From slavery to freedom

Tonight I was among the 400 people who sat down along a festive table in Levinsky Park for a very special evening. The “Seder” is a festive evening meal during which Jews all over the world gather to remember their exodus from Egypt. A time for reflecting about issues as freedom and liberation, the violence [...]

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On Shabbat, and how to live with Sunday as the first day

Since the day I arrived in Israel, it has been very confusing to start the week on a Sunday. My whole brain is so set on the idea of Monday being the first day of the week, that it will refuse any other assumption, even when instructed otherwise. To complicate the matter, in Hebrew days [...]

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Yad Vashem: a powerful reminder

The visit of friends from abroad was a good excuse to spend some time in what is really a unique and amazing place in Israel: Yad Vashem, which is the Holocaust museum and memorial. My second visit was just as powerful as the first one, few months ago. This is a place you can easily [...]

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May we live in uninteresting times

Many of you may be familiar with the supposedly old Chinese curse: “May you live in interesting times“. To many, the curse is puzzling. This is because our Western mind loves ‘interesting’.  Is addicted to ‘interesting’. Since when ‘uninteresting’ is something positive to long for? Living in Israel I start to grasp more and more [...]

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