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 — My family’s association with soprano Ilona Domnitch goes back many years, to the 1980s, when my parents moved to Israel and were active in the activities of B’nai B’rith there. One of the projects which that organisation undertook at the time was to help new immigrants from Russia […]
An Unbeatable Experience Read More »
Dorothea Shefer-Vanson, International, OpinionBy Dorothea Shefer-Vanson MEVASSERET ZION, Israel — What kind of people do we want as our leaders? Is it unreasonable to expect the individuals who govern our country and determine our fate, at least to some extent, to be honest, righteous and upstanding? The sad reality seems to be that decent, honest individuals are not
Integrity? Who Needs Integrity? Read More »
Dorothea Shefer-Vanson, International, Middle East, Opinion, USA
By Dorothea Shefer-Vanson MEVASSERET ZION, Israel — A few years ago, after I stopped being a translator, became a writer and had several novels under my belt, I finally allowed myself to apply for membership of the IAWE – the Israel Association of Writers in English. I was overjoyed when I was accepted and allowed
A Plethora of Poets Read More »
Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Dorothea Shefer-VansonBy Dorothea Shefer-Vanson MEVASSERET ZION, Israel — Oh, no! Not another election, I cried when I heard the news on the radio. Once again, after enjoying an uplifting symphony concert we get into the car, turn the radio on to catch up on the day’s news and are hit with the devastating information that since
Here We Go Again: Another Election in Israel? Read More »
Dorothea Shefer-Vanson, Middle East, Opinion
By Dorothea Shefer-Vanson MEVASSERET ZION, Israel —The novel Silbermann by Jacques de Lacretelle, which I read in French, was first published in 1922 It describes the life of a French schoolboy and his relations with a Jewish classmate. The general atmosphere in the school is one of rigid discipline and, as is often the case
A Prescient Account of Life in Pre-War France Read More »
Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Dorothea Shefer-VansonBy Dorothea Shefer-Vanson MEVASSERET ZION, Israel — The title of the lecture given by Yivsam Azgad under the auspices of the Israel Translators Association was billed as “Translating Science.” Although I personally did not translate that kind of material when I worked as a translator, I have a passing interest in the subject due to
Translating Science Read More »
Dorothea Shefer-Vanson, Middle East, Science, Medicine, & Education
By Dorothea Shefer-Vanson MEVASSERET ZION, Israel — To start with, Tel Aviv features the Mediterranean Sea, with its long sandy beaches, kept relatively clean by the municipality, with designated areas for people to play games (ah, the dreaded “matkot” with their constant noisy batting to and fro of a ball against wooden bats), another area
Tel Aviv: Israel’s Playground Read More »
Dorothea Shefer-Vanson, Lifestyles, Middle East, Travel and Food
By Dorothea Shefer-Vanson MEVASSERET ZION, Israel — After a two-year hiatus due to the pandemic, the Jerusalem International Book Forum was held once more this year. The opening ceremony included a (virtual) presentation of the Jerusalem Prize to British author Julian Barnes by the mayor of Jerusalem (accepted by the representative of the British Council
The Changing World of Books Read More »
Dorothea Shefer-Vanson, LifestylesBy Dorothea Shefer-Vanson MEVASSERET ZION, Israel — A few years ago an enterprising resident of the suburb where I live, just outside Jerusalem, initiated and organized an association providing social and cultural activities for the growing number of retired persons living here. Since then the association has reached over one thousand members and conducts a
By Dorothea Shefer-Vanson MEVASSERET ZION, Israel — I was recently made aware of the importance of being careful to avoid falling by the incident in which a friend who is a little bit younger than myself fell in her home and broke her hip. This involved a trip to the emergency room of a local
By Dorothea Shefer-Vanson MEVASSERET ZION, Israel — We all make decisions in our lives. Someone like me (i.e., a very old person) has had to make decisions at many points in my life — what to study, whom to marry, where to work, where to live, whether to have another child, what to cook for
The Road Not Taken Read More »
Dorothea Shefer-Vanson, Holocaust, International, Middle East, Opinion
By Dorothea Shefer-Vanson MEVASSERET ZION, Israel — From Broken Glass: My Story of Finding Hope in Hitler’s Death Camps to Inspire a New Generation, by Steve Ross, is truly an inspiring story. Interspersed with the author’s vivid recollections of being incarcerated from the age of 8 in a succession of concentration camps are accounts of
Author’s Vivid Accounts Range From Nazi Death Camps to Boston’s Worst Neighborhoods Read More »
Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Dorothea Shefer-Vanson, Holocaust, International, USABy Dorothea Shefer-Vanson MEVASSERET ZION, Israel — As Passover approaches the word “tradition” assumes increasing prominence in the lives of Jews — and Israelis. Each ethnic group, and each family, has its own traditions regarding the way the festival is celebrated (cue musical interlude “Tradition” from “Fiddler on the Roof”). This was brought home to
By Dorothea Shefer-Vanson MEVASSERET ZION, Israel — Whether you call the city Lvov, Lviv, or Lemberg, the place that was once a center of culture and commerce in Ukraine is currently the scene of destruction and devastation. Now that the whole of Ukraine is being subjected to attack by Russia, I am reminded of the
The Irony of it All Read More »
Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Dorothea Shefer-Vanson, Holocaust, International