@Israel Blog | Akiva Gersh

This summer reminds me why I never want to leave Israel

It’s been a while since I made aliyah. 17 years to be exact, almost to the day. (August 10th, 2004) And like all olim (immigrants) I...

My Sense of Place is in Israel

Sense of place. It’s a concept in the world of ecology that I was introduced to when I was 19-years old and majoring in Environmental...

A History Lesson for Nakba Day

Tomorrow is Nakba Day. Nakba is a word that makes most Israelis cringe. And for good reason. This one word embodies the denial of the...

For Ahmed, My First Facebook Friend from Egypt

Every now and then I pause and notice and realize that my Facebook feed is pretty monotone and monochrome. Same news stories shared from...

If the Terrorists Only Knew

Long before the Arab-Israeli conflict was born, and long before the rise of radical Islam, there existed the idea in Jewish mysticism...

Becoming Israeli...Without Moving to Israel.

Seventeen years ago I radically changed my life. Seventeen years ago I made aliyah to Israel. Nothing could have prepared me for the...

A Letter to My Israeli Children

I remember each of your first breaths. Watching brand-new life come into this world is nothing less than a miracle. And to witness Jewish...

What Israel Could Teach the World about Dealing with Corona

I moved to Israel in 2004, and since then, there have been events and moments that have reaffirmed the reasons why I did. One of those...

You Don't Have to be a Zionist to Make Aliyah

If you don't consider yourself a Zionist, is there any reason to consider moving to Israel? I say yes!!

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