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
* 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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By Dorothea Shefer-Vanson MEVASSERET ZION, Israel —The eyes of the world are focused on the Gaza Strip at the moment for a variety of reasons. Is Israel going to launch a ground offensive on the northern part of the Strip, after having told the inhabitants there to move south if they want to avoid being […]
Heartbroken, But Not Broken Read More »
Dorothea Shefer-Vanson, Israel, OpinionBy Dorothea Shefer-Vanson 1938 A young couple fled Nazi Germany, found refuge in England and survived the war. Their parents were left behind and murdered. Four years later I was born, thus making them my parents. 1944 V2 rockets fired on London caused the evacuation of children from the city. My two-year old self was
Timeline: Why the War in Israel Feels Like Déjà Vu Read More »
Dorothea Shefer-Vanson, Israel, OpinionHow had this happened? Where were our defense forces? Our intelligence network? Our government? The answer came to me in a flash, and I was not the only one to have these thoughts, though we have been told that this is not the time for calling the authorities to account. That will come later. [Dorothea Shefer-Vanson]
Disbelief, Horror, Anger Read More »
Dorothea Shefer-Vanson, Israel, Middle EastBy Dorothea Shefer-Vanson MEVASSERET ZION, Israel — I first participated in a demonstration when I was an impressionable sixteen-year-old, some 65 years ago, in those far-off days when England was a nuclear power and still held on to most of its empire. My friends in the youth movement (Bnei Akiva) were going to the CND
Demonstrations, Past and Present Read More »
Dorothea Shefer-Vanson, Israel, OpinionBy Dorothea Shefer-Vanson MEVASSERET ZION, Israel — Ever since Yigal (my other half) retired from his high-powered high-tech career he has been involved in numerous non-high-tech activities. These range from pursuing his interest in art to become an expert in the paintings of Caravaggio, extending his study of the Ancient Near East to become a
By Dorothea Shefer-Vanson MEVASSERET ZION, Israel — Whether it’s because I have an M.A. in Communications (with a thesis on the language of the news) or am simply a glutton for punishment, I find it impossible to cut myself off from the nightly news broadcasts on television. The anchormen and women do their best to
Cause for Optimism? Read More »
Dorothea Shefer-Vanson, Israel, Opinion
By Dorothea Shefer-Vanson MEVASSERET ZION, Israel — Author Katherine Pangonis notes in her preface to “Queens of Jerusalem: The Women Who Dared to Rule” that “this is a book about women and power.” The wives and daughters of crusader kings and princes in the Holy Land sometimes found themselves in the position of default ruler
‘Queens of Jerusalem’ Book Seeks to Rectify Historians’ Neglect of Women Read More »
Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Dorothea Shefer-Vanson, Israel, Jewish History, Middle EastBy Dorothea Shefer-Vanson MEVASSERET ZION, Israel — For the last few months, Israel’s long-suffering population has been subjected to a double barrage of government legislation on the one hand and demonstrations protesting said legislation on the other. Anyone living in Israel who is not completely cut off from the news media is unable to avoid
By Dorothea Shefer-Vanson MEVASSERET ZION, Israel — From time to time I like to test my ability to read a literary text in Hebrew (the daily newspaper can hardly be called “literary”) by reading a book in that language. After all, I have been living in Israel for almost 60 years and have had to
Meir Shalev’s ‘My Wild Garden’ Brings to Light Israel’s Ethos, History, and Development Read More »
Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Dorothea Shefer-Vanson, IsraelBy Dorothea Shefer-Vanson MEVASSERET ZION, Israel — At the risk of repeating myself (and starting to sound like a cracked record), I feel impelled to write about yet another fascinating musical event I was privileged to attend. “An Evening in Hungary” was the title given to a programme of music primarily from that country performed
An Evening in Hungary Read More »
Dorothea Shefer-Vanson, International, Israel, Music, Dance, and Visual ArtsBy Dorothea Shefer-Vanson JERUSALEM — A small notice tucked away in our local newspaper caught my attention, and the promise of a performance of choral music by Russian composers seemed intriguing. In addition, the venue was an unusual one – the Ratisbonne Monastery in Jerusalem’s Rehavia neighborhood. So, we ordered tickets and turned up on
Musica Aeterna in Jerusalem Read More »
Dorothea Shefer-Vanson, Israel, Music, Dance, and Visual ArtsBy Dorothea Shefer-Vanson I left my homeland of England about 60 years ago and came to live in Israel for a variety of reasons, one of them being the weather. The England that I left behind was a fairly stable country with regard to the composition of its population, which was largely white. There were,
Political Correctness or Madness? Read More »
Dorothea Shefer-Vanson, International, Israel, Lifestyles, OpinionBy Dorothea Shefer-Vanson MEVASSERET ZION, Israel — 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 Museum. I often wanted to make the slight detour to visit the site but
The Good Samaritan Inn Read More »
Dorothea Shefer-Vanson, Israel, Travel and FoodBy Dorothea Shefer-Vanson MEVASSERET ZION, Israel — Attending a concert recently in Jerusalem, I suddenly found myself surrounded by ghosts. In the row in front of me sat an elderly woman whose face I recognized but whose name I had forgotten. When I had last seen her, about twenty years ago, she and I were
Ghosts From the Past Read More »
Dorothea Shefer-Vanson, Israel, Lifestyles, Opinion