Marika Stein

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Feb 19, 2019, 9:44 AM

Empathy Has Lost Its Way

A section of the famous mural wall at Sydney’s Bondi Beach was defaced in the last couple of weeks with a row of around 20 swastika symbols, and it made headlines. I wish I were able to say I’m shocked. Swastika...

Aug 7, 2018, 2:58 PM

The Polish Paradox

I’m sure many of you have heard about the extreme new bill that was approved by the Polish senate a few months back. Interestingly, this occurred on the eve of International Holocaust Remembrance Day, and just over a couple of...

May 21, 2018, 2:18 PM

Keeping Score — A Wretched Game In Itself

As a blogger, some pieces don’t come easy to me. I’ll get inspired by a topic, brainstorm what I want to get across, formulate my talking points, do some research, start drafting, change my mind repeatedly, procrastinate, reframe my...

Sep 11, 2017, 9:26 AM

The War Nobody Likes to Talk About — Partisanship Versus Personal Values

I feel like I’m in a permanent tug of war between my conservative and liberal friends, and at the same time, I feel like at any moment, I’m going to slip through a sheet of thin ice into the...

Jun 28, 2017, 9:04 AM

Will I have to be afraid?

Last weekend, the Chicago Dyke March took place, ostensibly -- and in the spirit of intersectionality - to highlight their support for “undocumented, refugee, and immigrant communities under threat of deportation”. The Chicago Dyke March’s tagline describes themselves as “a...

May 15, 2017, 11:34 AM

Joining the Evolution

I am not a person who enjoys theme park rides. Years ago, I was at Sydney’s Luna Park, and against my better judgement, I went on two extreme rides, “The Spider” and “The Octopus”, both consisting of rotators that...

Aug 19, 2016, 11:11 AM

Why Are We So Hard On Each Other?

I'm really, really saddened by what I'm seeing online lately among my fellow Zionists. Now unless you have no internet access, live under a rock or are wise enough to avoid social media altogether, keyboard war zones will not...

Jul 1, 2016, 8:03 AM

When Your Friends Turn on You

I've been reading a lot of stories in the blogosphere and social media status updates about people losing friends over their support for Israel. One story after another of surprise, disbelief, disappointment and hurt. And the stories keep on...

May 16, 2016, 5:28 AM

Busy Building a Tale

When I was a little girl, among my favourite children's books were those huge illustrated books by Richard Scarry. My favourite book of his was Busy Busy World. And of course one of my favourite stories in this book was...

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About Me

Kooky vegan, Zionist, liberal minded, animal loving, non conformist but very congenial soul from Sydney who left the insurance industry to work as a nanny and self employed pet sitter, when she realised her "inner socialist" was incompatible with denying insurance claims. Defies Jewish stereotypes by enjoying a few wines after work, but compensates for this by cooking enough food on chagim to make even her mother tear her hair out!