Dorothea Shefer-Vanson is a freelance journalist based in Mevasseret Zion, Israel.
Her published works, available on Amazon, include:
* 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
Julius Matthias; a Pact with the Devil by Michelle Mazel; New Meridian (c) 2017. By Dorothea Shefer-Vanson MEVASSERET ZION, Israel — This family saga spans the first half of the twentieth century, focusing primarily on good-looking Julius Matthias, the son of a poor Jewish family, whose one ambition in life is to become a doctor. In […]
Book details pre-war Jewish life in Romania Read More »
Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Dorothea Shefer-VansonBy Dorothea Shefer-Vanson JERUSALEM — The ad in the paper for the show entitled “Tango in the Shadows” caught my eye, and since Yigal and I have long been aficionados of the tango in every shape and form we decided to buy tickets for the performance in Jerusalem. The fact that the event fell exactly on
It takes ten to tango Read More »
Dorothea Shefer-Vanson, Middle East, Music, Dance, and Visual Arts, Theatre, Film & BroadcastUne Vie (One Life) by Simone Veil, (c) 2017, Stock, France. By Dorothea Shefer-Vanson MEVASSERET ZION, Israel — On the cover of Simone Veil’s autobiography, written in 2007, we read that she is a member of the Academie Francaise, though this is not mentioned in the book. It would seem that after a long and
Simone Veil’s memoir provides inspiration for all Read More »
Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Dorothea Shefer-Vanson, International, Jewish HistoryBy Dorothea Shefer-Vanson MEVASSERET ZION, Israel — “What is your favorite sound?” was one of the questions that the legendary French interviewer and literary figure, Bernard Pivo, used to ask his interviewees. The answers were usually interesting but not very original. “The sounds of nature,” “A champagne cork popping,” “The harmonious cacophony of the orchestra tuning
Friday nights with the grand children Read More »
Dorothea Shefer-Vanson, Middle East, Travel and FoodRossen to the Rescue; Secrets to Avoiding Scams, Everyday Dangers, and Major Catastrophes by Jeff Rossen; Flatiron Books (c) 2017; ISBN 9781250-119438; 234 pages plus acknowledgments and index. By Dorothea Shefer-Vanson MEVASSERET ZION, Israel — How can you make sure that neither you nor your near and dear ones are subjected to any of the
How to protect yourself from almost everything Read More »
Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Dorothea Shefer-VansonBy Dorothea Shefer-Vanson EIN KEREM, Israel — When Ron Regev strides onto the stage to talk about the Beethoven piano sonatas he is about to play, the audience is immediately captivated by his youthful bearing, informal way of talking and encyclopaedic knowledge of his subject. Setting the topic in its musical, historical and philosophical context, he
Regev recital elucidates Beethoven Read More »
Dorothea Shefer-Vanson, Music, Dance, and Visual ArtsBy Dorothea Shefer-Vanson MEVASSERET ZION, Israel — Watching the daily newscasts it’s impossible to escape seeing and hearing the horrific events that are taking place not too far away from where I’m sitting now. The impact of telecommunications is inescapable. From here in Jerusalem to Damascus, just to the north of Israel, it’s only 135 miles.
Israelis horrified, terrified by carnage next door in Syria Read More »
Dorothea Shefer-Vanson, Middle EastBy Dorothea Shefer-Vanson MEVASSERET ZION, Israel — As well as forging and facilitating connections between individuals, Facebook also provides the opportunity to form groups, bringing together people all over the world who share mutual interests. These are many and varied, and seem to have succeeded in their objective. Thus, some time ago a bright spark somewhere
‘Brits Living in Israel’ FB group locates favored biscuits Read More »
Dorothea Shefer-Vanson, Middle East, Travel and FoodBy Dorothea Shefer-Vanson MEVASSERET ZION, Israel — “Who among you knows the names of your great-grandparents?” the speaker asked. Only a few of us put our hands up. “Who of you has a family tree?” he continued. Even fewer of our group of English-speakers living in Israel responded positively. Our speaker, Neville Lamdan, proceeded to explain
Recording our Jewish roots Read More »
Dorothea Shefer-Vanson, Jewish HistoryBy Dorothea Shefer-Vanson MEVASSERET ZION, Israel — As always, Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom gave her traditional Christmas message, which was televised and broadcast all over the world. Although I don’t usually pay it much attention, this year I happened to catch it live on TV, and watched with greater interest than usual,
Home is where the hearth is Read More »
Dorothea Shefer-Vanson, International, Middle East, Theatre, Film & BroadcastJourney to a Dream; A voyage of discovery from England’s industrial north to Spain’s rural interior by Craig Briggs; (c) 2012; ISBN 9781480-254930; Prices vary on Amazon By Dorothea Shefer-Vanson MEVASSERET ZION, Israel –Author Craig Briggs describes in great detail the process whereby he and his wife decamped from the north of England to Spain in
‘Journey to a Dream’ had many detours Read More »
Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Dorothea Shefer-Vanson, InternationalBy Dorothea Shefer-Vanson MEVASSERET ZION, Israel –The pungent aroma of baking would often greet me when I came home from school. My mother was an expert baker (and cook) and had a wide range of goodies that she would make in the course of the year, as well as the delicious Challah and rolls she
Her favorite Chanukah dessert? Ginger bread! Read More »
Dorothea Shefer-Vanson, Travel and FoodThe Undoing Project; a Friendship that Changed Our Minds by Michael Lewis; W.W. Norton and Co. (c) 2017. By Dorothea Shefer-Vanson MEVASSERET ZION, Israel — In this book Michael Lewis sets out to describe the way two Israeli psychologists worked together over the course of several years to develop a theory about the process
Israeli team probes how people make decisions Read More »
Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Dorothea Shefer-Vanson, Middle EastBy Dorothea Shefer-Vanson MEVASSERET ZION, Israel — Aboard the cruise ship Carnival Dream, a veritable floating city, we shared the fourteen decks with some 4,000 other passengers Our route took us from New Orleans, down the Mississippi River to the Gulf of Mexico and several Caribbean islands. From conversations with some of our fellow-passengers we learned that
Fun, food, and visits to Jamaica, Grand Cayman, Mexico Read More »
Dorothea Shefer-Vanson, International, Travel and Food