Yom Hazikaron: A Mother Mourns for Her Son

Today marks the observance of Yom Hazikaron. Sirens went off last night and will sound again this morning,  with memorial services taking place around the country. Ynet interviewed Harriet Levin, an American whose son Michael was killed in the Second Lebanon War: "Since his birth, I knew he … [Read more...]

Washing Machines and Laundry: Tips for Making Laundry More Frugal

In honor of Earth Day, here's a water-saving tip from Paamonim. Paamonim, which I wrote about here, helps Israeli families in debt avoid poverty, and its website contains many money-saving tips. Saving water and energy is not only a personal financial consideration, as natural resources belong to … [Read more...]

A Tale of Israeli Television Bureaucracy

Update: Totalitarian Television Tax My friend used to edit an English newspaper in Israel for a small, non-profit organization. She didn't get paid much, and some months she didn't get paid at all. But the tax authority calculated a salary for a "senior editor," and decided she must be getting … [Read more...]

Nine Moons

Today we went to the Poleg Nature Reserve near Netanya. The big attraction is this sand dune that the kids can roll down: Two kids stayed there to dig a hole while the rest of us went down to the beach. As we approached, my five-year-old said, "I see tisha yarchei leida." I guess those kites do … [Read more...]

Chicken with Black Olives and Tomatoes

This is an adaptation of a recipe that appeared in the Jerusalem Post many years ago. It always gets compliments. Kosher for Passover, it can be prepared on top of the stove and served hot or cold. Chicken with Black Olives and Tomatoes Ingredients: 1 cut-up chicken Flour, or potato flour for … [Read more...]

New Jewish Book for Pre-Teens: Review and Interview

An interview with the author appears below. Chaya Rosen is a young woman living in Israel. She recently published Backstage with CBC: The Chaverim Boys Choir Live (Targum Press), a book for religious preteens. Each chapter of Chaverim describes a member of the fictional choir, the boy's family … [Read more...]

Finding Your Place in a New Community

Those of us who have made aliyah to Israel from western countries experience both a sense of loss and a huge cultural adjustment. In a guest post at An Englishman in New Jersey, I talk about the things that helped me feel at home. … [Read more...]

Working Parents and School Vacation in Israel: Proposal

Next week begins the three weeks of school vacation for the seven-day Passover holiday. The organization Working Parents for Change is working for the government to have fewer vacation days from school and more activities for children during the summer holidays. You can find the Hebrew proposal on … [Read more...]

Agel Pyramid Scheme Exposed

Jameel at the Muqata writes about the multi-level "pyramid" scheme used to market Agel, an overpriced and unproven vitamin supplement. The highest-level marketers have made a lot of money, but hundreds at the bottom will lose their investment unless they can convince enough others to invest and … [Read more...]

Ten Things You May Not Need to Buy if You Breastfeed Your Baby

This post originally appeared on Green Prophet, and is reprinted with permission. Click to view over 70 comments (Haloscan). A common misconception about breastfeeding and babies in general is that they require special equipment. But we already know on Green Prophet that a mom who buys less is … [Read more...]