The Philadephia Daily News recently ran a compelling profile of international Israeli boxers Ran Nakash (pictured) and Elad Shmouel. The main thrust of the piece is that being raised in the Middle East makes one a particularly hard brand of badass, making Israel an emerging source for fighting talen...

In a trend that runs parallel to the exploding popularity of pole dancing lessons among North American soccer moms, Israeli women - even Baby Boom-generation Ashkenaziot (Jews of Eastern European descent) - have been flocking to belly dancing activities and workshops in recent years. The art form...

Even as we’re fighting for the lives of residents of the South, we Israelis are also keeping a close eye on how we’re being perceived by the rest of the world. I don’t mean the anti-Israel protests that have plagued European and Asian cities the last two weeks, but where it really ...

How can we forget the image of Bono staggering blind folded with the hand written font of religious symbol and broken letters that spoke something far louder than any lyric or music. For many it was shocking, not only was......

It’s no surprise that main stream news is focusing on the current situation in Gaza and southern Israel. Watching CNN’s coverage Israel looks like a battlefield right out of any epic war movie. The images are constantly played over and over again—which means I get worried phone calls f...

I think it was only appropriate that my first trip to Nazareth be during the holiday season. This year, ISRAEL21c decided to cover Christmas in the Holy Land. Nazareth is the birthplace of Jesus and today it has the largest community of Christians in the country. Visiting the city just days before C...

For those of us who live in the Modiin area, the reality of being surroun ded by Arab villages is a part of daily life. The 443 Highway, which connects greater metro Tel Aviv with greater metro Jerusalem – Modiin sitting ab out halfway in between – snakes alongside the Green Line [...]...

That man in the picture above is JJ Keki - Ugandan farmer, musician, fair trade entrepreneur, local politician and interfaith activist (I’m sure I’m missing several more job descriptions…) JRC has gotten to know JJ well over the years through our our relationship to the Mirembe Kaw...

If you’ve read this blog for any length of time then you know I like to spotlight important and courageous coexistence efforts in Israel/Palestine. Here’s another I recommend adding to your list of orgs to support: the Sulha Peace Project. Founded by an Israeli, Gabriel Meyer, and a Pale...

You shall further instruct the Israelites to bring you clear oil of beaten olives for lighting, for kindling lamps regularly — Leviticus 27:20 As we generally tend to regard the olive as a symbol of peace and tranquility, it is rather jarring to read in this week’s Torah portion, Parasha...