Like Clay in the Hands of the Potter
One of the most compelling piyyutim poems in the Yom Kippur prayers (piyyut here) compares the relationship between Man and God through metaphors centering around…
Hole in the Wall
The gates of Jerusalem's Old City are not only ways to get inside the city. Each one is a site with a history of its…
The Golden Age of Tzfat
When one visits Tzfat (Safed) today, one tends to focus on the spiritual, kabbalistic aspects of the city. Perhaps a side note or two will…
Fundamentals in Hebron
Ownership and control of holy places is very much in the news these days in Israel. Whether from committees sitting thousands of miles away or…
Board Crusaders
"I'm bored," is a phrase uttered by children and a thorn in the side of many overwhelmed parents. How can children be bored when there…
Crusader Mom
History tends to be his-story; but every once in a while, in the annals of history you come upon her-story. One such maker of her-story…
Traditional Location
It spoke to me. It yelled at me, so several weeks ago at the Gofna Archaeology conference across the street from my house, I bought…
On the Road Again
One topic which fascinates me is the development of roads as a mirror of human settlement. I recently spoke at the 50th anniversary of Moshav…
Follow the (Yellow Brick) Road
Randomly stormy weather is marking the end of our winter here in Israel. Thankfully, I left real tornado country behind in South Dakota, but Israel's…
A Castle of Wonderous Beauty
Last week's Places in Your Neighborhood trip took me (again) to the Rosh HaAyin area. The sites are fabulous and I don't get tired of exploring them and…
