Ruth Kaplan, at The Blogs

Aug 14, 2024, 7:27 AM

Kibbutz Magen: First Border Community to Return Home Inspires Boston

Ever since October 7, Israel seems broken and Jews worldwide feel embattled. There is no “normal” either there or here. On that dark day, the clock stopped, and Israelis continue to live with ongoing trauma and displacement. Thirty two communities in...

Jul 7, 2024, 11:10 PM

Summertime…and the living is Jewish: My letter to American campers

I usually write a personal essay about Jewish overnight camp in early July. It’s no surprise, as summertime invariably brings wistful memories of my childhood spent among the pine trees by Lake Potanipo at Camp Tevya in Brookline, New...

Mar 18, 2024, 6:34 PM

Ada Sagi: Former Hostage Shares her Ordeal With an American Jew from Boston

Last October, I wrote about Ada Sagi, one of the 240 hostages captured by Hamas terrorists in their surprise massacre of Israeli civilians on October 7. In late November, I learned—to my great excitement and relief—that Ada was released...

Aug 23, 2023, 6:39 AM

Israel’s North Star: A Small Medical Center Making a Big Difference

Israel is a small country that receives a disproportionate amount of news coverage. However, it’s often the stories about places you don’t hear about that showcase the authentic Israel, along with its challenges and promise. Often these places are...

About Me

Ruth is a writer and consultant with a varied career including academic pursuits in Jewish history, social services and governmental work, private practice as an attorney, and public service as an elected and appointed official dealing with public education. For the past 15 years, she has served the Jewish and Israeli communities in a variety of leadership roles, including Director of the Combined Jewish Philanthropies Boston-Haifa Connection and Director of Community Relations for the Consulate General of Israel to New England.