Steve Kramer
Kramer is a freelance writer based in Kfar Sava. He may be contacted via steve.kramer@sdjewishworld.com
Hanukkah: An Overview
KFAR SABA, Israel — Hanukkah starts on Sunday night, December 18. It is usually celebrated during the “Christmas season.” This coincidence makes the Jewish holiday very significant in the U.S., probably more so than...
Touring Israeli Historical Places With ESRA
KFAR SABA, Israel — Michal and I recently enjoyed a day trip organized by ESRA, the English Speaking Residents Association. ESRA provides numerous social activities for Israelis who are comfortable speaking English while funding...
Netanyahu’s Support Waning Among Likud Colleagues
An old saying is that politicians are like fish: the longer they hang around, the more they stink. That seems to be the case with Bibi Netanyahu, Israel’s longest serving prime minister, at least...
Drive to Rebuild Gaza Means Rebuilding Hamas
In 2020 the Trump administration decoupled the Palestinian Authority (PA) from the process of achieving peace elsewhere in the Middle East. It happened when Trump emissary Jared Kushner promulgated the proposal that resulted in...
Book Review: ‘The Taming of the Jew’
Tuvia Tenenbom is an expat Israeli who has lived in Germany and elsewhere for many decades, working as a journalist and author. Holding many academic degrees, Tenenbom is also a playwright, essayist, and the founding artistic...
Many benefits to Israel-UAE agreement
It’s “early days,” but the surprise “Abraham Accord” announced by Washington has been a stunner. Against all odds, nothing leaked from any of the governments involved: Israel, the United Arab Emirates (Emirates or UAE),...
In reply to 140 U.S. Jewish leaders
What if American Jews read on the front pages of The New York Times and the Washington Post that Israeli Jews would estrange themselves from American Jews, if the latter chose to vote for a president who was...
Passover, the pandemic, and globalization
Why is this Passover different from all other Passovers, to paraphrase the Haggadah? This year, because of the pandemic, we must celebrate it alone, apart from our friends or family. But the impact of...
On those reactions critical of Trump’s Executive Order
The BDS (Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions) movement began on North American college campuses during the previous administration. It’s just one of a number of campus campaigns aimed against Israel and Jewish students (others include...
New Mexico’s Crypto-Jews subject of informative tour
When Jordi was just ten years old, his grandfather said, “This is how we butcher a chicken,” as he demonstrated the kosher slaughtering method. Jordi’s grandfather thereby revealed that the family was Jewish, a...