Rochel Stoklasa

Apply for a Blog

Nov 20, 2024, 10:22 PM

Ner Tamid, the last light in the now defunct synagogue.

Freeze-dried coffee grounds. Boiling water. Milk. Boom. I swirl the contents of my mug and head out to the porch overlooking my mother-in-law’s garden, a masterpiece of Japanese-style ornamental plants blended with countryside European apple trees and blackberry bushes....

Feb 28, 2023, 12:16 AM

3 Practical Ways to Confront Tragedy Right Now

It feels like the worst of times – one of the worst of times. If you’ve been reading the news or listening to the neighborhood grapevine, there have been what feels like an unprecedented number of tragedies lately in many...

Mar 15, 2022, 12:49 PM

A Case for Shushan Purim in Beit Shemesh

The 14th of Adar is a joyous day that celebrates the Jews of the Persian empire defeating their enemies and turning around a murderous decree that would have seen the Jews annihilated (on second thought, if you don't already...

Apr 20, 2021, 5:10 PM

The first Shabbos after making aliyah, I sank into a (borrowed) plastic chair, reeling from the shock of our move. Rather than rapture and excitement, I felt simultaneously as though I had narrowly escaped from a burning car, and...

Sep 9, 2020, 12:03 PM

Holding Space with God

The opposite of love isn’t hate,” Elie Wiesel famously said, “it’s indifference.” I originally learned this is seventh grade from a teacher discussing the tumultuous relationship between King David and his son Avshalom, describing the immense pain David felt...

Aug 30, 2020, 11:27 PM

How to move (countries) without killing anyone

Moving. (iStock)

6 tips that got me across the ocean (and through other tasks since), including accepting that things will definitely go wrong

Jul 26, 2020, 11:02 PM

Rachel’s prophetic call to action

In one of the most moving and famous excerpts from Yirmiyahu/Jeremiah, God describes a scene involving Rachel in Heaven: “A voice on high is heard: wailing, bitter cries. Rachel cries for her children, refusing to be comforted for her...

Mar 31, 2020, 1:54 PM

An olah’s Dayenu

The illegal immigration ship Exodus 1947 (The Palmach Photo Gallery)

You gave us the dream of return, the clarity to leave, the strength to cross oceans, the aleph-bet, family and a home -- dayenu!

Mar 23, 2020, 12:39 PM

The Bright Side of Corona

Desperate to escape the anxiety of the economic and health havoc that Coronavirus is wreaking, I was grateful one recent morning to open my laptop in my home in Israel and be greeted with an image of clear blue...

Jan 14, 2020, 11:23 PM

Shabbos Underground in Ben Gurion Airport

Memories can pop up at the strangest of times. I guess it’s the magic of subconscious thought. Following our recent aliyah flight, upon disembarking we were escorted downstairs to some offices in order to fill out paperwork. Artificially lit underground...

Load more

About Me

Originally from the USA (West and East Coasts), Rochel is a writer and editor who now lives in Beit Shemesh with her wonderful husband and children.