Meryl Danziger

Author, Educator, Creator of "Music House"

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Dec 3, 2024, 2:35 PM

On my yoga mat in Gan Meir, I finished meditation and was doing a few cat-cow poses to stretch out. In the middle of a cow I looked up to find a toddler, 18-months-old or so, feet planted, eyes...

Jul 11, 2024, 9:32 PM

Entering Meir Park I ran into a tiny fairy in a pink tutu. Barefoot, 3-years-old at most, the child looked up at me imploringly: “Daddy?” She had that low-pitched, gravelly voice peculiar to Israeli children that still catches me...

Dec 27, 2022, 9:12 PM

Peas and Proprieties

Unpacking my groceries and loading up the fridge, I realized I’d forgotten to buy mangos. Back to the Carmel Market I went. While paying for the mangos, I was distracted by an attractive display of fresh peas in their pods....

Oct 21, 2022, 2:48 PM

Womb with a view

Last winter, Tel Aviv was declared to be “The Most Expensive City In the World.” Having just begun my search for an apartment in this particular city, I was not altogether pleased to hear this. Moreover, word got out...

Jun 12, 2022, 9:27 AM

Band-Aids on Shabbat

This morning I got a nice, wide cut on my thumb and realized I was out of Band-Aids. On a Saturday—Shabbat—few stores would be open, so I shmeared some Bacitracin on the cut, hoped for the best, and headed...

Apr 28, 2022, 10:05 PM

Today is Holocaust Day—my first in Israel in many years. A solemn occasion anywhere, here it settles over the country like a heavy blanket, and while daily activities do continue amidst the events, a somber mood permeates the day. This...

Mar 27, 2022, 3:55 PM

The shuk, the mad, and the shiny

Israelis shop at the Carmel Market in Tel Aviv, on March 1, 2021. (Miriam Alster/ Flash90)

That time my hunt for a new garbage can became an object lesson on surviving an Israeli shopping trip

Jan 30, 2022, 5:18 PM

Here tomorrow, gone today

Open and closed signs. (Wikimedia Commons/cogdogblog)

That time I came to my 'office' in the park and all the picnic tables had vanished without a trace. The next day, they were back. Why? It's a mystery

Apr 18, 2020, 8:58 PM

My Friend Arieh

Every time someone tries to steal my locked bike, something gets bent or broken. So once again I walked it over to Arieh's bike shop at Dizengoff Square. The shop, as musty and ancient as its owner, seems to defy...

Feb 26, 2018, 3:36 PM

Laundry Pioneers

Israel is a land of never-ending discovery. My most recent, unearthed on a trip back after many years, was the laundromat on Allenby Street in Tel Aviv. There may be Israelis who use laundromats but I haven’t met any. If...

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About Me

Meryl Danziger grew up in NYC. During her time living in Israel Meryl pursued a career as a violinist, and taught at the American International School in Kfar Shmaryahu. Returning to NYC, she taught at the Little Red School House in Greenwich Village. Meryl’s career continues to reach into every corner of music from performance to education to writing. Her presentation at the 2019 Carnegie Hall Summer Music Teachers Institute explored a cornerstone of her Music House approach: teaching through relatable imagery. Her book "Sing It! A Biography of Pete Seeger" (2016, Seven Stories Press), the first bio of Pete for young readers, received a starred review from Publishers Weekly, and has been a feature of numerous festivals and radio appearances. Several of Meryl’s city blogs have appeared in the New York Times “Metropolitan Diary.” A published songwriter, her original songs, stories and plays are regularly performed by children of all ages. Her articles on education and music education have appeared in NEA Today as well as in Homeschooling journals nationwide. .