In this time of COVID-19 pain, suffering, and fear, can we be still be joyful?I recently listened on On Being with Krista Tippett, to writer Ross Gay respond with: How can we not be joyful, especially in a moment like this?  He says joy has nothing to do with ease and everything to do with dying. The awareness that all us humans will die […]

After a recent workshop I led at Lehigh University in Pennsylvania, Lily, a quiet and intense student, newly-arrived from Ukraine, approached me and said: “I have been in this country for several months and this is the first time, after just a two hour workshop, I feel connected to American people here.” Social Scientists remind

Recently I listened to a conversation with Rachel Naomi Remen on the  On Being Podcast  She talked about the difference between fixing and healing and told an ancient story from the Jewish Kabala, as told by her grandfather: “It is told that in the beginning there was only the Ein Sof – God’s hidden essence, the holy darkness

The Story of Eilabun and an annual “Healing Together” EventI grew up enveloped by my national Israeli Jewish tribe and anchored in its narrative. Sadly I learned, many years after leaving my childhood behind, that what my tribe considers our Independence Day celebrating the miracle of Israel becoming a state in 1948, is for the

Before the title for my book A Land Twice Promised: An Israeli Woman’s Quest for Peace, was ever finalized, indeed before I even finished writing the book, my publisher at Familius, send me a draft of the book cover to look at. It came into my inbox in the middle of the National Storytelling Network annual

Usually someone writes a book and then it becomes a play or movie. But I did it backwards. I never planned or dreamed of writing a book, I never imagined it was anything I was capable of doing.But in the winter of 2014 I gave a key note presentation, Connecting Across Conflict – Storytelling & Peace Building at

In our extremely polarized political environment, I’ve been thinking a lot these days, about changing views or perspectives. Is it at all possible? Our belief systems are shaped by such powerful forces so deeply entrenched in childhood. Our social, religious and tribal affiliations, our upbringing and education, our emotional, psychological and genetic dispositions, our experiences 

These are dark days for anyone working for and hoping for a peaceful shared future in Israel/Palestine.  My heart breaks as I follow the daily violence in the past two weeks. It seems that fear and hate are ruling. It seems that there is no adult around to stop the violence, no leader brave enough

“An American audience needs to hear that story!” That comment by Loren Niemi changed my life, pushing me to create a personal story I had not had the courage or vision to imagine. With his coaching and infinite patience, it developed into a 75 minute show, A Land Twice Promised, that I have been performing for almost

A young storyteller came up after a performance and said to me: “I was so moved, your story was so expressive, I could never tell like you!” I remembered feeling like that… I grew up in Israel and was an actress and a storyteller in my native language – Hebrew. When I first heard professional