In the words of Palestinians: Checkpoints
Dear friends, In the US we hear a lot about Israel/Palestine, but it’s usually Americans and Israelis doing the talking. (A recent study of four Sunday news...
Christmas in Bethlehem
Dear Friends, Merry Christmas to all who celebrate! It’s Christmas Eve here on the east coast of the US, and even though I think many of you won’t be opening...
An update and a request
Hello Friends, You haven’t heard from me in awhile, so I wanted to let you know that I had a wonderful time in the West Bank once again, and am now back...
Lots of love
Dear Friends, I am back in Palestine to visit a place and people I love, and to attend the wedding of Majdal and Aboud (you can find Postcards about each of...
Aboud
Dear Friends, I’d like you to meet Aboud, who was introduced briefly in an earlier Postcard about Majdal. (If you missed that postcard, you can find it...
A Visit to Bethlehem University
Dear Friends, While attention is focused on the horrific assault on the people of Gaza, Palestinians in the West Bank continue to live under harsh and ever...
Daybreak in Gaza
Dear Friends, I still have stories to share about my time in the West Bank earlier this year, but I feel compelled to write about what’s happening now,...
All Postcards
Dear Friends, I’ve been lucky to spend time this year (2025) in the West Bank. I’m on sabbatical from my university, and I decided to use the time to learn...
War with Iran
Dear Friends, I’m working on some more Postcards about my time in Palestine. They’re not ready yet, but I thought I’d write today about what I’m hearing from...
16 Postcards
Dear Friends, With mixed emotions, I am back home in the US. My heart remains in Palestine, and I hope to return again soon. The kindness, warmth, and...
Going home
Dear Friends, With mixed emotions, I am back home in the US. My heart remains in Palestine, and I hope to return again soon. The kindness, warmth, and...
Dinner with a family in Bethlehem
Dear Friends, On my first day in Bethlehem, I asked a small group of men on the street for directions. As they vied to assist, one of them recognized me, and...
Easter in Bethlehem
Dear Friends, Belated holiday greetings - Happy Easter, Happy Passover, and Eid Mubarak to all. Some of you have asked about Easter in Bethlehem. It was...
Bethlehem
Dear Friends, It’s Easter weekend and I am in Bethlehem, the birthplace of Jesus. I traveled here recently from Ramallah. As a US citizen, I am allowed to...
Palestine Museum of Natural History
Dear Friends, The Palestine Institute for Biodiversity and Sustainability (PIBS) at Bethlehem University is a beautiful oasis of hope and peace in the midst...
The Palestinian Museum
Dear Friends, The Palestinian Museum, on the grounds of Birzeit University just 16 miles from Jerusalem, is a must-see. It’s a small, visually stunning...
Defending and celebrating scholarship
Dear Friends, I had the honor of serving on a master’s thesis committee for a student in Translation Studies at the Arab American University of Palestine...
The Edward Said National Conservatory of Music
Dear Friends, We woke up last week to the devastating nightmare of renewed Israeli attacks on Gaza, alongside Israel’s total blockade of desperately needed...
Majdal
Dear Friends, In the last postcard I introduced you to Haya (you can read about her here), and today I’d like to introduce you to another amazing person...
Haya
Dear Friends, I would like to introduce you to Haya, one of the wonderful people working at the Lavender Boutique Hotel (previous postcard on the hotel...