UPDATE – March 16, 2026 I was not planning to do an update this week (for those keeping track today is 15 weeks since my departure from LAX) but I felt compelled to respond to several messages that I’ve received recently. First of all, thank you to everyone that has reached whether with a question Read More

Today marks the end of the 10th week since my arrival in Israel.  It is also the 10th day since the beginning of this war with Iran. The short headline. I’m tired of the war and the screaming alerts on my phone and periodic interruptions of meals in restaurants but still very happy to be Read More

The biggest question about the joint Israeli/US attack on Iran has to be “how does this end”. In my opinion it is simply delusionally to believe (as Trump purportedly does) that the leadership of the Iranian theocratic dictatorship will at some point surrender or give in to his demands that they relinquish their efforts to Read More

8 Weeks in Israel It has been 8 weeks since I arrived in Israel.  8 weeks feels like a significant length of time that I have been here.  Here’s the more stunning thing.  Even though I still identify myself publicly as a new Oleh (immigrant to Israel) the truth is that I no longer feel Read More

It is Friday evening here in Israel, but my computer reminds me that it is still only 9 AM in the morning in my old hometown of Yachats on the Oregon Coast.   That is a little bit weird.   It is one of the things I still have not gotten used to.   Also (to be honest) Read More

Hello Friends, As some of you have undoubtedly noticed, I have become a non-person on Facebook. All I know for sure is that I have been banned from the FB platform. Recently (seemingly without warning) I was shut down and told I had “violated community standards”.   I was not told what exactly I had done wrong.  Read More

On October 7, 2023, I like many Jews around the world woke up to the news and images of a horrific attack by Hamas and other Palestinian terrorists from Gaza into Southern Israel. I was 70 years old and in no way identified as a Zionist.   I had been raised in an observant Jewish home Read More

In my opinion, Israel should offer to Hamas and the world a simple and unconditional end to the war and withdrawal from Gaza in return for the release of all remaining hostages (living and dead). There should be no further trading of hostages for convicted terrorists and murderers, nor should they worry at this time Read More

I agree with almost everything that I know about Zohran Mamdani’s platform in his race to be elected Mayor of New York City. Yet if I were voting in the upcoming NYC mayoral election, I would have trouble casting a ballot for him despite not caring for any of the other candidates running. In five Read More

I am halfway into my third week here. Four days until I leave Israel. I will have only seen part of the country on this trip. My perspective is obviously limited but still feels significant.Several questions have been percolating in my mind. I wonder what the Palestinians could have done if they had chosen to Read More