By Gedaliah Borvick JERUSALEM — Buying a home in Israel is very different than in the U.S. The language is different, the payment structure is usually different, the legal process is different, and the numbers are different. Let’s focus on some of the numbers: Floors In the U.S., if you look at an apartment on […]
Israeli Real Estate, By the Numbers Read More »
Business & Finance, Gedaliah Borvick, Lifestyles, Middle East
By Gedaliah Borvick JERUSALEM — The annual World Happiness Report was released a few days ago. The list starts out pretty much as expected, with Finland, Denmark, and Iceland — countries that are relatively prosperous, not involved in wars, and shielded from constant global scrutiny — taking the top spots. But that Israel is ranked
The Source of Israel’s Happiness Read More »
Gedaliah Borvick, Lifestyles, Middle East, Opinion
By Gedaliah Borvick JERUSALEM — I love the streets of Jerusalem whose inspiring names bring thousands of years of Jewish history to life. And yet, one of my favorite streets in central Jerusalem is named after Abraham Lincoln. Many years ago, while taking a taxi to a meeting on that block, I could not contain
Jerusalem ‘Linc-o-lin’ Street Read More »
Gedaliah Borvick, Jewish History, Middle East, USA
By Gedaliah Borvick JERUSALEM — In honor of International Holocaust Remembrance Day, which falls out on January 27, permit me to share with you the remarkable story of Charles Lutz. A friend visiting Jerusalem’s Neve Yaakov community was walking on Charles Lutz Street. The street sign mentioned that Lutz was among the Chasidei Umot Ha’olam
Carl Lutz: The Mystery Savior Read More »
Gedaliah Borvick, Jewish History, Middle East, Travel and Food
By Gedaliah Borvick JERUSALEM — After the establishment of the State of Israel, municipal governments across the country created new Hebrew neighborhood names to replace existing foreign language names. However, most of these new titles were never accepted by the public. Let’s discuss some examples in Jerusalem. A client once asked me, “I noticed on
How does a sleepy community become a hot residential destination? Sometimes the addition of a new train station can turn a town into an “up and coming” bedroom community of a thriving metropolis. Frequently the creation of a new business hub or a new mall lures residents to the city. Interestingly, sometimes the rejuvenation of an iconic landmark can help energize a community – as we have witnessed in Nachlaot, which houses the historic Shuk Machaneh Yehudah. (Gedaliah Borvick)
The Evolution of Machaneh Yehudah Read More »
Gedaliah Borvick, Middle East
Located twenty miles south of Haifa, Zichron Yaakov is a charming city of 25,000 people situated on the southern end of the Carmel Mountain range. One of the oldest cities in modern Israel, it was established at the end of 1882 by one hundred pioneers from Romania, members of the Hovevei Tzion – or Lovers of Zion – movement. Hovevei Tzion was one of several organizations that gained traction in Europe in response to the waves of pogroms and openly antisemitic laws that had the cumulative effect of causing approximately 2,000,000 Jews to relocate, a minority of whom made their way to Israel. [Gedaliah Borvick]
Celebrating Diversity in Zichron Yaakov Read More »
Gedaliah Borvick, Jewish History, Middle East
By Gedaliah Borvick I recently met with a young couple living on Levi Eshkol Boulevard in the Jerusalem neighborhood of Ramat Eshkol and asked them if they knew who Levi Eshkol was. “Wasn’t he a war hero or president many years ago?” was their response. I realized that it was high time to dedicate an
Levi Eshkol: Water Superhero Read More »
Gedaliah Borvick, Jewish History
By Gedaliah Borvick On the way to a meeting on Golda Meir Boulevard in Jerusalem, I struck up an interesting conversation with the cab driver about Israel’s fourth prime minister. Golda Meir is memorialized with streets across the country named in her honor and yet many people in Israel lack the adoration that she has
Golda Meir: Pioneer and Lioness Read More »
Gedaliah Borvick, Jewish History