How to Reflect on Yom HaShoah: Some Thoughts and Recommendations
Tonight marks the start of Yom HaShoah: Holocaust Remembrance Day (יום הזיכרון לשואה). During this day, the world stands still to remember and reflect on the tragedies and horrors that were performed by the Nazi regime during the Holocaust. We will light candles, delve into testimonies of survivors, and honour the memories of the 6 million Jews, who were systematically hunted, brought to the depths of evil, and then murdered. Here in Israel, tomorrow morning at 10 o’clock, the whole country will stand still in a two-minute silence of solemn reflection. As the sirens will roar through the streets, and the whole country will pause all activities, our hearts will…
2020: A literary overview
I have always been a vivid reader. As a child, I spent countless hours curled up on the couch or outside in the hammock with a book. Weekly visits to the library, books for my birthday, and every spare minute in school with my mind in imaginary worlds. Truth is, my memory sometimes fails when it comes to remembering books I have read, or films I have watched. I have more than once found myself reading a book, only to realise halfway in that the reason why it feels so familiar is… because I have read it before! But then I discovered Goodreads: a social cataloguing website for literature. So,…
The Power of Mindset
Is the glass half full or half empty? Almost a cliché question, but doesn’t make it provide with a less true message. The way we look at things very strongly influences the way we perceive things. The question to look at a glass being half full or half empty is a way of demonstrating that every situation may be seen from different points of view, depending on the individual mindset. In general, one could say that an optimist would regard the glass as half full, the pessimist as half empty, and the realist would say the glass contains half the amount to fill the glass completely. But what does this…
Mental Health: Not a women’s right
American actor Will Smith recently discussed his marital issues in an emotional video. In stead of receiving support, he mainly got criticised on the internet for showing his emotional vulnerability. Why this stigmatisation? What would have been the reaction if he was a woman? We live in a society that unfortunately is still characterised by a clear divide between men and women. There are certain perceptions of what it means to be of either gender. To be a man is to be strong, masculine, independent, stoic. In one line, it is seen as unsuitable for a man to be emotional, or to seek help for any difficulties. Sometimes referred to as ‘silent epidemic’,…
Save a Child’s Heart – My Volunteer Experience
[Repost from the SACH] Sometimes the best things in life happen when you jump right in without having any expectations. My weeks in the Save a Child’s Heart (SACH) home have definitely proven to be filled with many of those moments. When earlier 2018 I was looking for a meaningful way to spend a summer in Tel Aviv, one of my dear friends recommended me to join her as a part-time volunteer at SACH. She immediately got me enthusiastic about the idea and after I looked further into the work and ideologies of the SACH organisation I decided to join. As a (soon graduating) medical doctor I have heard about…
