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.
Israel Lowers Its Cultural Standards of Excellence
Another Independence Day. Another day in which the aroma of roasting meat fills the air wherever you turn. My Other Half (OH) and I are as guilty as anyone else of adding to the...
An Immigrant’s Struggle to Learn Hebrew
A recent article (by Elaine Samuels, on Facebook and in the Israel Telegraph online) recounted the trials and tribulations she experienced in her efforts to learn and speak Hebrew. This triggered long-dormant memories of my attempt...
Contemplating life after the coronavirus
What are your plans? In my youth, that was the question that a beloved uncle would always ask the younger members of the family. The only problem was that his heavy German accent would...
The cacophony of politicians talking about music
Two politicians in Israel recently referred to music in one context or another. This made me prick up my ears and pay attention, which is not something I usually do when I come across...
The World War II bravery of remote French villages
Based on extensive historical research, personal interviews and visits to the places concerned, Caroline Moore has produced an astounding account of life on a remote, mountainous plateau perched on France’s Massif Central, where the residents...
![צילום: אורן פלס Oren Peles [CC BY 2.5 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.5)]](https://jewishwebsite.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/PikiWiki_Israel_3558_Geography_of_Israel-324x235.jpg "Its people and geography make Israel special")
Its people and geography make Israel special
Like every country, Israel has its advantages and its disadvantages. One of the former is its climate, which is on the whole pleasant (at least in Jerusalem) with sunny days throughout the summer, often...
‘A Trace of Smoke’ set in pre-war Berlin
I downloaded this ebook from Amazon’s Kindle Store in order to have something to read on the plane. I always like to have something to read in my phone-cum-Kindle, as that means I’m not...
A nostalgic, educational visit to London
Maybe it’s because I’m a Londoner, la la la. Yes, I was born and brought up in London, albeit by parents originally from Germany, but London still has a place in my heart, and...
Book Review: The Talmud has defined the Judaism of today
The Talmud, a Biography: Banned, Censored and Burned, the Book They Couldn’t Suppress by Harry Freedman, Bloomsbury, 2014
I ordered this book from good old Bibliophile in an attempt to broaden my education. I feel...
Linguist learns of her biological father’s secret past (Book Review)
What Language do I Dream in? by Elena Lappin; HarperCollins, 2017, ISBN 9781554-684632.
As a bilingual speaker of Hebrew and English as well as having some knowledge of French and German, I was intrigued by...