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 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, OpinionBy Dorothea Shefer-Vanson MEVASSERET ZION, Israel — This year’s Passover festival began under the cloud that has enveloped Israel ever since the mass demonstrations protesting the so-called “legal reform” began. Yet preparations for the festival went ahead in the customary fashion, with spring cleaning and food purchases and preparations much as usual. By a quirk
Difficult Times During Passover in Israel Read More »
Dorothea Shefer-Vanson, Israel, OpinionBy Dorothea Shefer-Vanson MEVASSERET ZION, Israel — The echoes of events that happened in Germany just a few decades ago are continuing to disturb my peace of mind and give me sleepless nights. We all know that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s position is precarious and that his main goal is to avoid having to stand
Worrying Echoes in Israel Read More »
Dorothea Shefer-Vanson, Israel, OpinionBy Dorothea Shefer-Vanson MEVASSERET ZION, Israel — Times are hard at the moment in Israel, with a sense of impending doom hanging over us as the politicians continue to pursue their objectives at all costs. So for a bit of light relief one goes to a production of Mozart’s marvellous opera Don Giovanni in the
A Night at the Opera in Israel Read More »
Dorothea Shefer-Vanson, Israel, Music, Dance, and Visual ArtsBy Dorothea Shefer-Vanson MEVASSERET ZION, Israel — Since my childhood in London, I have enjoyed being able to read a newspaper that is delivered to my house every morning. In England this was pushed through our letterbox and appeared on our carpeted hallway floor. In Israel it is thrown onto our driveway from the car
Israel Has Reached a Sorry State of Affairs — But Do Not Despair Read More »
Dorothea Shefer-Vanson, Israel, Opinion
“La Rafle des Notables” (The Deportation of Prominent Jews), by Anne Sinclair, published by Bernard Grasset, Paris, 2017. By Dorothea Shefer-Vanson MEVASSERET ZION, Israel — Anne Sinclair, noted French writer and journalist, has written extensively about the Holocaust and how it affected her family. In this book she focuses on the arrest and deportation to
The Raw, Harrowing Facts on the Holocaust in France Read More »
Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Dorothea Shefer-Vanson, Holocaust, InternationalBy Dorothea Shefer-Vanson MEVASSERET ZION, Israel — Now that the review, revision, even reversion, of basic principles in the judiciary has come to the fore of Israel’s political life it would seem to be appropriate to extend the approach to other spheres which till now have held sway and been considered sacrosanct. The time
By Dorothea Shefer-Vanson MEVASSERET ZION, Israel — The topic for discussion at the meeting last week was, “Which time of your life would you like to go back to?” During the pandemic the group of people who meet every two weeks to engage in German conversation held Zoom meetings instead of physical ones, and this
The Best Time of Our Lives Read More »
Dorothea Shefer-Vanson, Lifestyles
By Dorothea Shefer-Vanson MEVASSERET ZION, Israel — The music of Gustav Mahler is not everyone’s cup of tea, and this applies especially to his later works, starting with his sixth symphony. However, at last week’s concert given by the Jerusalem Symphony Orchestra under the baton of Maestro Leon Botstein, the auditorium was packed, evidently with
The Mahler Experience Read More »
Dorothea Shefer-Vanson, Israel, Music, Dance, and Visual ArtsHorrifying statement from a newly elected MK: “Our banner is one of unambiguous war on progress. The status-quo has to be changed, ensuring that Judaism is acknowledged in every corner of the life of the State. Israel will be a country that observes the Sabbath in public, homosexual families will not be given recognition, and women will not serve in the army; their contribution will be to marry and produce a family. We will not be like countries that are for all their citizens. Heaven forfend. The values of Judaism supersede all individual rights. Look, I’m getting tools and budgets, I’m here to work, and we will clean up the public systems. Watch me, I’m patient, this is just the beginning of the beginning.” [Dorothea Sherfer-Vanson]
A Case of Theological Thuggery in Israel Read More »
Dorothea Shefer-Vanson, Israel, Jewish Religion, Opinion
By Dorothea Shefer-Vanson MEVASSERET ZION, Israel — Generous American donors have provided the money to build a museum honouring Shelby White and Leon Levy, to house in situ the huge mosaic dating from the Roman occupation of ancient Judaea. The town of Lod (Lydda) has been inhabited for millennia, and is mentioned in the Bible
The Roman Mosaic in Lod Read More »
Dorothea Shefer-Vanson, Israel, Jewish HistoryThis book, written by a well-known TV personality specializing in economic subjects, aims to present the issues and obstacles the average Israeli encounters in dealing with economic matters and bureaucracy, writing about complex subjects in a way that is accessible to all. [Dorothea Shefer-Vanson]
Readable Book Takes the ‘Dismal’ out of the ‘Dismal Science’ Read More »
Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Dorothea Shefer-Vanson, Science, Medicine, & Education
By Dorothea Shefer-Vanson MEVASSERET ZION, Israel — Winter has been reluctant to arrive here in Israel, and as I write this in mid-December we can enjoy the balmy sunshine (and not having to heat our homes), though our fields and gardens yearn for rain. However, the silver lining to the lack of clouds is that
A Kind of Coexistence Read More »
Dorothea Shefer-Vanson, Israel, Lifestyles, Opinion
By Dorothea Shefer-Vanson MEVASSERET ZION, Israel — Secular poetry written in a mixture of Latin, medieval German and French by groups of monks and scholars in the 13th century were set to music in the 20th century by the German composer, Carl Orff. The orchestration calls for an especially large orchestra (with extensive timpani and
A Musical Experience Like No Other in Jerusalem Read More »
Dorothea Shefer-Vanson, Israel, Music, Dance, and Visual Arts