Debbie Wolf Goldsmith

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Jul 10, 2023, 6:32 AM

Pride tinged with fear: Being an IDF parent

I moved to Israel 23 years ago. I'm a Jewish educator. What more could I want than my daughter serving our country? Guaranteed safety would be nice

Apr 23, 2023, 11:18 AM

To my daughter, as you enlist to the IDF

To my daughter as you enlist to Tzahal (IDF), For weeks you have been teasing me that I'm more excited than you are. It's partially true. It's ok that you do not yet realize that what you're doing is incredible. ...

Apr 15, 2023, 11:45 PM

A Flat Tire as a Demonstration of Israeli Unity

In Israel, this past week was complex. Families gathered together to celebrate the Passover seder, parks were full of picnics and beaches overcrowded with people taking time off from work, and everyone seemed to be talking about the unseasonal...

Jan 14, 2023, 10:50 PM

Being Raised by an Immigrant – Blessing or Curse?

As an American immigrant to Israel, raising children means that my kids have the burden and the privilege of teaching me what it means to be Israeli. If you ask them, they'd probably say it's a blessing and a...

Aug 31, 2022, 7:01 AM

Living the Dream: 125 Years of Zionism

On August 29, 1897, the first Zionist Congress was convened in Basel, Switzerland, with 200 delegates from 17 countries in attendance and Theodore Herzl presiding. This week, exactly 125 years later to the day, Jewish leaders from around the...

Aug 27, 2021, 1:54 PM

Pivot! Management Insights Highlighted by Covid

Remember that hilarious scene from Friends when Ross, Rachel and Chandler try to schlep a couch up the stairs and Ross vigorously commands his friends to "PIVOT! PIVOT! PIVOT!" (Whether you remember or not, it's worth watching again: Reflecting...

May 6, 2017, 8:56 PM

I’ll Always Be an Immigrant…

I moved to Israel 16 years ago. I'm still an olah - an immigrant - but I'm proud of it. About six years ago, I attended a Yom HaZikaron ceremony in my community and found myself acutely aware of how...

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About Me

Debbie Wolf Goldsmith made Aliya in 2001 and is the Executive Director of Aardvark Israel, which offers a variety of gap year and study abroad programs to 18-21 year old Jews from all over the world. In honor of International Women’s Day 2021, she was recognized as one of Masa Israel Journey’s Inspiring 12 Jewish Women Working to Make a Difference. Debbie has an MA in Jewish Education and resides in Yishuv Alon with her three children.