This year, Israel’s Independence Day will be different. It will be more subdued without the complete festivities that we’ve seen in the past. However, we will still mark the occasion. We will reach inside ourselves and express our joy, knowing that we have a Jewish state—our homeland, which Hashem has given us. Our birthright of Israel was reinforced when we witnessed a mirac...

Are you ready for Passover? Do you feel the excitement of family and friends gathering at your Seder table? You laugh and sing as you read the Haggadah from Kadesh until Chad Gadya. At the close of the seder, you recite four words: “Next Year In Israel.”   More than ever, those words are resonating throughout the world. Jewish people are making their dreams come true and ...

18, a symbolic number in Judaism, represents Chai or Life.  It’s hard to believe that 18 years ago, along with my husband, Reuven, and our 6 children, ages 2 through 11, we made aliyah.    Israel is a wonderful place to vacation,  visit family and friends, explore from the Negev to the Galilee, and pray at the Kotel. But making aliyah is definitely different. We...

In my business, I spend so much time working with other people on their dream homes that I need to remind myself every once in a while to stop and appreciate my dream home, Israel. We made aliyah 11 years ago, leaving our family and large Toronto community for the unknown but exciting future that lay ahead in Israel. Sometimes I look back and think, "Wow, I must have been crazy!" But...

Last night as Yom Haatzmaut got off to a start, Israel burst forth in joy and song. The festivities continue throughout the day as we join the rest of the country at BBQ picnics in every park. As we celebrate this special day, I give thanks to Hashem for giving us the privilege to live in Israel and especially the holy city of Jerusalem. We are blessed to experience our countrys' ...