Six years ago, I self-diagnosed myself with Reverse Culture Shock, or RCS, an emotional displacement syndrome. I know this because, after 7 years of doing reverse immigration to the States in 2007, I stumbled upon the symptoms of Reverse Culture Shock on an archived U.S. State Department's home page. Suddenly, I felt recognized and validated [...]
Today is my Jewish 50th birthday. Turning 50. Like...wow. What a milestone. 50 years ago on the Jewish calendar, G-d gifted me with life and my mother of blessed memory gave birth to me in New York City Hospital. Just the number itself feels round, full of hope, potential, and promise like the challahs I [...]
Now that I'm back on US soil, I feel compelled to share a report of the She Writes Press Israel edition tour I did for Accidental Soldier: A Memoir of Service and Sacrifice in the Israel Defense Forces. General thoughts and impressions: To be at my home country where I did my voluntary service in [...]
Yep. That's the question that concerns me too. But as a college freshman fresh from New York City. As an author of Accidental Soldier: A Memoir of Service and Sacrifice in the Israel Defense Forces, I'm revisiting this story again by sharing with you short video "sneak peaks" of each chapter. So here [...]
This coming of age story of transformation and personal growth is uniquely told from a female immigrant serving in the Israel Defense Forces. This post focuses on all the juicy bits - the scenes of courage that aren't in the memoir, from the scary to the unexpected. 1. Learning about mines on the Israeli-Syrian border. [...]
I'm an innocent nineteen year old American who decided to leave my hometown of New York City to serve in the Israel Defense Forces mainly to get away from Mom's irrational fear and worries. Everything I've in fact, learned about the Arab speaking world in Israel has been heavily influenced by the media in relation [...]
It's one thing to go through a difficult or challenging life experience. It's another thing to figure out the best way to write the lessons of that difficult period of myself, a mere 18-19 year old, complete basic training in the IDF, one of the most famous armies in the world. Simply put, along the [...]
One of the hardest things I had to deal with while serving in the Israel Defense Forces was learning to keep the faith and staying upbeat in touch times. I hardly spent enough time in Israel as a kid to feel a comfortable connection with the country, and serving in the military albeit by accident, [...]
"I want you to show me what type of power they exercised over you when you were younger. I really want to experience your life early on. What I would also like to experience is the emotional pull of your writing; I want to be transported into your emotional life more. I believe that your [...]
Doritos? Like what the fuck? How did he know to call me that name? He’s a Brit. They don’t have Doritos over there. Or do they? I want to tell him to go to hell. To shut the fuck up. I’ve been traumatized by the name “Doritos” all my public school life and right now, [...]
Each day when I go to write at our local library or our neighborhood coffee shop to write my memoir, Silence: What the Israel Defense Forces Taught Me about Faith, Empowerment and Courage, I'm already filled up with nervous anticipation: will I make progress with this scene? Can I get into the right mood and [...]