Az Nashir: Echoes of Eicha-
Reflections on the Unfolding of Redemption

If you only know Israel through social media, what I'm about to describe will make no sense. But this is the Israel I know. Here is what an ordinary afternoon at the shore looks like: There’s a fisherman who tosses his large net out to sea and drags his ample catch back in. His last at the end of the day. People of all ages walk by and ask him what he’s fishing for and admire his large basket of bounty from the ocean. My teens are wandering, my daughter looking for shells tha

Last night I watched the sun set over the Mediterranean, and I thought about fighting. There's just so much fighting lately. Some of it is essential- worthwhile. Conversations that are opportunities to make change, shift minds, make peace. Other fights feel like the gap is too wide- narratives too entrenched, the other person or party is too convinced of their side of the story, their perspective, their hurts. They won't be able to see you. To feel your pain. To hear your tru

When Omer Shem Tov got a call saying that his cruelest captor was killed, he laughed. He said when interviewed, "I'll tell you the truth, the first thing that happened was I simply started laughing. I smiled and started laughing. For me, it was a kind of closure. He was really one of the worst abusers, let's put it that way... I think it was the kind of laugh.. There's that saying (in Arabic) 'Every dog has its day...' I think it was that kind of laugh that came out of me." W

Today is my 39th Hebrew birthday. Every year on this date, I like to take a moment to reflect on where I am in my life. Other years have centered on productivity, healing, patience, gratitude, alignment, and rest. This year its been about being present in the moment. I learned long ago that I have minimal control over the world around me. Mainly, all I can control is my own mindset and my choices. So in a world gone mad, a chapter of grief and rage and struggle: this year I c

Noam Bettan and his team are home safe in Israel after winning second place in Eurovision. Very often in the off season, when there is protesting and sniping and boycotts of Israel from European countries, I wonder: Why bother with Eurovision at all? If they don’t want us, why enter a room where everyone hates us? But the thing is- for the last five years, we’ve placed in the top five. This is the second year in a row that we’ve made it to second place too. I think that means

I’m sitting on the beach right now and it’s flooded with Israeli teenage boys. I mean hundreds of them. School let out for the day and it seems like every teen in the mercaz migrated to the shore for the afternoon. I’ve never seen it like this. There’s 30 soccer balls flying through the air as different crews circle up and pass them back and forth. The air smells like cigarettes and sea brine and an occasional fruity vape. It’s balmy and warm and the sun is high- you would ne

There is no where in the world like Jerusalem. No city as enduring, as eternal, as hypnotic as the holy city. People from all over flock to see her in her glory- to visit ancient stones, and taste the freshness of life, to offer one's prayers and feel that redemption is close. Jerusalem is a city that's alive. She recalls every slight, every hurt, every era of oppression. She remembers every effort to reconnect, rejoice, and rebuild. She knows who yearns for her and who wishe

While Noam Bettan practiced his performance for Eurovision, he and his team made sure to include the sounds of booing and jeering in the background. Let me say that again- for rehearsal, they made sure to include anti-Zionist noise- so that he wouldn't be caught off guard when he performed for real. And it worked, because last night he performed perfectly while there were those in the crowd chanting "Stop the Genocide," and there were even activists who had to be removed from

On this Mother's Day, I'm thinking about all the Israeli moms who are doing the impossible. Raising our kids in an ever-changing world where very little is reliable. Making life and death decisions all the time- balancing wellbeing, education, mental health, and happiness all at the same time. We hope we are making the best choices for our kids. We pray that we know what we are doing. We take deep breaths and tackle every new challenge, every new stage, to the best of our abi

I think that people forget that Israel is surrounded by terrorists. Enemies whose singular mission is to destroy the one and only Jewish state. All we hear these days is "ceasefire, ceasefire, ceasefire..." But Israeli soldiers are being injured and killed all the time. Hezbollah is also using explosive drones to attack Israeli soldiers in Southern Lebanon, where they are stationed, hoping to keep the barrier between Israel and Lebanon terror-free. Three were hurt just this m