Lilian Gafni, at The Blogs

Lilian Gafni

Oct 11, 2014, 10:38 PM

I remember growing up as a child in Cairo, Egypt, with the same childhood as any other child in the world: playing with dolls, reading many books, dealing with sibling rivalry and school, but also with a shadow in...

Jun 28, 2014, 1:28 AM

The Foods and Colors of Shuk Ha’Carmel

Shuk Ha’Carmel Except where otherwise noted, all photos in this post are by Yosef Gafni, June 2014. Shuk Ha’Carmel, or Ha’Carmel market in Hebrew and Arabic respectively, is the largest market in the heart of Tel Aviv, where farmers bring their...

Jun 8, 2014, 9:25 PM

The Rise and Fall of Petra

Photo by J. Gafni, May 2014 I’ve just returned from a trip to Petra, the rose-red Nabataean city, where history still remains in its ruins. Petra is considered one of the New Seven Wonders in the world, and in 1985...

May 27, 2014, 11:37 PM

Are We Ready for Another Renaissance?

Can we have another renaissance between Christians, Jews and Muslims? The Alhambra fort and palace in Granada, Spain, with the Sierra Mountains in the background. Photo by bernjan. Wikimedia Commons. In 711 the Muslim Umayyad Caliphate conquered Hispania, or Spain, which...

Apr 9, 2014, 1:19 AM

A 500 Year-Old Belated Spanish Citizenship

I always believed in the saying, “better late than never.” The Spanish government recently announced that all Sephardic Jews can return to live with the rights of full citizenship. After 500 years, the Sephardim, descendents of Jews exiled in 1492...

About Me

Lilian was born in Cairo, Egypt, of a Sephardic background. Her family immigrated to Israel in 1956. They spoke Ladino at home in addition to French and Hebrew. Lilian served two years in the Israel Defense Forces then transferred to the Negev Desert where she met her husband Joel. Afterwards they moved to California to raise their two children.