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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Varied Lives of Israeli Expatriates in Southern California

Spending time in Orange County gives one a new perspective on life as it is lived by former Israelis in America. Like all other ethnic groups, they tend to gather together in groups, associate socially with one another, speak their own language and maintain their traditional habits. So, although it came as something of a surprise to find that our son and his partner seem to associate almost entirely with former Israelis, what was surprising was to discover how varied their lives are. [Dorothea Shefer-Vanson]

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Dorothea Shefer-Vanson, Lifestyles, Middle East, USA

Tel Aviv Opera Produces a Truly Magical ‘Magic Flute’

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 aesthetic delights on offer at the Tel Aviv Museum (including the delicious cakes in the coffee-shop there) and ending with a highly innovative performance of the opera. [Dorothea Shefer-Vanson]

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Dorothea Shefer-Vanson, Music, Dance, and Visual Arts, Theatre, Film & Broadcast

Novel Depicts Survivor’s Search for His Family

Dr. Julius Matthias, the chief protagonist of Michelle Mazel’s previous book, has managed by the skin of his teeth to escape deportation by the Nazis from his hometown in Transylvania. His wife, who had refused his entreaties to leave the town together with him, was shot and killed by the invaders during the round-up of the Jews of the town. Many years before that Matthias had sent his grown-up children to France to study, and so, left on his own, he manages for many months to make his way on foot through the fields and forests of Europe, eventually reaching Geneva, where he has friends and a bank account. [Dorothea Shefer-Vanson]

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Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Dorothea Shefer-Vanson

Coffee, East and West

One of Jerusalem’s lesser-known gems is the Museum for Islamic Art, a handsome building situated not far from the Jerusalem Theatre complex and the President’s residence. As well as exhibiting a fine array of objects of Islamic art it houses a unique collection of clocks and watches amassed by the late David Solomons. A large part of that collection was stolen from the museum some forty years ago, but by a series of strange events and coincidences was returned to its rightful home about ten years ago. [Dorothea Shefer-Vanson]

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Dorothea Shefer-Vanson

Book Provides Eye-Opening Account of Espionage Operations Through the Ages

The Anatomy of a Spy: A History of Espionage and Betrayal by Michael Smith; Arcade; ‎ 2020; ‎ ISBN: 9780750-992572; 383 pages; $18.99. By Dorothea Shefer-Vanson MEVASSERET ZION, Israel — It is very rare for a book to elicit loud exclamations of surprise, delight, or amazement from me while I’m reading it, but this did

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Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Dorothea Shefer-Vanson

Birds of a Feather

By Dorothea Shefer-Vanson MEVASSERET ZION, Israel — Under the title “Early Birds: Soaring with the Ancients,” the Bible Lands Museum in Jerusalem has put together an exhibition of archaeological items from the Land of Israel and the Ancient Near East depicting birds of various kinds. Upon entering the exhibition area and before inspecting even one

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Dorothea Shefer-Vanson, Jewish History, Middle East, Science, Medicine, & Education

‘A Boy in Winter’ Brings Privation, Fear, Horror of Holocaust Graphically to Life

A Boy in Winter by Rachel Seiffert; Virago UK, 2020; ISBN: 9781844-089963; 256 pages; £8.99 ($12.37). By Dorothea Shefer-Vanson MEVASSERET ZION, Israel — 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

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Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Dorothea Shefer-Vanson

A Feeling of Progress in Israel

The national budget passed its first parliamentary reading without undue fuss and bother. It includes increases in the allocations for the health and education ministries, enabling the services provided to certain segments of the population to be extended. Admittedly, there are still many areas in which the services provided to the less fortunate could and should be improved, especially housing and welfare, but this still signifies a positive change, both in attitude and in action. In foreign policy, too, relations with other countries seem to be going in the right direction, with invitations extended to our Foreign Minister by the Arab Emirates as well as Morocco, Egypt and the U.S.A [Dorothea Shefer-Vanson]

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Dorothea Shefer-Vanson, Middle East

Integrating Leisure and Pleasure Into Architectural Projects

Erez Raz, who studied Landscape Architecture at the Technion, has assembled some of the projects he has worked on in recent years, presenting them in an exhibition displaying his varied talents and original approach to combining interior and exterior spaces in public life. The projects presented depict his approach to different stages of urban life, ranging from childhood play through adolescence and sport to adult activities such as shopping and driving. [Dorothea Shefer-Vanson]

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Dorothea Shefer-Vanson, Lifestyles, Middle East, Music, Dance, and Visual Arts

Novel Relates Tangled Lives of Grandchildren of Holocaust Survivor, Neo-Nazi

“Games We Played” is about people, specifically the two main characters, who have psychological and sexual hangups and issues which complicate their lives, as well as those of the people around them. The chapters are written from the viewpoints of the two main characters, Rachel, now an actress in the New York area, and Stephen, a rather mixed-up young man and military drop-out, living in California. As children Rachel and Stephen lived near one another and played together, though their games sometimes involved some kind of sexual element. In addition, Stephen had been indoctrinated with neo-Nazi ideology by his grandfather, with whom Stephen and his mother lived, and this penetrated their childhood games. Rachel had what was seemingly a normal family, with a psychiatrist father and home-maker mother. [Dorothea Shefer-Vanson]

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Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Dorothea Shefer-Vanson

Old Orleans

By Dorothea Shefer-Vanson MEVASSERET ZION, Israel — Just over a week ago, while en route to Paris on our way home to Israel, we stopped to take a brief look at the famous city of Orleans, one of France’s foremost historical sites, and associated indelibly with Joan of Arc, a.k.a. the Maid of Orleans. Due

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Dorothea Shefer-Vanson, Travel and Food