Back-to-Israel

New Blog Address

2014-02-24T11:48:00.001+02:00

Hi,

After 3 yrs on this blogging site, I decided to get my blog a "place of its own"... I recently moved my "Back-to-Israel" blog to a new hosting location: http://back-to-israel.com

If you subscribed to email updates on this blog, and you wish to continue receiving them, please make sure you subscribe (again) at the new location. Sorry for the inconvenience.

I hope to see you all at the new site...

Baruch

Israeli-Palestinian “Peace in our Lifetime”?

2014-02-21T15:36:00.002+02:00

I just concluded watching an in-depth interview conducted by Ilana Dayan, one of Israel’s top TV journalists. Mrs. Dayan is our local version of Barbara Walters, and her show - “Evidence” (עובדה) focuses on strategic issues and the people behind them. The main interviewee this time was John Kerry – United States Secretary of State. The subject was the current Israeli-Palestinian peace talks. It was a riveting show, and the subject certainly significant to anyone living in this region.

Will Israel Real-Estate Bubble Burst?

2014-01-10T13:43:00.000+02:00

Post moved to: http://back-to-israel.com/2014/01/10/will-israel-real-estate-bubble-burst/

Celebrating 2014 with Celebrities

2014-01-01T22:17:00.000+02:00

I have celebrated more than a few New Year Eves. Some involved a noisy dance party. Others were simply a get-together with friends and a glass of champagne. At times we chose to stay home, cuddled in front of the TV, and waited for the “ball drop” in Times Square. And oh, there were times we couldn't quite stay awake, and fell asleep before midnight. Anyway, the 2014 New Year Eve was quite different…

Golan Heights – Between Heaven and Hell

2013-12-27T00:19:00.000+02:00

Last week I visited the Golan Heights twice. On Wednesday, I drove up to Mt. Hermon with a friend to do some skiing. On Friday and Saturday I went up with a group of friends and we hiked two segments of the ‘Golan Trail’ (שביל הגולן). The winter storm that blew a week earlier covered the Golan Heights with fresh snow - the whole area turned into a “fantasy land”. The Israeli side of the border was filled with visitors who came up to play in the snow. But on the Syrian side, you could hear explosions and heavy machine guns, as the battles raged between pro and anti-government forces. It was a surreal experience.

Abolishing the [financial] Pyramids

2013-12-11T22:10:00.000+02:00

For thousands of years Jews have been celebrating Passover. Celebrating the liberation of our forefathers from slavery in Egypt, where many broke their backs building the Pyramids. While ancient pyramids serve as archeological artifacts now days, new types of pyramids are still being built. Over the past decade, several “financial pyramids” have been erected in Israel, exploiting the fruits of labor of common people. But this past week, the process of abolishing these pyramids achieved a few important milestones.

Rediscovering Talmud

2013-11-21T12:07:00.001+02:00

I consider myself reasonably well educated, with elementary school, high school, under-graduate school, and grad school under my belt. I do read quite a bit – books, newspapers, magazines, websites and blogs. But I have never opened a Talmud book. That is until yesterday…

The Future of Israeli Debate

2013-11-13T18:05:00.000+02:00

When I watched political debates in the US, I couldn't help being impressed. The participants (mostly) played by the rules: when one party spoke, the other listened; arguments made by one side, were carefully countered by the other. Not so in a typical “Israeli debate”: participants tend to speak over each other, there is very little listening, and the whole thing often turns into a “shouting match”. But before you shake your head in frustration, know that I have seen the future - and there is hope!

NetBus: the bus-goer “Waze”

2013-10-16T01:16:00.000+03:00

Today I traveled to Tel Aviv on a public bus. “You rode on a bus???” you must be asking, “are you CRAZY?!” The answers are “yes”, and “no”. I did ride on a bus, and I am not crazy. True, most of the times I travel to Tel Aviv I use my own car. But the process has become quite unbearable, especially if I need to get somewhere during “rush hour”, which seems to be any time between 7:00am and 8:00pm. So rather than battle with other drivers on the road, hunt desperately for parking, and pay for expensive gasoline, I decided to take a bus.

Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Middle-East Peace

2013-10-07T17:13:00.000+03:00

I just finished taking a class called “Selected problems in Ethics”. It was my third class in philosophy, and I am finally starting to get the hang of it. Frankly, after spending most of my earlier life studying topics such as computer engineering, finance and marketing, my brain synapses evolved in a very specific way. I used to regard philosophy as a pointless rambling, but I am beginning to realize it actually tackles some of our most existential questions. I actually find it quite relevant to daily existence here in the Middle East.

Between Yom Kippur War and 9/11

2013-09-14T18:03:00.001+03:00

This is a special memorial week: it marks the 40^th anniversary of Israel’s Yom Kippur War and the 12^th anniversary of the 9/11 terror attack in the USA. These are major events that shaped the mindset and future of Israelis and Americans. I have lived through both events, and the impact has been profound.

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Jerusalem: City of wonder or blunder?

2013-08-05T15:24:00.000+03:00

A couple of weeks ago we joined our friends on a tour of Jerusalem. The tour guide took us to see buildings that were built by the “European powers” during the 19^th-20^th centuries. The Germans, the Italians, the French, the Russians and other nations rushed to purchase land in the holy city and build a church, a hospital, a school or a monument. Each nation wanted to own its own piece of heaven.Read more »

For the Love of Dance

2013-07-15T18:39:00.000+03:00

I used to love watching modern dance performances. I saw most, if not all of Ohad Naharin earlier work, and there were hardly any new productions by the Bat Sheva Dance Company that I missed. Visiting the Susan Dellal center for modern dance in Tel Aviv was a treat. And the bonus was the opportunity to stroll through the beautiful nearby Neve Tzedek neighborhood. But that was then.

iTravel: Traveling in the Age of Internet

2013-05-19T16:16:00.002+03:00

I have done a lot of foreign travel, both on business and for pleasure. Over the years I learned how to find my way and manage in just about any “civilized” foreign country. Armed with a local map and a guide book my wife and I conquered many countries. We felt that a little bit of surprise and moderate adventure just adds spice to the trip. But these were the days before the iPhone.

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President Obama Speech in Israel

2013-03-24T21:34:00.001+02:00

“Peace is Necessary, Just and Possible”

Last week President Barack Obama visited Israel. I can’t help but admire the guy. He is charismatic, eloquent, attentive and smart. Just the kind of guy you’d like to see at the helm of a country. I didn't watch every single event, visit or conversation he was engaged in, but I saw enough to be impressed. I particularly liked his speech to young Israelis, which he delivered to a crowd of over 2500 students from all over Israel. The punch line was that Israelis need to strive for peace.
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Yodfat – the lesser known Masada

2013-03-11T13:59:00.000+02:00

Last week I was on a trip to the Galilee – an area located in the northern part of Israel. We toured a specific region called Misgav and visited some its villages and historic sites. The Galilee is blooming this time of the year, with green hills and flowers everywhere. But the highlight of the tour for me was a visit to the ancient town of Yodfat. It was the site of an epic battle during the Great Jewish Revolt against the Romans (67-73 AD).

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Close Encounters of the Police kind

2013-02-27T21:22:00.003+02:00

I have been a volunteer traffic police officer for almost 6 months now. I usually do my shifts on Thursday evening, roaming the streets of southern Tel-Aviv and Jaffa. I ride in a police car with a regular traffic officer, and together we try to bring some order to the chaotic traffic scene of southern Tel-Aviv. I have been involved in stopping and occasionally ticketing dozens of drivers so far, from all walks of life. Depending on your point of view, these “close encounters” can be either entertaining, or a sad view of society.

Steve Jobs - the Power of Passion

2013-02-21T14:23:00.001+02:00

I just finished reading the biography of Steve Jobs. I happened to read the electronic version on my iPad, just as Steve would have liked it. I am not the type that gets easily impressed, but I found this book captivating. More often than not, I start reading a book only to set it aside one third into it. I have a pile of books which are marked “to be finished”... But I kept reading Steve Jobs’ biography on a daily basis and finished it “cover to cover”.
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No “Hug” button on Skype

2013-01-23T15:55:00.002+02:00

I recently came back from a 3.5 weeks visit in the US. We spent about half the time in New York, and the other half in California - a coast-to-coast visit. It was quite a journey that blended sightseeing, entertainment, restaurants, shopping, meeting friends, and most importantly: family reunion. With all the wonders of modern communication, it seems that "good old" air travel is not obsolete just yet.

Israel and Hamas: Who won the last round?

2012-11-28T00:50:00.000+02:00

Operation Pillar of Defense lasted eight days, during which Israel and Hamas exchanged numerous blows. This “boxing match” was the latest round of violence between Israel and the militant organizations based in Gaza, including Hamas, Islamic Jihad and a few smaller factions. During eight long days, Hamas and its allies fired rockets and mortars into Israeli cities, while Israel dropped precision bombs on infrastructure and fired guided missiles at Palestinian militants. With 1500 rockets matched by 1500 air raids, one might wonder “who won this round?” ^(*)
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The Value of Technology Education

2012-11-21T15:17:00.001+02:00

I graduated from high school over 35yrs ago. All these years I never came back to visit. Granted, there were logistical reasons, such as living over 7000 miles away for the past 20yrs. But let’s face it, there were emotional reasons as well. High school wasn’t much fun for me. It involved long days, tons of homework, strict discipline, and hardly any social life. Today I returned to my high school to give a talk about: “The value of technology education”. It was an interesting experience, to say the least, kind of "back to the Future".

Don’t Argue With a Traffic Officer

2012-11-06T16:47:00.000+02:00

I recently started doing my volunteer shifts with the Tel-Aviv traffic police. I spend 5hrs each week accompanying a traffic police officer on his duty. We help some drivers and pedestrians, attend to traffic accidents, and issue traffic tickets. The latter gives me an opportunity to experience the interaction between drivers and traffic officers – this time from the other side of the fence. I have one suggestion for drivers out there – please don’t argue with a traffic officer…
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Israel and Apartheid – never the twain shall meet?

2012-10-28T20:41:00.000+02:00

Post moved to: http://back-to-israel.com/2012/10/28/israel-and-apartheid-never-the-twain-shall-meet/

Don’t Blame the [Orthodox] Jews…

2012-10-22T23:02:00.000+02:00

Before the state of Israel existed, the majority of Jewish people lived in the diaspora. For centuries they served as “scapegoats” for their gentile neighbors. Famine? Plague? Financial crisis? War? Simply blame the Jews. Clearly they have done “something” to bring that disaster about. But these were the “dark ages”, when antisemitism was the popular thing to do. Thankfully we are in the 21^st century - the Jews have a state of their own, and “blaming Jews” is a thing of the past. Not quite…
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Tour de Tel-Aviv

2012-10-06T22:10:00.000+02:00

When you think bicycles, you probably think ‘Tour de France’. Well, think again. Tel Aviv has its own bike tour, called ‘סובב תל-אביב’ (i.e. Around Tel Aviv). And true to Tel Aviv style, it is a grand happening: major streets are turned into bike lanes (including ‘Ayalon’ highway), and thousands of bicycle riders gush the streets.