By Dorothea Shefer-Vanson MEVASSERET ZION, Israel — Is there such a thing as collective trauma? It seems there is, and Google defines and explains it as “the psychological distress that a group — usually an entire culture, community, or another large group of people — experience in response to a shared trauma. In order to […]
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, Israel