Dorothea Shefer-Vanson is a freelance journalist based in Mevasseret Zion, Israel.
Her published works, available on Amazon, include:
By Dorothea Shefer-Vanson MEVASSERET ZION, Israel — Whether it’s because I have an M.A. in Communications (with a thesis on the language of the news) or am simply a glutton for punishment, I find it impossible to cut myself off from the nightly news broadcasts on television. The anchormen and women do their best to […]
Cause for Optimism? Read More »
Dorothea Shefer-Vanson, Israel, Opinion
By Dorothea Shefer-Vanson MEVASSERET ZION, Israel — Author Katherine Pangonis notes in her preface to “Queens of Jerusalem: The Women Who Dared to Rule” that “this is a book about women and power.” The wives and daughters of crusader kings and princes in the Holy Land sometimes found themselves in the position of default ruler
‘Queens of Jerusalem’ Book Seeks to Rectify Historians’ Neglect of Women Read More »
Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Dorothea Shefer-Vanson, Israel, Jewish History, Middle EastBy Dorothea Shefer-Vanson MEVASSERET ZION, Israel — For the last few months, Israel’s long-suffering population has been subjected to a double barrage of government legislation on the one hand and demonstrations protesting said legislation on the other. Anyone living in Israel who is not completely cut off from the news media is unable to avoid
By Dorothea Shefer-Vanson MEVASSERET ZION, Israel — From time to time I like to test my ability to read a literary text in Hebrew (the daily newspaper can hardly be called “literary”) by reading a book in that language. After all, I have been living in Israel for almost 60 years and have had to
Meir Shalev’s ‘My Wild Garden’ Brings to Light Israel’s Ethos, History, and Development Read More »
Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Dorothea Shefer-Vanson, IsraelBy Dorothea Shefer-Vanson MEVASSERET ZION, Israel — At the risk of repeating myself (and starting to sound like a cracked record), I feel impelled to write about yet another fascinating musical event I was privileged to attend. “An Evening in Hungary” was the title given to a programme of music primarily from that country performed
An Evening in Hungary Read More »
Dorothea Shefer-Vanson, International, Israel, Music, Dance, and Visual ArtsBy Dorothea Shefer-Vanson JERUSALEM — A small notice tucked away in our local newspaper caught my attention, and the promise of a performance of choral music by Russian composers seemed intriguing. In addition, the venue was an unusual one – the Ratisbonne Monastery in Jerusalem’s Rehavia neighborhood. So, we ordered tickets and turned up on
Musica Aeterna in Jerusalem Read More »
Dorothea Shefer-Vanson, Israel, Music, Dance, and Visual ArtsBy Dorothea Shefer-Vanson I left my homeland of England about 60 years ago and came to live in Israel for a variety of reasons, one of them being the weather. The England that I left behind was a fairly stable country with regard to the composition of its population, which was largely white. There were,
Political Correctness or Madness? Read More »
Dorothea Shefer-Vanson, International, Israel, Lifestyles, OpinionBy Dorothea Shefer-Vanson MEVASSERET ZION, Israel — So many times, on our way back to Jerusalem after spending a few days at the Dead Sea or in Eilat, we passed the sign directing travelers to the Good Samaritan Inn and Mosaic Museum. I often wanted to make the slight detour to visit the site but
The Good Samaritan Inn Read More »
Dorothea Shefer-Vanson, Israel, Travel and FoodBy Dorothea Shefer-Vanson MEVASSERET ZION, Israel — Attending a concert recently in Jerusalem, I suddenly found myself surrounded by ghosts. In the row in front of me sat an elderly woman whose face I recognized but whose name I had forgotten. When I had last seen her, about twenty years ago, she and I were
Ghosts From the Past Read More »
Dorothea Shefer-Vanson, Israel, Lifestyles, OpinionMy love of music even brought me the love of my life. After first meeting at a student party we quickly found out that we both loved classical music, especially chamber music, and our first ‘dates’ consisted of listening to one another’s records of our favorite compositions. [Dorothea Shefer-Vanson]
Music Was the Beginning of Her Love Story Read More »
Dorothea Shefer-Vanson, International, Israel, Music, Dance, and Visual Arts, Travel and FoodBy Dorothea Shefer-Vanson MEVASSERET ZION, Israel — There was a time when an invitation to a wedding or even a party would arrive in the post, artistically embellished, in an envelope with a stamp, plus a smaller card on which to confirm one’s participation in the event, and information about the time, date, and place.
Ceremonies and Celebrations Read More »
Dorothea Shefer-Vanson, Jewish Religion, Lifestyles
By Dorothea Shefer-Vanson MEVASSERET ZION, Israel — While sorting through and getting rid of books in order to accommodate a new item of furniture I came across “The Rothschilds: A Family Portrait,” which I had given to my father for his birthday in 1965. It still bears my dedication, “To Daddy, with love,” reminding me
Revisiting the the Rothschilds Read More »
Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Dorothea Shefer-Vanson, International, Jewish HistoryBy Dorothea Shefer-Vanson MEVASSERET ZION, Israel — It was with a mixture of anticipation and apprehension that we bought tickets for the concert of the Jerusalem Symphony Orchestra in which the first half consisted of the performance of an unknown work entitled “Twelve Tribes” by an unfamiliar composer, Benjamin Yusupov. The attraction of the second
‘Twelve Tribes’ and Music as a Source of Hope Read More »
Dorothea Shefer-Vanson, Israel, Music, Dance, and Visual Arts, Opinion
By Dorothea Shefer-Vanson MEVASSERET ZION, Israel — Something that never ceases to amaze (and annoy) me is the extent to which various euphemisms are used to describe what happened in the Holocaust to 6 million Jews. Why is everyone — whether individuals, politicians or scholars — so reluctant to use the correct term: murder? For
Died, Disappeared, Perished Read More »
Dorothea Shefer-Vanson, Holocaust, International, Opinion