Shachar

Dateline Jerusalem - On the 27th anniversary of the founding of the terrorist group Hamas, while Hamas celebrated by reaffirming its commitment to the destruction of Israel, the European Union took Hamas off its list of terrorist organizations. Immediately after, while Hamas celebrated with live demonstrations and displays of a myriad of its rockets, missiles, drones and arsenal of weapons, the E.U. voted to recognize "Palestine" as a state. An anti-Israel conference was being organized in Geneva.

Dateline Jerusalem -- I usually get a great response to essays I write about Israeli trivia. This week for eight days and nights Jews throughout the world will be celebrating Chanukah. Therefore, here is Chanukah trivia. Chanukah can be spelled ...

Dateline Jerusalem – Tuesday at sundown it is that time again, when the proverbial "We were persecuted, we won, let's eat" often is said to describe the holiday of Chanukah, also known as the Festival of Lights and the Festival of Miracles. As with most Jewish holidays, the food we eat is symbolic of the holiday. Chanukah is celebrated by eating fried foods and cheese dishes. Chanukah’s symbolism goes beyond food.

Dateline Jerusalem -- I am fascinated by trivia, especially about Israel. Little known facts, the more obscure the better, captivate my attention, my imagination. The following odd and quirky trivia are in no particular order. Taken as a whole, they say so much about Israeli ingenuity, inventiveness, creativity, innovation, and enterprise. They say a lot about Israel as a people, as a nation, as a land.

Dateline Jerusalem -- Frank Sinatra's Stormy Weather describes my day wading through the rivers of my town as the lightning, thunder and deluge of water rain down from the skies of Israel. I really feel like A Rainy Day Woman. I realize Into Each Life Some Rain Must Fall. Where I live, though, in the center of the country, Israel has received the highest concentration of rainfall. According to the Israel Meteorological Service, central Israel has been bombarded with ...

Dateline Jerusalem - I am home after a 15½-hour non-stop flight from Los Angeles to Tel Aviv. For the first time in 7½ years, I was not physically searched at the airport. One of my two pieces of luggage was physically inspected, though, according to a card from TSA left inside my suitcase. Either security is getting lax -- I do not think that is the case -- or they finally realize I am just a grandmother, not a threat to anyone.

Dateline Jerusalem -- I had intended to write about the wonderful Shabbat I spent with the family of a friend whom I have known since second grade. I was going to go into detail about her friendly community and her hospitality. Alas, what is happening in Israel must be addressed.

I have been in California for a week, and I can understand why so many Israelis live in this state that is 19 times larger than Israel. It is like being at home. The weather in Southern California is almost identical to that of Israel. Rock and mountain formations are similar. The palm trees, greenery and colorful plants and flowers remind me of home. The only place outside of Israel where Joshua trees are native to the land is in the Antelope Valley, Palmdale, Lancaster, and the Mojave Desert.

Dateline Southern California -- Not many are aware, but Mexico and Israel always have had close ties.

Dateline Jerusalem -- It is that time of year when Jews in Israel and religious Jews in the rest of the world will be celebrating the holiday of Sukkot. Religious and non-religious in Israel observe the holiday also known as "the time of our joy." Most non-religious Jews in other parts of the world are often clueless as to Sukkot, which means "booths." During the exodus from Egypt, Jews wandered in the desert for 40 years, living in a temporary booth called a ...