Dorothea Shefer-Vanson

Dorothea Shefer-Vanson

Dorothea Shefer-Vanson is a freelance journalist based in Mevasseret Zion, Israel.

Her published works, available on Amazon, include:

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* All Quiet on the Midwestern Plains: A Tale of Deception, Betrayal, and Vindication

* The Balancing Game: A Child Between Two Worlds, A Society Approaching War

* Chasing Dreams and Flies: A Tragicomedy of Life in France

* The Diary of Anne Frank (Cliff Notes)

* Levi Koenig: A Contemporary King Lear

* A Ruffled Calm

* Time out of Joint: The Fate of a Family

Shefer-Vanson also is a Hebrew to English translator, with those works on Amazon including:
* The Rainy Day Man by Amnon Jackont
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Royal wedding invoked Hebrew imagery

By Dorothea Shefer-Vanson MEVASSERET ZION, Israel — As befits an English woman living abroad, I watched the wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle on television, and reveled in the pomp and circumstance of each shot and every angle. I loved the sight of the beautiful mixed-race bride, her dress, the bridesmaids and page-boys, the various […]

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Dorothea Shefer-Vanson, International, Jewish Religion, Music, Dance, and Visual Arts

‘The Crown’ captivates English ex-pats

By Dorothea Shefer-Vanson MEVASSERET ZION, Israel — When we were in Las Vegas last year, visiting our son and daughter-in-law, on one particular evening they were otherwise occupied. They made sure to seat us comfortably in the living room facing the large TV screen, handed us the remote control, and told us to find something on

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Dorothea Shefer-Vanson, International, Theatre, Film & Broadcast

A European debate on anti- Semitism

By Dorothea Shefer-Vanson MEVASSERET ZION, Israel — Unable to sleep one night I surfed through the TV channels I sometimes watch and came across a debate about anti-Semitism on France24 (in English, fortunately). The trigger for this was President Macron’s tweet about the existence of an ‘old anti-Semitism’ in France alongside a new form of the

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Dorothea Shefer-Vanson, International, Middle East

German Jews fared well in 20th century Britain

Their Promised Land; My Grandparents in Love and War by Ian Buruma; Penguin Random House, 2017 By Dorothea Shefer-Vanson MEVASSERET ZION, Israel — I found this book so fascinating that I read it more or less in one sitting and, having read it on my Kindle, proceeded to order the paperback version from Amazon as I knew I

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Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Dorothea Shefer-Vanson, International, Jewish History

Memory in the Living Room

By Dorothea Shefer-Vanson MEVASSERET ZION, Israel –In recent years it has become customary in Israel, in addition to the official ceremonies marking Holocaust Day, for small groups of people, whether survivors, descendants of survivors, or simply those who feel a connection to the subject, to gather together in private homes and talk about their own

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Dorothea Shefer-Vanson, International, Jewish History, Middle East

Book details pre-war Jewish life in Romania

 Julius Matthias; a Pact with the Devil by Michelle Mazel; New Meridian (c) 2017. By Dorothea Shefer-Vanson MEVASSERET ZION, Israel — This family saga spans the first half of the twentieth century, focusing primarily on good-looking Julius Matthias, the son of a poor Jewish family, whose one ambition in life is to become a doctor. In

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Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Dorothea Shefer-Vanson

Simone Veil’s memoir provides inspiration for all

Une Vie (One Life) by Simone Veil, (c) 2017, Stock, France.   By Dorothea Shefer-Vanson MEVASSERET ZION, Israel — On the cover of Simone Veil’s autobiography, written in 2007, we read that she is a member of the Academie Francaise, though this is not mentioned in the book. It would seem that after a long and

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Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Dorothea Shefer-Vanson, International, Jewish History

Friday nights with the grand children

By Dorothea Shefer-Vanson MEVASSERET ZION, Israel — “What is your favorite sound?” was one of the questions that the legendary French interviewer and literary figure, Bernard Pivo, used to ask his interviewees. The answers were usually interesting but not very original. “The sounds of nature,” “A champagne cork popping,” “The harmonious cacophony of the orchestra tuning

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Dorothea Shefer-Vanson, Middle East, Travel and Food

How to protect yourself from almost everything

Rossen to the Rescue; Secrets to Avoiding Scams, Everyday Dangers, and Major Catastrophes by Jeff Rossen; Flatiron Books (c) 2017; ISBN 9781250-119438; 234 pages plus acknowledgments and index. By Dorothea Shefer-Vanson  MEVASSERET ZION, Israel — How can you make sure that neither you nor your near and dear ones are subjected to any of the

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Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Dorothea Shefer-Vanson

Regev recital elucidates Beethoven

By Dorothea Shefer-Vanson EIN KEREM, Israel — When Ron Regev strides onto the stage to talk about the Beethoven piano sonatas he is about to play, the audience is immediately captivated by his youthful bearing, informal way of talking and encyclopaedic knowledge of his subject. Setting the topic in its musical, historical and philosophical context, he

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Dorothea Shefer-Vanson, Music, Dance, and Visual Arts

Israelis horrified, terrified by carnage next door in Syria

By Dorothea Shefer-Vanson MEVASSERET ZION, Israel — Watching the daily newscasts it’s impossible to escape seeing and hearing the horrific events that are taking place not too far away from where I’m sitting now. The impact of telecommunications is inescapable. From here in Jerusalem to Damascus, just to the north of Israel, it’s only 135 miles.

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Dorothea Shefer-Vanson, Middle East