Hila Bar, at The Blogs

Apr 1, 2024, 1:03 PM

The New Jew: Sorrow, Antisemitism and Fighting Back

Nancy Putterman, a resident of Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, has spent 30 years in the Canadian news media, both in Toronto and Vancouver, fulfilling various positions including writer, associate producer, researcher and assistant assignment editor. The following essay is her...

Dec 30, 2023, 5:58 PM

To the Army Base (and Back)

“We’re not from around here,” I say, displaying a facial expression that seems half facetious, half tongue-in-cheek. Ariella cracks up. “Of course you’re not from here! Now come here to the storeroom, I want to give you some donations...

Dec 3, 2023, 6:52 PM

A Letter From Liora Golden, a Canadian Jewish Student

Liora Golden is a 21-year-old Jewish student from Toronto, who is currently studying at McGill University. She writes: Dear Reader, The progression of emotions since October 7th, as a Jewish woman, has included that of defeat and fear to pride and...

Nov 29, 2023, 7:26 PM

An Israeli Evening of Giving – 28.11.2023

The smallest, simplest acts of giving are just as important as preparing 2,000 lunches or raising hundreds of thousands of dollars. Each act counts immensely. Last night I was jotting down some notes in answer to the question, “How do...

Nov 10, 2023, 2:52 PM

The Heroes of Swords of Iron

Imagine a man (or woman) standing head and shoulders above the rest. They have worked hard and raised themselves up the ladder of life. They have established beneficial connections, a sterling reputation, and earned widespread standing. They deserve to...

Nov 4, 2023, 9:48 PM

Getting Israel Back on Track – A Personal Perspective

When a representative of Kibbutz Alumim, a small kibbutz in the Negev, approached me for assistance before the first week of the war was up, I was filled with respect: An entire kibbutz had been devastated. I don’t believe...

Oct 15, 2023, 1:24 PM

After a Week (From My Facebook Page)

*For people grieving and processing, this may not be an appropriate read. -- Just over a week has passed. The inconceivable took place. The unspeakable. Last week, the country converged in a bubble of shock, emotion, and disbelief. Everyone sprung into...

Sep 26, 2023, 3:46 PM

Yom Kippur 5784: Approaching (Im)Perfection

You can say that I was somewhat amused at the throngs of darker-skinned people streaming up the path to the entrance of the synagogue in Srigim, a mixed religious-secular settlement in the Ela Valley region, about 20km north of...

Nov 22, 2020, 10:26 AM

A Supermarket Story

There was a time, not too long ago, that I found myself working in a supermarket. Places like these serve as the quintessential platform that depicts the good relations between all segments of Israeli society. It is here where...

Nov 15, 2020, 6:13 PM

The Road Down South

The road down south is long and dusty. It is a road where on either side, the parched fields stretch across the desert plains, like the long ago remains of coal embers that were left to writhe. On the dry...

About Me

Hila Bar is known for her penetrating commentary on people and society, as well as her deep, insightful poetry and prose. She studied English and Hebrew language and literature at the University of Cape Town, South Africa, and works as a translator and editor. Hila made Aliyah in 1996 and currently resides in Srigim, in the Ela Valley region of Israel. Hila can be reached through Facebook or via email - bunducommunications@gmail.com.

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