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
By Dorothea Shefer-Vanson EILAT, Israel — A trip to this Red Sea city from Jerusalem is always a pleasure, and especially in the winter, when the weather in Jerusalem is cold and rainy. The four-hour drive takes one through the Judean Desert, along the Dead Sea, and down to the Negev. The mountains in Jordan, […]
A festival and a car trip of note Read More »
Dorothea Shefer-VansonBy Dorothea Shefer-Vanson MEVASSERET ZION, Israel — The arrest and arraignment in New York of DSK (Dominique Strauss-Kahn) was somewhat ‘déjà vu’ for Israelis. There is something both terrible and fascinating in seeing a prominent, successful and influential personage brought down low in public. The sight of the haggard face and pitiful stance as they
The sexual hubris of some men in power Read More »
Dorothea Shefer-VansonBy Dorothea Shefer-Vanson MEVASSERET ZION, Israel – People in this country are accustomed to grumbling about everything – the government, the cost of living and above all the weather. They are not, or at least have not been in the past, accustomed to doing anything much about any of them. This is in contrast to
Man-on-the-street protests focus on everyday annoyances Read More »
Dorothea Shefer-Vanson, Middle EastBy Dorothea Shefer-Vanson MEVASSERET ZION, Israel — As an alumna of the London School of Economics, I received the following notification by email at the beginning of March: ‘It is with great regret that I am writing to inform you … that the LSE Council has accepted the offer of resignation of Sir Howard Davies as
A disgrace for the London School of Economics Read More »
Dorothea Shefer-Vanson, Science, Medicine, & EducationBy Dorothea Shefer-Vanson Dorothea Shefer-Vanson JERUSALEM– A chance encounter led me to the offices of IMPACT, the Institute for Monitoring Peace and Cultural Tolerance in School Education, where I was able to learn about their work and see for myself the fruits of their labour from its acting director, educational counselor Shelley Elkayam. Situated in
What Muslim countries teach their students about Jews Read More »
Dorothea Shefer-Vanson, Travel and FoodBy Dorothea Shefer-Vanson MEVASSERET ZION, Israel — We watch the news on TV where we are informed that murder and mayhem, death and destruction are raging all around us. Regimes are changing in the wake of mass demonstrations, some more violent than others, in several countries nearby. But we look out of the window and
If Middle East is in turmoil, why does life seem so pleasant? Read More »
Dorothea Shefer-Vanson, Middle EastBy Dorothea Shefer-Vanson JERUSALEM — After several years of work, the reconstruction of the Israel Museum ended last summer when, amid fanfares and extensive publicity, the museum re-opened its doors to the public. We volunteers did not stop working during the period of renovation, but our activities were severely curtailed. So it was with great
‘Less is more’ at the reconstructed Israel Museum Read More »
Dorothea Shefer-VansonBy Dorothea Shefer-Vanson MEVASSERET ZION, Israel — A chance encounter led me to the offices of IMPACT, the Institute for Monitoring Peace and Cultural Tolerance in School Education, where I was able to learn about their work and see for myself the fruits of their labour from its acting director, psychologist Shelley Elkayam. Situated in
How Middle Eastern countries teach children about the ‘other’ Read More »
Dorothea Shefer-Vanson, Science, Medicine, & EducationBy Dorothea Shefer-Vanson MEVASSERET ZION, Israel — Last year the world marked the anniversary of Mahler’s birth and death, so that we were able to attend more performances of of his music than is usually the case. I was therefore not surprised to find that at the first concert of the season the Jerusalem
My Love Affair with Mahler Read More »
Dorothea Shefer-VansonBy Dorothea Shefer-Vanson MEVASSERET ZION, Israel–Despite claims to the contrary, Israel is a secular country. There is, however, a modicum of truth in the assertion that the stream of Judaism defined as orthodox exerts undue influence, both political and social, over various aspects of life in Israel. Notwithstanding, the majority of Israelis remain doggedly secular,
Paradoxical as it sounds, the majority of this Jewish country is secular Read More »
Dorothea Shefer-Vanson, Jewish ReligionBy Dorothea Shefer-Vanson MEVASSERET ZION, Israel — I never know whether to laugh or cry when I read those perennial complaints that things are getting worse, the country (no matter which) is going to the dogs and ‘fings ain’t wot they used to be.’ The trouble is that change happens, it is inevitable, we are
Jewish critics of Israel need to accept the facts of life Read More »
Dorothea Shefer-Vanson, Middle EastBy Dorothea Shefer-Vanson MITZPEH RAMON, Israel — I’ve never been to a passing-out parade at Sandhurst or West Point, and am not likely ever to go to one, but I have a sneaking suspicion that the ceremony at which my granddaughter was made an officer in Israel’s Air Force (no, she’s not a pilot) was
My granddaughter, the Air Force officer Read More »
Dorothea Shefer-VansonBy Dorothea Shefer-Vanson MEVASSERET ZION, Israel–The Punic Wars, the Roman Empire; the migrations and conquests of the Germanic tribes; the Visigoths, the Ostrogoths, the Barbarians; the split between the Roman and the Byzantine churches; the Islamic conquest of Spain; Charlemagne; the Wars of the Three Brothers, which ended with the treaty of Verdun in 843; the
Europe’s history of warfare, treachery, and peace offers lessons to Israel Read More »
Dorothea Shefer-VansonBy Dorothea Shefer-Vanson JERUSALEM–As a child in London in the 1950s I enjoyed listening to the radio on the days that I managed to persuade my mother that I was too ill to go to school. Somewhere between ‘Whistle While you Work’ and ‘Mrs. Dale’s Diary’ was a programme where someone with a German accent
Bird Watching in Jerusalem Read More »
Dorothea Shefer-Vanson, Middle East