Nicole Grubner, at The Blogs

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Oct 29, 2015, 4:52 AM

I’m Sorry Ms. Rowling, Love, One of Your Greatest Fans

I’m a Harry Potter fan. My friends know it. My co-workers know it. My family knows it. The random girl sitting next to me on the plane knows it. I follow J.K. Rowling on Twitter. I’ve read and reread all...

Oct 15, 2014, 5:18 PM

Aliyah Year-in-Review: Coffee, Hummus, and Sandals

October 8 was not my birthday. But a milestone it was. October 8 was my Aliyahversary. I’m officially One Israel-year-old. I won’t spend a whole blog post detailing the events of the year – I’ll save that for my personal diary....

Aug 4, 2014, 10:32 AM

Israel: The Safest Place on Earth?

My cousin Daniel was eight years old when I graduated high school and left my home in Vancouver. As I set off on my journey toward adulthood, he was still a child. The years passed, he was bar mitzvahed,...

May 11, 2014, 10:35 AM

When ArtScroll Isn’t Enough

I stood on the roof of my apartment in Jerusalem, holding my trusted ArtScroll siddur. As the military planes flew by overhead, displaying the skill of the Israeli air force, I was distractedly trying to say the morning service. Many...

Mar 11, 2014, 11:00 AM

Pipe dreams: How water can turn the tide towards peace

A view of the Jordan River, Naharayim, Isle of Peace (photo credit: Shmuel Bar-Am)

Maybe pragmatism will trump ideology and the Jews and Arabs can finally end their bitter conflict

Dec 26, 2013, 10:25 AM

Feeling empowered when terror strikes

When I was a high school student at King David High School in Vancouver, I had an exceptional Hebrew teacher. She was exceptional because she taught us a lot more than Hebrew. Shoshi never lost enthusiasm for her subject, and...

Nov 25, 2013, 11:30 AM

Bearing the fruits of Israel: Why having a sabra child might not be so bad

Recently, a friend of mine read a list of the top 15 facts they forget to tell you about aliya, which in fact was a blog post written by Neil Lazarus on this very site. The first fact he...

Nov 11, 2013, 10:18 AM

What’s With The Poppy?

If I were in Canada right now, today, and probably throughout last week and possibly into next week, I would be sporting a commemorative poppy. I usually have to explain this practice to my American friends, as for them,...

Oct 28, 2013, 10:30 AM

A Woman’s Right to Choose

Nope. This blog post is not what you think it is. It has nothing to do with women’s rights. No, this is really a story about employing one’s right to make choices in life --decisions that do not necessarily follow...

Oct 22, 2013, 11:00 AM

Seeing the Beauty of Practicality

“So, why did you decide to make aliyah?” The question I have been asked over and over for the past two weeks since I moved here. I’ve come up with a few ways to answer this question. First is...

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About Me

Born and raised in Vancouver, British Columbia, Nicole Grubner earned her BA in English Literature from Stern College. She taught at SAR Academy in Riverdale, NY, and is now a PR professional living in Israel, working on behalf of Israeli companies to tell their stories in international markets.