Lizrael Update: babbling about the expat life since 2004
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#tomorrow13: The missing demographic; the outsiders left further out
From the first couple hours I spent at the Israeli Presidential Conference on Wednesday, throughout the end of my attendance today, I had a nagging thought I couldn’t shake. Someone was missing. I had the same thought last year, when it was awkwardly clear there were barely any women speaking (though the ones who did…
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#tomorrow13: Dan Ariely on online dating & the ideal BMI to snag a man
What is it about online dating makes us roll our eyes? The lying? The misunderstanding? The misleading profile pics? At a panel at the Israel Presidential Conference today, Professor Dan Ariely, famed and beloved behavioral economics expert, presented what he’s found are the major issues with the online dating platform, and how it could be…
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#tomorrow13: Guessing at tomorrow – health, terrorism, climate, economy, politics, and of course, Yair Lapid
By far the most engaging panel of the day: Will Tomorrow Be Better? Some great sound bytes in here, and not just because the panel was moderated by Channel One’s Oren Nahari and joined by former newsman Yair Lapid. Note: Some of these excerpts are transcription, some shortened for readability. Israel’s economy: Finance Minister Yair Lapid When…
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#tomorrow13: Behavioral economist Dan Ariely says we’re good, dishonest people
Waiting on line to enter a session, I became totally consumed in fascination over the behavior of some of the other people in line. Of course I use the term line loosely. People queued up early, creating a mob scene within five minutes. I couldn’t help but focus on a particular woman at the absolute front, pushing at…
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#tomorrow13: Bill Clinton on Israel, peace, and how to change Us vs Them
Another year, President Shimon Peres turns 90, and we join together for the fifth Israeli Presidential Conference. I know there’s quite a bit of criticism and controversy when it comes to the event. It comes from a good place but there are also good questions to ask about who isn’t present and what isn’t said. But…
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Fifty-Two Frames: Portrait
The one day my son did not wear his beloved black kippa to kindergarten was the one day I needed to take a portrait shot for Fifty-Two Frames. Divine intervention? Since living in Israel, never has it been more trendy to debate religious practice, engage or disengage from extremism, ritually cross-dress, or hate people you…
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Tzur Hadassah update: New pool, new bus, new neighborhood, new park, and… Swiper.
It’s been a while! Plenty to update on Tzur Hadassah. In no particular order, except for saving the weirdest for last… five bits of small town news: 1. THE Tzur Hadassah Pool You’re not a true Tzur Hadassian if you’re not already putting on your floaties in impatient anticipation for the new pool, possibly making…
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Unicorns, leprechauns, EL AL customer-friendly UX, & other mythical creatures
For months, I’ve been trying/failing/procrastinating/trying again/failing again/sighing/punching walls in disbelief/trying again to log in to my EL AL Matmid Frequent Flyer account and handle some points issues. I’ve tried online, I’ve called, I’ve tweeted, my travel agent has tried for me, but nothing helped, and yet on every log in attempt, I’ve gotten an assortment…
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Getting your feet (ritually) wet: An American-Israeli’s mikvah story
Perhaps, for a taharat-mishpacha-keeping American-Israeli olah (female American immigrant to Israel who keeps laws of family purity), nothing else can quite epitomize the cultural differences of here and there better than… the mikvah. Because I got married in Israel, my mikva knowledge and experiences have been molded here. The closest I got in the States before…
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The outsiders inside
Last week, I was driving through the machsom, or checkpoint, between Beitar Illit and Tzur Hadassah. When I say ‘driving through,’ I mean that literally: I slowed for the speed bumps, waved at the soldiers on duty, and sped up to get home. But not before noticing the driver in front of me, who had…
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The time I made muffins! Sweet Potato Banana CHOCOLATE CHIP Muffins!
When a lazy person loves muffins, and has a motivated friend who loves muffins, amazing things happen. In the mouth. Yesterday, inspired by a friend who refuses to give up on my baking potential, I made the decision to bake these incredibly simple Sweet Potato Banana Muffins. Except, I realized all too late, I wasn’t prepared……
Questions? Comments? Advice?