My Son in Greens
On his way back from Tel Aviv, 18-year-old Amir called to ask if I could pick him at the Jerusalem Central Bus Station. He was carrying a heavy bag and didn’t want to schlep it all the way home. Fair enough.I arrived at our agreed upon meeting place but I didn’t see my son. “I’m just before the traffic circle,” I said to Amir over the cell phone. “Which circle?” he asked. “The one next to the parking lot,” I replied. “I’m there,” he said. “I don’t see you…wait a minute…are you wearing greens?”And there he was, sauntering down the sid

Introducing SiddurWiki
When my father died in March, I posted an article on how it has been difficult for me to say Kaddish on a regular basis. Instead, I proposed to sponsor a series of events that over the course of the 12 months of mourning would serve the goal of “ilu’i nishmato” – to “elevate the essence of who he was.” The first of those events was held in June in Jerusalem. It was evening of stories and song” in honor of my father. I’d like to now announce the second “event” – this time a virtual

Oud v’Rikoud
The annual Jerusalem International Oud Festival has become the leading event of its kind on the ethnic music calendar. Now in its tenth year, the festival, which kicks off tonight, lasts for 16 days and includes shows in both Jerusalem and Nazareth. But those of us fortunate to have attended last week’s “Boogie Nights” dance party got a special sneak preview.Boogie is a Jerusalem institution. A twice-monthly feel good free movement extravaganza, Boogie is a place

A Mohel in Jerusalem
Last week our mohel, Rabbi Chanan Feld, passed away in Berkeley. I say “our” mohel – he presided over our now 18-year-old son Amir’s brit mila (ritual circumcision) in 1991 - but he really belonged to the entire northern half of California where he touched the lives of literally thousands of new parents and their offspring over a career that spanned some 20 years. In accordance with his wishes, Feld was buried Monday on Jerusalem’s Mount of Olives

A Night in the Desert
Feeling stressed out? Need to get away from it all? Here’s a travel tip that will take you so far off the beaten track, there’s barely a road to get there. Succa Bamidbar (Succa in the Desert) is about as distant from civilization as you can get in Israel. Located 5 km from the already remote Mitzpe Ramon (a three and a half hour drive from Jerusalem or Tel Aviv) Succa Bamidbar is an ecological experiment in living among the sagebrush. The establishment, founded in 1990 and run by the amiable Avi Dror and Chen Hadar, consists of 8 small cabins scattered across a barren rocky hillside. The