My father, Jerome A Gordon, arguably the most accomplished and “colorful” non-celebrity I had known or could know, passed away last week...

On Sunday we (Marian, Ranana, Micah, Alyssa, Ezra, Shiri and I) decided to visit Herodium, which is near Efrat. Herod was known for his...

This may be my last blog (or next-to-last) from Israel -- my abridged 3-month Sabbatical is coming to a close and Pesach is near. Marian...

Israelis are by-and-large “reserved.” In St Louis, people usually wave, say hello, and respond with a smile. Some Israelis stare a bit...

I take this opportunity to explain Israeli politics as I see them. Recently Israel’s police department recommended that the chief...

I wasn’t sure what to expect. How would the yeshivah in particular, and Israel in general (at least in Efrat), celebrate Tu bi-Sh’vat...

This past Shabbat I traveled north to Haifa for the Bar Mitzvah of Moshe, a cousin of Shiri (Ezra’s wife). Shiri’s Moroccan family is...

There is an energetic buzz in the Beit Midrash. Sixty or 70 students, nearly all in their early 20’s, are studying, usually in a...

It took me about two weeks to settle into a routine. I shopped and organized my apartment, started to acquaint myself with Efrat, and...

This pre-Shabbat’s drive, unlike last week’s excursion to Elkanah, took only about five minutes. It meant that on Friday, with limited...