Among all the countless tragedies and losses of this current war is the blow that has been dealt to the already fragile relationships between Jews and Arabs in Israel. Even in the best of times, suspicion and distrust have been the default sentiments among most Israeli citizens about their “other” counterparts. And it is against … Read More »
foods of the bible
When the scales will tip
These are grim times here, where a disproportionate number of innocent people are enduring great suffering because of the actions of a few. Nothing new about that, and yet it is heartrending every time. In the pastoral Palestinian town of Arrabe in the Galilee near the Bet Netufa Valley, they are mourning a 14 year … Read More »
Tipping the Seasonal Scale
In the Galilee the year is divided about equally into two seasons. The first, which starts in the fall, can be called the rainy season, although it is more accurately described as the period during which rain may or may not come. In the second season, quite surely it will not. As one would expect … Read More »
Relating to Wheat
These spring days, the roaring of combines rumbles in the background – rending thick fields of wheat into neat rows of shorn stalks. In the pre-industrial order of local agriculture, not only would this method of harvesting be unfathomable to a farmer watching from the side, but also the timing. Why would anyone cut down their good wheat … Read More »
What You Can Count On and What You Can’t
Let’s start with what you can’t. Here in the Galilee, you can’t count on the rain. You know, or at least you hope, that after what feels like an interminable, hot dry summer, eventually, the seasonal rains will make their dramatic appearance. And usually, by mid-October or early November, they comply. This year, our faith … Read More »