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 — 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, & EducationBy 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 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-VansonBy 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 FoodBy 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 HistoryBy 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 EastBy 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, & EducationBy 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
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 EastTzippora Price, Mother in Action: Exploring the Inner World of Motherhood, Menucha Publishers, ISBN 97816145130-7, 133 pages. By Dorothea Shefer-Vanson MEVASSERET ZION, Israel — First of all, the title is a misnomer, as the first part of the book is concerned with the author’s personal journey from college student in the USA to devout Jewess
‘Motherhood’ book unappealing for secular readers Read More »
Dorothea Shefer-Vanson, Jewish Religion, Science, Medicine, & Education
By Dorothea Shefer-Vanson JERUSALEM — Snakes Alive! The setting was a club for retired people in one of Jerusalem’s more prosperous and prestigious neighbourhoods. Most of its members are ladies of a certain age or more, well-dressed, well-coiffed and well-preserved, with a sprinkling of elderly gents. They spend their spare time engaging in activities which
The snake is a creature of many metaphors Read More »
Dorothea Shefer-Vanson, Science, Medicine, & EducationBy Dorothea Shefer-Vanson MEVASSERET ZION, Israel — A performance of Gabriel Fauré’s Requiem by my local choir, the Mevasseret Choir, in which several of my friends and neighbours sing, was more than enough to entice me to attend their recent concert, which was given in the Augusta Victoria church. The imposing church-hospital complex, which is
Jewish audience enjoys concert in a Protestant church Read More »
Dorothea Shefer-Vanson, Middle East
By Dorothea Shefer-Vanson JERUSALEM–Over and above the scandal and shenanigans surrounding the prosecution, trial and eventual conviction for accepting bribes and betraying the voters’ trust by the erstwhile mayor of Jerusalem and former Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and his associates is the very material existence of the building that lies at the heart of
Political corruption manifested in towering eyesore Read More »
Dorothea Shefer-Vanson, Jewish History, Middle EastBy Dorothea Shefer-Vanson MEVASSERET ZION, Israel — As anyone who regularly attends events at the Jerusalem Theatre knows, it’s difficult to find a good parking place for one’s car there. The solution that works best for us is to get there well ahead of time. The problem then is, what do you do with all
Meeting a talent on the trail of the arts Read More »
Dorothea Shefer-Vanson, Middle East