Israel Archives – Kveller

I was surprised at how enthralled I am with Shtisel, the Israeli series that hit Netflix in 2019 but is hardly new (the first season aired in Israel in 2013). The show explores the lives of the… ultra-Orthodox Shtisel family, who live in the Geula neighborhood in Jerusalem — generally, a place where I, as a secular Israeli human, would not really want to hang out. So why does the kugel, the watery soup, and the other Ashkenazi fare often eaten in the show suddenly look so mouthwateringly delicious? Why do the… >> Read More

Israel

How to Travel to Israel With a Baby (Learn from My Mistakes)

Lior Zaltzman

My baby's first flight was a 10-hour flight to Israel from New York. The two of us flew alone. As you probably surmised from reading this, we survived. But, like, barely. That's really how I felt,… as I plopped down in my parents' car when they picked us up from the airport, my baby wailing in the back seat: We survived this in the most primal, basic way. I didn't feel triumphant at all. It was all so incredibly hard, and I was just with one kid. How do people do… >> Read More

Israel

Natalie Portman Called this Israeli Law ‘Racist’ — Here’s Why That’s Important

Lior Zaltzman

In an interview promoting her upcoming film, Vox Lux, Natalie Portman was asked about a Israel's newish nation-state law, which the actress called "racist" and a "mistake". As an Israeli living… abroad — and a hardcore Natalie fan — I'm heartened by her criticism. Let me explain. Israel's nation-state law, which passed in July, defines Israel as a Jewish nation-state — specifically, that Israel is the nation-state of the Jewish people, with Hebrew as the country's only official language. While the law is mostly symbolic —… >> Read More

health

Gal Gadot and Bar Refaeli Encourage Israelis to Get Measles Vaccine

Emily Burack

There's a measles outbreak in Israel. It's spreading to Orthodox communities in the United States, and many are speaking out encouraging parents to vaccinate their kids. Two prominent Israeli moms… have added their voices to the conversation: model Bar Refaeli and actress Gal Gadot. Refaeli posted to her 2.7 million followers on November 18 a photo of her covering her upper arm. She wrote, "on Tuesday 11/20, we are all uploading pictures with our hand on our vaccinated shoulder because a vaccinated environment is a… >> Read More

anti-semitism

People Celebrated Gerard Butler’s House Burning Down Because He Supports Israel

Emily Burack

The news coming out of California is devastating. From the two wildfires ravaging the state (the Camp Fire and the Woolsey Fire), there are nearly 100 people dead and more than 1,000 people are still… missing. The fires' destruction have been rampant — impacting the rich and the poor alike. Nearly 1,200 structures have been destroyed from the Woolsey Fire (which is nearly contained as of this morning), and over 15,000 structures have been destroyed in the Camp Fire. The loss is incomprehensible. And yet, some hateful folks have managed… >> Read More

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