Dorothea Shefer-Vanson Archives - Page 30 of 37

Templers, Germans and Nazis

October 21, 2014

By Dorothea Shefer-Vanson MEVASSERET ZION, Israel — The German Templers were part of the ‘Christian Zionism’ movement whereby the European powers sought to establish their presence in the Holy Land after 1840. Following their charismatic leader, Christian Hoffman, these adherents of the German Lutheran church, primarily in Wurtemberg, established settlements in Jerusalem, Haifa, Galilee and […]

Templers, Germans and Nazis Read More »

Dorothea Shefer-Vanson, International, Middle East

Book Review: ‘In This Hospitable Land’

October 14, 2014

By Dorothea Shefer-Vanson MEVASSERET ZION, Israel –I have just finished reading In This Hospitable Land by Lynmar Brock Jr. which is based on the childhood experiences of the author’s wife and her family during WWII. It describes in great detail the trials and tribulations of the two Sauverin brothers, Alex and André, their parents, wives and children

Book Review: ‘In This Hospitable Land’ Read More »

Dorothea Shefer-Vanson, International, Jewish History

Multi-tasking is a woman’s special talent

October 8, 2014

By Dorothea Shefer-Vanson MEVASSERET ZION, Israel– “Can’t you see I’m in the middle of doing something?” “I couldn’t write the number down because the phone call woke me up.” “I’ll call you later, I have to finish this now.” These and similar responses are what almost every wife hears when she asks her husband to help

Multi-tasking is a woman’s special talent Read More »

Dorothea Shefer-Vanson

The evolution of the Castel

October 1, 2014

By Dorothea Shefer-Vanson MEVASSERET ZION, Israel — The windows of the upper floor of my house look out towards the hill in the Judaean Mountains known as the Castel, which is today the site of a national park. It is green in winter and grey-brown in summer. I love to paint the view, which is

The evolution of the Castel Read More »

Dorothea Shefer-Vanson, Middle East

Novel depicts German family between the wars

September 30, 2014

By Donald H. Harrison SAN DIEGO — Readers of San Diego Jewish World are familiar with Dorothea Shefer-Vanson through her columns that she sends from the Jerusalem suburb of Mevasseret Zion. They often focus on Israel’s lively music scene. The reporter also is a fine novelist, her latest work being Time Out of Joint: The

Novel depicts German family between the wars Read More »

Donald H. Harrison, Dorothea Shefer-Vanson

A holistic approach to self- realization

September 22, 2014

By Dorothea Shefer-Vanson MEVASSERET ZION, Israel — Minda Garr, a holistic psychotherapist, recently gave a talk about her work to the group of English-speaking women to which I belong. By being aware of our breathing, ‘breathing into your heart,’ as our speaker put it, the individual can attain a sense of inner peace, gain a

A holistic approach to self- realization Read More »

Dorothea Shefer-Vanson, Science, Medicine, & Education

Fifty years of living in Israel

September 7, 2014

By Dorothea Shefer-Vanson MEVASSERET ZION, Israel — It is now almost exactly fifty years since I came to Israel to live. So I suppose you could say that I came on aliyah in September 1964, though I did not get my official status as a new immigrant until June 1967, but that’s another story. When people

Fifty years of living in Israel Read More »

Dorothea Shefer-Vanson, Middle East

The novel our columnist had to write

August 9, 2014

“The time is out of joint. O cursed spite That ever I was born to set it right.” –Shakespeare, Hamlet, Act 1, scene 5 By Dorothea Shefer-Vanson MEVASSERET ZION, Israel (Press Release) — Hamlet expresses so succinctly and poetically what many of us feel as members of the Second Generation when we think about the

The novel our columnist had to write Read More »

Dorothea Shefer-Vanson

War news hard for Israelis traveling elsewhere

July 24, 2014

By Dorothea Shefer-Vanson DOMEYROT, France–It’s an occupational hazard of living in Israel. You live your life, make vacation plans, and then there is a crisis. At first you don’t know how long it will continue and what shape or form it will assume. So you carry on as usual, as best you can, and when

War news hard for Israelis traveling elsewhere Read More »

Dorothea Shefer-Vanson, Middle East, Travel and Food

Books tell of Germany’s destroyed synagogues

July 10, 2014

By Dorothea Shefer-Vanson MEVASSERET ZION, Israel (TNA)–I literally trembled with emotion when I held the two volumes ofPogrom Night 1938: A Memorial to the Destroyed Synagogues of Germany. Together they comprise over seven hundred pages which are packed with information about the more than one thousand synagogues and prayer rooms that existed in pre-WWII Germany

Books tell of Germany’s destroyed synagogues Read More »

Dorothea Shefer-Vanson, Jewish History

Jewish mobs no better than Arab ones

July 6, 2014

By Dorothea Shefer-Vanson MEVASSERET ZION, Israel –One hesitates to write anything about what has been happening in Israel over the last few weeks, and what is still happening. The situation is volatile, in every sense of the word, and what is true at one moment may not be the next. But things have happened, and

Jewish mobs no better than Arab ones Read More »

Dorothea Shefer-Vanson, Middle East

I forget now and it makes me worry

June 29, 2014

By Dorothea Shefer-Vanson MEVASSERET ZION, Israel — Our memory is one of our most precious and valued faculties. I’m always full of admiration for people who remember dates, phone numbers, addresses, how to get to places, and above all people’s names, without having to write everything down. When I was younger I think I had

I forget now and it makes me worry Read More »

Dorothea Shefer-Vanson, Science, Medicine, & Education

Nervously watching the violence all around us

June 22, 2014

By Dorothea Shefer-Vanson MEVASSERET ZION, Israel –The road to hell is paved with good intentions, so the saying goes, and that certainly seems to be the case in the Middle East. Once again (or is it still?) it seems to be well on its way to hell due to the actions of people who think

Nervously watching the violence all around us Read More »

Dorothea Shefer-Vanson, Middle East

Rescue Tape ad demeans women, promotes violence

June 17, 2014

By Dorothea Shefer-Vanson MEVASSERET ZION, Israel — Disgusting! As occasionally happens, one day last week I found myself trailing behind my husband as he undertook several missions involving the purchase of equipment connected with repairs to the house and improvements in the garden. Thus it was that I found myself looking around in an admittedly

Rescue Tape ad demeans women, promotes violence Read More »

Dorothea Shefer-Vanson, Middle East

Templers, Germans and Nazis

Book Review: ‘In This Hospitable Land’

Multi-tasking is a woman’s special talent

The evolution of the Castel

Novel depicts German family between the wars

A holistic approach to self- realization

Fifty years of living in Israel

The novel our columnist had to write

War news hard for Israelis traveling elsewhere

Books tell of Germany’s destroyed synagogues

Jewish mobs no better than Arab ones

I forget now and it makes me worry

Nervously watching the violence all around us

Rescue Tape ad demeans women, promotes violence

Recent Comments

Make a Donation