Harper Spero, at The Blogs

Harper Spero

Apr 20, 2026, 6:59 PM

The Belonging I Only Recognized After Leaving

I never thought that after leaving Israel, the holidays would be something I missed. For me, holidays were always synonymous with family. They smelled like my mother’s latkes, Bubba’s matzah ball soup and my aunt’s brisket that I never touched...

Dec 10, 2025, 9:19 PM

Finding Light: Hanukkah Reflections

Last Hanukkah, as I lit the menorah in my New York apartment, I felt a flicker of both warmth and grief. The soft glow of the candles reflected against the window, and for a moment, the world outside felt...

Oct 13, 2025, 7:42 AM

One Foot Here, One Foot There

Six months after October 7th, 2023, I wrote a note on my phone - it felt like an inventory list. I wanted to remember who I was at that moment. I didn’t edit it and still haven’t. In the last...

Sep 2, 2025, 4:31 AM

Whispering Israel in New York City

Not long after October 7, an American-Israeli friend came to New York. As we walked through the streets of Manhattan, she spoke freely, saying words like Israel, Tel Aviv, Jewish. Each time she said it, I shushed her. “What?!” she...

Apr 3, 2025, 4:51 AM

Honoring Passover Through Creativity and Tradition

Kalaniot - flowers that bloom in the spring in Israel. Photo by Makers of Israel and featured in the Israeli Photography Cards

Last Passover, as I poured red wine into the charoset and chopped vegetables for our small family seder, a heaviness settled in my stomach. Passover has always been a joyful holiday for us—filled with laughter, off-key singing, and my...

Feb 9, 2025, 5:50 AM

A Farewell Letter to My Idol, Patti Smith

Dear Patti, I’ve been a super fan of yours for as long as I can remember. On my 35th birthday, I sat at a corner table at Shuka, practically ignoring my friends who had taken me out for lunch as I...

Sep 30, 2024, 9:48 PM

Tears in Transit: From Tel Aviv to Uncertainty

As soon as I buckled my seatbelt, the tears flooded out of my eyes. I looked around and no one had the same response to the horrors of the past few days as I did. Were they living in...

Feb 7, 2024, 7:51 AM

How I raised $40K in the first 65 days of the war

In the first 65 days of the war in Israel, I raised $40,018 from 256 individual donors. There was no nonprofit organization behind me. I hadn’t reached out to my synagogue or any larger organizations I was affiliated with...

About Me

Harper Spero is a community builder, storyteller, and the creator of Made Visible. After years of visiting Israel after Birthright, she made Aliyah in 2021 after falling in love with Tel Aviv. She's returned to New York City where she grew up but her heart remains in Israel. She is the co-founder of Makers of Israel.

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