We were driving southeast in Lebanon, from Beirut back down towards Marjayoun, when the shelling started. Our Jeep driver was in a near panic. He was not part of our regular unit; he was a … more

If you would have asked me what Abir would end up doing with his life, I would have imagined him as a bouncer.... Abir, an ex-paratrooper, is one of the unsung heroes of the battle of the … more

I recently heard a wonderful story by a flight attendant who, after being throttled by one too many rude comments, was starting to think she needed to change careers. Then a passenger had a heart … more

Many years ago, I had the opportunity to take a long-overdue vacation with my family in Walt Disney World. For our children, who had just spent the better part of a year dealing with the … more

It was known as shavua Tirgolot, the week of training drills. It sounded pretty innocuous, but as it turned out, it was a week of hell. The IDF prides itself on being prepared for any eventuality, … more

First, there was the screaming and yelling. When my blanket was thrown off and I felt the freezing air, I finally woke wup. It was 3 am and we had seven minutes to get dressed in full uniform and be … more

This week’s portion, Tetzaveh, opens with a particular mitzvah which seems at first glance to be rather out of place: Hashem tells Moshe: “Ve’Atah Te’tzaveh Et B’nei Yisrael, Ve’Yikchu’ Eilecha’ Shemen Zayit Zach- Katit La’Ma’or – Le’Ha’alot Ner Tamid.” “And you shall command the children of Israel, and they shall take to youpure olive oil which was crushed for the light, to raise up a continuous [daily] flame” (Exodus 27:20) more

Allah Hu Akbar [G-d is great].” These are the final words witnesses say the terrorist screamed before ramming his car into a crowd, killing three month old Chaya Zissel and wounding several … more

We had just come in from manning an impromptu roadblock all day and I was still on edge. Six of us had been tasked with setting up the roadblock round a bend in the road in Lebanon’s Bekaa … more

There are places in this world that are so powerful, so full of meaning that they allow us to tap in to why we are really here. Such a place is Emek HaBacha, The Valley of Tears. more