Dorothea Shefer-Vanson
Shefer-Vanson is an author and freelance writer based in the Jerusalem suburb of Mevasseret Zion. She may be contacted via dorothea.shefer@sdjewishworld.com.
Book Review: ‘Inflitration’ by Joshua Kenaz
The death a few months ago of Israeli author, Joshua Kenaz, led to renewed interest in his work, and impelled me to read this book (published by Am Oved in 1986). For me, reading...
The Good Samaritan Inn
So many times, on our way back to Jerusalem after spending a few days at the Dead Sea or in Eilat, we passed the sign directing travelers to the Good Samaritan Inn and Mosaic...
Revisiting the The Rothschilds
While sorting through and getting rid of books in order to accommodate a new item of furniture I came across “The Rothschilds: A Family Portrait,” which I had given to my father for his birthday in...
Author’s Vivid Accounts Range From Nazi Death Camps to Boston’s Worst Neighborhoods
From Broken Glass: My Story of Finding Hope in Hitler’s Death Camps to Inspire a New Generation, by Steve Ross, is truly an inspiring story. Interspersed with the author’s vivid recollections of being incarcerated...
The Human Condition
My TV consumption is usually limited to the (extended) evening news, plus the occasional cookery program, provided it does not involve a competition. I do not watch reality TV or competitions of any kind.
But...
Biography of David Sealtiel Tells Struggles of Pre-State Israel
This small book, subtitled (in German) “I want to be a compatriot of the Jewish people,” describes the life of the man who rebelled against the bourgeois and orthodox way of life of his...
Tel Aviv Opera Produces a Truly Magical ‘Magic Flute’Dorot
A performance of ‘The Magic Flute’ in the evening led us to spend a day in Tel Aviv, enjoying the view of the sea from the restaurant on the sun-drenched promenade, partaking of the...
‘A Boy in Winter’ Brings Privation, Fear, Horror of Holocaust Graphically to Life
A Boy in Winter appears initially to be an firsthand account, told from the viewpoints of the various individuals involved – both directly and indirectly – in the roundup and murder of the Jews of...
Novel Relates Tangled Lives of Grandchildren of Holocaust Survivor, Neo-Nazi
This well-written book is about people, specifically the two main characters, who have psychological and sexual hang-ups and issues which complicate their lives, as well as those of the people around them. The chapters...
Book Review: ‘The Age of Exodus’
Although not a fan of swashbuckling, derring-do literature, I was tempted to buy this book because its subject-matter combined ancient archaeology and the struggle to establish the modern State of Israel. An irresistible combination...