times the size of Israel and 60 times its population.

Dateline Jerusalem – This week I will officially become a senior citizen, according to both the U.S. and Israel, as I turn 62 years old. For men in Israel, the age is 67. Although I have been a grandmother for several years, somehow the word grandmother does not sound as bad as senior citizen. It is especially daunting since I think of myself as...

Dateline Jerusalem – Salads play a major role in Israeli cuisine. A staple of the Israeli diet, it is not unusual to have salad or vegetable "dip" with every meal, even breakfast. This week I came in first place in a salad contest held by a religious women's charitable organization in my town. Considering I test-tasted it just after I made it, and it was...

Dateline Jerusalem – I finally have made it into the 21st century. I bought an Android phone, having used the least expensive, simplest camera-less phone for the last 5½ years in Israel. Being in a country whose technology has made life in the world much easier, I should have taken advantage long ago of...