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 — Some time ago I was given a small book, Jeder Tag in Theresienstadt ist ein Geschenk; Die Theresienstadter Tagebücher einer Hamburger Jüdin, 1943-1945 (‘Every Day in Theresienstadt is a Gift’) by Martha Glass, published in 1996 by the Hamburg Department for Political Education with an introduction by Barbara […]
On Translating Martha Glass’s Diary Read More »
Dorothea Shefer-VansonBy Dorothea Shefer-Vanson MEVASSERET ZION, Israel – Reading the recent review of the Chula Vista production of the play, The Diary of Anne Frank, I was taken back twenty-five years, to the year I spent in Lincoln, Nebraska, where my husband was teaching at the University. The Cliff’s Notes publisher of booklets intended to
The Via Dolorosa of Anne Frank Read More »
Dorothea Shefer-VansonBy Dorothea Shefer-Vanson MEVASSERET ZION, Israel — So once again British hooligans managed to disrupt a concert given by Israeli musicians in London, this time one given by the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra at the Proms last September. This follows a similar interruption of a performance by the Jerusalem Quartet at the Wigmore Hall earlier in
The cacaphony of Palestinian violence Read More »
Dorothea Shefer-Vanson, Middle EastBy Dorothea Shefer-Vanson MEVASSERET ZION, Israel — Reading about a conference on genocide held in Frankfurt, Germany, in March 2011 which appeared in Second Generation Voices, a journal for and by the descendants of Holocaust survivors which is published in England, I found myself shaking my head in disbelief. Admittedly, the title of the conference
Palestinians: victims or persecutors? Read More »
Dorothea Shefer-Vanson, Middle EastBy 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 Religion