The Old Country

“Getting Back in Touch” via Facebook – Digital Natives vs. Digital Immigrants

February 19, 2009

Lately, my wife Jody and I have spent a lot of time getting in touch with old friends via Facebook. It started when I received a friend request from Larry. Larry and I were best buddies growing up. But after I moved away, we fell out of touch. I’ve looked for him from time to [...]

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Jambo! Our Tanzanian Adventure

September 5, 2008

The thing that will stick with me the most from our recent 12-day safari in Tanzania is the dirt. An ever-present coat of red dust settles over the entire countryside and soaks into everything – the tasteful khaki safari clothes we bought that are not supposed to display such discoloration, the insides of your shoes [...]

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Purging a Lifetime of Memories

November 16, 2007

My parents announced recently that they would be moving out of our childhood home of over 40 years into a retirement community in a few months. That meant that the time had finally come for me to go through all the papers and junk that’s accumulated in the closet of my old room since I [...]

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The Price of a Night’s Sleep

December 7, 2006

You know the old saying “time is money?” Well, how much would you say time spent sleeping is worth? As I found out on a recent family vacation: exactly $119 plus tax. We were driving down the California coast from San Francisco to San Diego, stopping for the night at inexpensive motels. Our first night was in Monterey and [...]

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Thanksgiving in Israel

November 23, 2006

Every year, just about this time of the month, I get a flurry of emails from friends and colleagues all with pretty much the same message. It goes something like this: “Happy Thanksgiving, that is if you celebrate it over there…er, do you?” So, what do immigrants from the U.S. to Israel do on the [...]

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The Middle Ground

November 9, 2006

There are a few constants in this world: siblings will rival, property taxes will rise, and following a trip to North America, I will wax nostalgic for the “old country.” Our most recent family vacation was no exception. The trip was book-ended by two gala smachot – festive family events that included the bar mitzvah [...]

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Exotic Orlando

May 5, 2006

Here are two words you don’t normally hear in the same sentence: “Exotic” and “Orlando.” Exotic is more frequently associated with places like Tahiti and Thailand or even Monte Carlo. Orlando, on the other hand, is heavy on such decidedly non-exotic offerings as Early Bird Specials and Premium Outlet Malls. But for me, on a [...]

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No Place Like Home

September 1, 2005

It was a rainy afternoon in Freiburg on the last day of our recent family vacation in Europe. It seemed a shame to stay cooped up indoors despite the thundering skies outside. Our German/Israeli friend Chana who, along with her three kids, was visiting her brother, had a suggestion.   “Why don’t we go to [...]

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The “Settler” from West Jerusalem

July 24, 2005

(The following op-ed piece appeared on HonestReporting.com.) For the past three years, I have been writing a decidedly non-political blog called “This Normal Life.” My goal has been to present slices of what passes for “normal” life in today’s troubled Israel. I have very deliberately avoided presenting any particular religious or political point of view [...]

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