Shuly Babitz, at The Blogs

Shuly Babitz

Connection from Afar: Israeli Culture from the US

May 7, 2025, 12:47 PM

What can Rob Lowe teach us about Israel?

I was ready to fan-girl the Brat Pack poster boy's new game show - until the Israeli version surpassed it in warmth, importance, and authenticity

Mar 27, 2025, 11:07 AM

Why Israeli Weddings Matter More than Ever

Weddings in Israel are always joyous, energetic affairs, but right now, in the shadow of war, they take on even more significance. Each celebration is a testament to resilience and a declaration that joy and memory – like the...

Sep 1, 2024, 5:02 PM

Why Barb Heller Wants to Save Your Life

My husband and I were walking down Emek Refaim, a main drag in Jerusalem, on a hot August afternoon. Suddenly a woman calls out to us, “Are you from Los Angeles? You look like a good friend of mine.”...

Jul 16, 2024, 5:35 PM

Featured Post

If Israel is a priority, when am I making aliyah?

Screenshot taken by Shuly Babitz from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pww9iAniGWE

Living in the US isn’t an excuse to be disengaged from the Jewish state. Just the opposite – it’s a reason to double down on our commitment

May 3, 2024, 8:17 AM

Featured Post

What I heard on that campus shocked me

Swarthmore College, May 1, 2024. Photo by Shuly Babitz.

The uninformed kids protesting Israel didn’t surprise me. But the science professor who minimized the Holocaust definitely did

Apr 4, 2024, 4:23 AM

Living Jews need love too

Dara Horn perplexed us back in the good old days of 2021 when she proclaimed that “People love dead Jews. Living Jews, not so much.” Despite the examples she detailed in the book, how many of us really felt...

Mar 5, 2024, 7:46 AM

Featured Post

Why actions speak louder than sirens

Israel's Embassy in Washington, D.C. on March 1, 2024. Photo by Shuly Babitz.

While the bullies with their bullhorns make outrageous accusations, I keep my eye on the Israelis who've got better things to do

Feb 7, 2024, 8:44 AM

Why YOU can win Israel’s top reality show

Knowing the Hebrew phrase “al madim” comes in handy these days. Literally, “on uniform,” it means that an Israeli soldier is wearing their army uniform. As I’ve learned from my daughter who recently got her own uniform, there’s one...

Jan 23, 2024, 11:58 AM

Discover Israeli Culture from Your Couch

Meeting Israeli celebrities is one of my hobbies. Every time I visit Israel, I run into faces I recognize from the many Israeli television shows my family and I have watched over the years. I probably know more Israeli celebrities...

Jan 10, 2024, 7:57 PM

Not your typical baseball hat

Heading home from my trip to Israel in December, I wore a navy blue baseball hat. It’s no coincidence that I brought this particular hat, which bears the logo of a podcast I follow. The hat is like a...

About Me

Shuly Babitz is a writer and public affairs strategist based just outside Washington, D.C. She and her husband have four children, two of whom made Aliyah to Israel. Shuly blogs about Israeli culture, Jewish identity, and her family's deep ties to Israel.

Contact Me