Anastasia Torres-Gil, at The Blogs

May 8, 2025, 12:07 AM

Beautiful, Precious, One-of-a-Kind, But Complicated Memories for Mother’s Day

I don’t like to remember my mother. Not because she was a bad mother. Quite the contrary — she was fun and loving and creative and caring. I don’t like remembering my mother because remembering makes it seem like she is...

Apr 13, 2025, 2:49 AM

The Bitter, The Sweet and The Eternal Act of Telling

As families across the world prepare for Passover—mixing apples and cinnamon with horseradish and bitter herbs—we return once again to the ritual of remembrance. We dip, we recline, we recite. Not for nostalgia, and not out of obligation. But...

Mar 25, 2025, 2:45 AM

Hamas Denies Oct. 7 Sexual Crimes:  A Hadassah Member’s Response 

“She deserved to be raped.” No one I know would ever agree with such a sentiment. Until now. Until Israeli women were the ones raped. On the University of California’s Santa Cruz campus, I have heard self-proclaimed social justice warriors chanting that...

Jul 12, 2024, 7:32 AM

From The Front Lines of Campus Protests at UCSC: Bring Them Home Now

It was a beautiful day for a protest. The sun was shining, flowers were blooming, and good music was emanating from the University of California, Santa Cruz (UCSC) across the road. Grad students and members of the United Auto...

Apr 18, 2024, 7:51 AM

El Al’s Last Flight from Tehran

Today, it’s nearly impossible to believe that in the not-so-distant past, Israel enjoyed close and warm relations with Iran. The Shah was very close to the Israeli leadership and the two countries had extensive trade relations. Large Israeli companies...

Feb 2, 2024, 12:00 AM

Hadassah Neurim Youth Village: Paradise with a Purpose

The view from Hadassah Neurim Village. Photo courtesy of the author.

I arrived in Israel for three weeks of volunteering. Soon, I found myself on what seemed to be a magical island of kindness that bore more than a passing resemblance to the 1960 Disney film Swiss Family Robinson. I was...

Feb 8, 2022, 11:56 PM

Even in the ‘Best Families’

The Times of Israel 1/25/22 headline: “Woman found dead in Ramat Gan; Partner Arrested.” Domestic violence is suspected. Sadly, I know from my years in law enforcement that when a woman dies an untimely death, the woman’s partner is...

About Me

Anastasia Torres-Gil, is a member of the Hadassah Foundation Board, a former Hadassah National Board Member and a member of the Hadassah Writers' Circle. She is a retired Assistant District Attorney. She is the author of "We Will Not Be Hijacked: A Life Story of Survival," the biography of El Al Airlines Captain Uri Bar-Lev. She formerly served as the Santa Clara County District Attorney's first Hate Crimes Unit Coordinator. In the 1990’s, she was sent to Israel to investigate a Conspiracy to Commit Murder case. She’s a Wexner Heritage Fellowship alumna. Her op-eds have been published in The Jewish News of Northern California, The Oakland Tribune, Thrive Global and Santa Cruz Sentinel. Additionally, she wrote the first training manual for the California District Attorneys Association on how to prosecute hate crimes. Anastasia recently developed and co-led a Fashion, Food, Wine & Design Hadassah tour to Israel and visits the country – and her dear friends there - often.

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