15 Jul
Beshert, Latest

Beshert | Inside Our Gates

Josh and I met in Jerusalem, just outside the Jaffa Gate. He was a tour guide before COVID-19 brought the tourist trade shuddering to a halt, but he still made some money giving tours to locals. I knew him remotely through a friend and saw a Facebook post offering a tour of the Old City, my favorite part of Jerusalem.  At 40, I had never been married and was no longer looking for love. “That ship has sailed,” I told myself. I also told myself, “I don’t mind.”  Of course I did mind, but what can you do? On my 40th birthday, I resolved to put all that behind me and to focus instead on enjoying my life. I was happy to take a day off work to learn more about my magnificent city. And there at...

Continue reading

15 Sep
Culture, Latest

As Chinese Come to Israel, Recalling One Israeli in China

We've come a long way since 1985, when Israeli travelers I met in China had to hide their "real" passports from local authorities and most Chinese I met had never left their home province, let alone crossed a national border. The China Daily recently reported that, on September 25, Chinese tourists will visit Israel for the first time without special business visas. I hope Israel's new guests find friends around Jerusalem and the Dead Sea, which top their itinerary. I know I was never lonely during the year I spent roaming the People's Republic with a manual typewriter and three changes of clothing. Besides billions of Chinese for company, I encountered a small army of other "foreign ghosts" traveling, like me, without tour guides or coach buses. In our dorm-style accommodations and in the streets, train...

Continue reading