16th January 2026 27 Tevet 5786 Shabbat Shalom. A happy Orthodox Christian New Year, Armenian Christmas, Orthodox New Year and Eid El-Khader Winston Churchill’s 1941 declaration, “We are in the presence of a crime without a name,” referred to the systematic Nazi atrocities against Jewish people during World War II, a horror so immense it…

Friday the 9th of January, 2026 20 Tevet 5786 825 days since October 7th 2023 Shabbat Shalom to you and to your families. Each week I try to find an apt quote, one that relates to all of us, whatever our faith, or lack of it. This week I chose the subject of Anti-Semitism. As…

2nd of January 2026 13th of Tevet 5786 Shabbat Shalom, the first one of 2026, a new year filled with hope of change. Some people shine in a way that cannot be taught. Their presence brings warmth, honesty, and a truth that may not always be comfortable, but always clarifies. Stanley was one of those…

26th of December 2025 6th of Tevet 5786 812 days and Ran Gvili’s body is still in Gaza Shabbat Shalom! For my wonderful Christian Friends, I hope your Christmas was a blessed one and that Boxing Day went by with friends and family “The darkest places in hell are reserved for those who maintain their…

19th December 2025 29th of Kislev, 5786  Third week of Advent Shabbat Shalom dear friends We were shaken to the core by the terror attack in Australia at Bondi Beach, a place synonymous with openness, joy, and freedom. What should have been a Chanukah gathering — a moment of light, community, and celebration — turned…

12th December, 2025 22nd of Kislev, 5786 Shabbat Shalom! I’m back! I didn’t go as far or as long as I intended but here I am, back in your living rooms! Our travel plans were complicated but important, Zvi heading off to his family and old friends in Mexico City; me to family and old…

21st  of November 2025 776 days and 3 families still await their loved ones to be returned home for burial The great philosopher and anti-war leader Bertrand Russell said “War was always a great evil, but in some particularly extreme circumstances, it may be the lesser of two evils.” Shabbat Shalom! I hope you are…

THUGS HEROES AND RAIN 14th of November, 2025 23rd Heshvan, 5786 Shabbat Shalom, I hope this missive finds you well. Guess what? It’s raining, it’s pouring and we are thrilled!  Our WhatsApp is flooded with photos of rainbows and the veranda is glistening, washed clean by the downpour! The air is fresh and the scent…

7th of November 2025 16th day of the Hebrew month of Heshvan Shabbat Shalom! I made a conscious decision today to ignore the ghastly news and write about the wonderful week that Zvi and I had, while quietly understanding that all is not rosy in our world, in fact, very far from it. Yes I…

31st of October 2025 755 days since the 7th of October 2023 9th of the Hebrew month of Heshvan 5786 Shabbat Shalom dear friends, lots to report, good bad and ugly, but, as always, with the sun shining on our lives You may well ask why I still put the number of days since the…