Dorothea Shefer-Vanson

Dorothea Shefer-Vanson

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

* A Ruffled Calm

* 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

European Family’s Lives Tracked Through Several Countries and Holocaust

Particularly telling is the account of the way the German occupiers gradually close in on the Jewish population, depriving them of their rights and property and eventually deporting them in [ cattle trains to concentration camps in the east, with the cooperation of the French authorities. All those events are described in harrowing detail. [Dorothea Shefer-Vanson]

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Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Dorothea Shefer-Vanson, Holocaust, International, Staff and Bylined Contributors

Fast-Moving Events in Israel and the Middle East Make Heads Spin

Our minds and hearts are still reeling from the events of the last year, starting with the vile attack on kibbutzim and towns in the south by Hamas, the subsequent war in Gaza, political division in Israel and the current trial for corruption of Prime Minister Netanyahu, when we find our northern neighbor and enemy, Syria, in turmoil as a result of the rebel groups’ overthrow of Assad’s murderous regime. [Dorothea Shefer-Vanson]

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Dorothea Shefer-Vanson, Israel, Lifestyles, Middle East, Opinion, Staff and Bylined Contributors

Maybe it’s Because I’m a Londoner…

Spending a week in London in mid-November is not really a good idea for someone who has become used to the Mediterranean climate of Israel, but the arrival there of our son from Las Vegas proved an overriding attraction, so we went. [Dorothea Shefer-Vanson]

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Dorothea Shefer-Vanson, International, Israel, Jewish History, Music, Dance, and Visual Arts, Staff and Bylined Contributors, Theatre, Film & Broadcast, Travel and Food

Classic Debates in Israel’s Parliament

I found myself involved in the translation of five of the six volumes of Major Knesset Debates, 1948–1981, edited by former Clerk of the Knesset, Netanel Lorch. This project, which occupied me for several years, gave me a unique insight into the workings of the Knesset and the nature of the debates held there as well as of the various individuals (i.e., politicians) who participated in those debates. [Dorothea Shefer-Vanson]

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Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Dorothea Shefer-Vanson, Israel, Staff and Bylined Contributors

Mending Broken IDF Soldiers

Many Israelis, whether as individuals in groups or associations, have taken it upon themselves to provide ‘extra-curricular’ help to the wounded soldiers, visiting them in hospitals, bringing them food or special treats, and generally doing what they can to improve the morale of sturdy young men who suddenly find themselves in a situation of near-helplessness.[Dorothea Shefer-Vanson]

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Dorothea Shefer-Vanson, Israel, Science, Medicine, & Education, Staff and Bylined Contributors, Travel and Food

OpEd: Israel Has Lost or Abandoned Its Founding Values

The thing that bothers me most is that we seem to have lost a sense of unity of purpose. What was once a liberal, democratic and egalitarian society is now one that is riven by discord and disunity, with political figures seeking to impose values which negate the principles outlined by our founding fathers. [Dorothea Shefer-Vanson]

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Dorothea Shefer-Vanson, Israel, Opinion, Staff and Bylined Contributors

Handel’s ‘Messiah’ at Historic Church in Abu Ghosh a Welcome Respite from War’s Impact

Suddenly this year, in the midst of the war and tragedy that has befallen us, there was a beam of light. The Israel Barrocada Ensemble, which plays on period instruments and has been giving concerts in Tel Aviv, announced that it was returning to Abu Ghosh, and would start with a performance of Handel’s ‘Messiah.’ The sublime music, using texts taken from Isaiah, Psalms and other books of the Bible, has always inspired me and uplifted my spirit. [Dorothea Shefer-Vanson]

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Dorothea Shefer-Vanson, International, Israel, Jewish Religion, Music, Dance, and Visual Arts, Staff and Bylined Contributors

Jerusalemites Have Been Mostly Spared, but They Worry About Israelis Elsewhere

I live just outside Jerusalem, and this central part of Israel has been less subjected to rockets fired by Hamas and Hezbollah, though the missiles from Iran have been directed here. The bottom line is that we have not had to go to our bomb shelter as often as our compatriots in the north and south of the country. [Dorothea Shefer-Vanson]

Jerusalemites Have Been Mostly Spared, but They Worry About Israelis Elsewhere Read More »

Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Dorothea Shefer-Vanson, International, Israel, Lifestyles, Staff and Bylined Contributors

Britain’s Sky News’ Reporter’s Bias is Obvious in Wake of IDF’s Incursion into Lebanon

In the wake of the IDF’s incursion into Lebanon, accompanied by its advice to residents there to leave in order to avoid civilian casualties, the far-from-objective Sky News correspondent bewailed the exodus of the population there after having ignored the similar fate suffered by tens of thousands of Israelis in the north of Israel for the past year. [Dorothea Shefer-Vanson]

Britain’s Sky News’ Reporter’s Bias is Obvious in Wake of IDF’s Incursion into Lebanon Read More »

Dorothea Shefer-Vanson, International, Israel, Middle East, News Media, Staff and Bylined Contributors, Theatre, Film & Broadcast

International Media Ignores Suffering of Israelis in Current Warfare

The screen is full of scenes of cars, trucks and other vehicles stuck bumper to bumper and packed to the brim with families fleeing southern Lebanon to get away from the region being bombarded by Israel. As is the case in Gaza, the UN is concerned about the fate of the children. Funnily enough, the UN showed little concern for the fate of Israeli children … [Dorothea Shefer-Vanson]

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Dorothea Shefer-Vanson, Israel, Middle East, News Media, Staff and Bylined Contributors

Lost ID Card the First Trouble with New Car Company

Before leaving on holiday, we handed in our current car and were told that the ship bringing the fresh batch of vehicles would be reaching Israel in our absence, the procedure for registering the change in ownership would be undertaken by the company, and for that purpose we were told to leave our ID cards there. This we did willingly, glad to be relieved of at least one bureaucratic headache. [Dorothea Shefer-Vanson]

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Business & Finance, Dorothea Shefer-Vanson, Israel, Staff and Bylined Contributors

Return to Israel after a Vacation a Pleasure Despite All

Life in Israel is anything but sweet at the moment, with a difficult political situation, war in Gaza, over one hundred hostages still being held by Hamas and the heat of high summer. And yet, coming back to our home after being away for over a month was sweet and enjoyable. [Dorothea Shefer-Vanson]

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Dorothea Shefer-Vanson, International, Israel, Music, Dance, and Visual Arts, Staff and Bylined Contributors, Travel and Food

From Bachfest to Bookfest

I was lucky enough to be able to participate in the first annual Bookfest, held in the nearby village of Gouzon and organized by two enterprising young women, Judi Alexander Castille and Vicky Eveleigh. The event enabled authors to display and sell their books, and also to give a reading to the assembled audience. [Dorothea Shefer-Vanson]

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Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Dorothea Shefer-Vanson, International, Staff and Bylined Contributors

At Libraries: Novel Imagines the Worries of Marcel Proust’s Mother

My perseverance paid off, however, and I soon found myself immersed in what seemed to be the diary entries kept by the woman who was Marcel Proust’s mother, describing the daily life of a bourgeois family, of whom the son, Marcel, was a constant source of worry, and sometimes even anguish. [Dorothea Shefer-Vanson]

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Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Dorothea Shefer-Vanson, Staff and Bylined Contributors