A Date for Passover
This year the calendar for Passover comes out very unusually. The night for the Passover Seder, the festive meal eaten to commemorate being liberated from…
This Land is Mine Land
I remember the day clearly. I was in Tour Guide School and we were touring sites in the Northern Dead Sea Area in the winter…
Dead Sea Dead – A New Twist
The Dead Sea is one of my favorite places, perhaps because of its other-worldly feel. The entire area is full of surprises and mysteries. On…
Spell of the Dead Sea
I just returned from a trip to the Dead Sea - one of my favorite places. Like for many travelers, the Dead Sea has me…
Goodwill Towards Men
Alexander Yannai, Jewish king, creator of an empire unrivaled since the time of King Solomon, is a colorful figure in Jewish history. The third son…
Worms to Words
Silk is one of the most desirable fabrics. Ever since the Chinese discovered the strength, sheen and malleability of silk threads in the 4th millennium…
Qumran: Things that Don’t Exist
Sometimes your story needs updating. I used to stand at Qumran and look at the caves in the rock escarpment facing the Dead Sea and…
Dead Sea Dead
As I was researching an oft asked question about placing stones on Jewish graves, I stumbled on a connection to one of my favorite sites, Qumran.…
Looting Masada
One of my favorite sites is Masada. The drama of the story and the messages coupled with the extensive archaeological finds and the desert landscape…
Running Away, But Not Too Far Away
The Dead Sea as a center of refuge was the topic of my oral licensing exam to become a tour guide and continues to fascinate…
Israel by Leiah 