Behrman House Blog

Maybe it’s silly or maybe it’s prideful, but I’ve always thought of myself as Israel’s big sister. I was born on July 15, 1947. She was born on May 14, 1948—tiny but filled with promise. My family qvelled over the miracle before us and, in that moment, we no longer could imagine a world without her.

Like many big sisters, I take deep pride in my sibling’s accomplishments and uniqueness. I support her in whatever ways I can and I’m always happy to tell others just how special my baby sister is.

So how much luckier can a gal get than to write and edit books about one of the great loves of her life and to invite others to experience that same sense of family!

My work on The Great Israel Scavenger Hunt, Welcome to Israel, and the many chapters on Israel in The History of the Jewish People was inspired both by my professional commitment as a Jewish educator and by my personal history with Israel. I studied at Bezalel Academy of Art and Design and at Hebrew University, worked for three years as a medical photographer and graphic artist in Jerusalem, speak Hebrew fluently, conduct poetry workshops on the work of Jewish and Arab Israelis, keep current on Israel’s social and political landscape, held my wedding in Jerusalem, and visit Israel every chance I get. (Most recently, I visited this July to attend my nephew Ilan Friedman’s marriage to Kate Speizer, a rabbinical student at HUC in LA.)

For these and so many other reasons, woven into the structure and fabric of each of my books on Israel is a deep commitment to help students develop a personal and lifelong relationship with our homeland.

Look at the photo credits in each book and you will see my name, each image offering a personal rather than stock view of Israel. When I write or edit chapters on Jerusalem, Tel Aviv, Haifa, and the Negev, in addition to traditional research, I call upon my experience of living in or visiting each place. And when I write or edit material about the social, political, and security issues facing Israelis, I struggle to convey the facts in a way that can help our children understand why these issues matter so much to those who live in Israel and to American Jews.

I do all this because Israel is my sister and because I want your students to know that she’s their sister, too.

Have a happy and healthy New Year,

 Gila