Show Me the Money -Leah Goldberg and the Soul of Israel : Hilik Wald’s Monthly Newsletter May 2026
Hello friends, I did not write during the past month. Life became a little too intense —You didn’t tell me that raising two daughters is so much work. — but I’m happy to be back. This month’s newsletter continues a sub-series I call “SHOW ME THE MONEY,” looking at Israeli banknotes as a way to […]
More Than a Fast: Understanding the Meaning of Ramadan: Hilik Wald’s Monthly Newsletter March 2026
I would like to dedicate this month’s newsletter to an event that might seem “minor” at first glance: the month of Ramadan. Most people have at least a basic familiarity with it, but I always enjoy the opportunity to learn more and deepen my understanding. In Israel, that curiosity is not just academic. About 20% […]
May We Never Need It – Jewish Mourning Customs: Hilik Wald’s Monthly Newsletter | February 2026
This month, I would like to dedicate my newsletter to Jewish mourning customs. As I shared with you, my beloved mother passed away suddenly and unexpectedly on January 23, 2026. After the funeral and the week of shiva that I observed, I felt compelled to study the subject more deeply and to write about it […]
The Hebrew Calendar – Time, Identity, and a place – Hilik Wald’s Monthly Newsletter January 2026
To mark the start of the civil year 2026, I decided to dedicate my monthly article to the Hebrew calendar. Tourism is slowly coming back, and I was guiding again at the end of December. On December 31st, 2025, I spent the day with a Christian family from the Baptist community. I explained that, on […]
Hilik Wald’s Monthly Newsletter December 2025: Winter Holidays – Not What You Thought (And It’s Not About the Miracle)
If you ask 9 out of 10 Israeli adults why we celebrate Hanukkah, the most common answer you’ll hear is: the miracle of the oil. But historically speaking, that’s not the real reason.So how did most Israelis end up with the “kindergarten version” of Hanukkah? Did we forget the real story… or never really learn […]
Hilik Wald’s Monthly Newsletter November 2025: A Unique Jewish Holiday – The Story of Sigd (Ethiopian Jewish Community)
This month, I want to dedicate our newsletter to a truly special holiday — one that belongs to one of the most remarkable Jewish communities in Israel: the Ethiopian Jewish community. Imagine a Jewish community that lived for centuries, believing it was the last Jewish community on earth, utterly unaware that other Jews existed. That […]
Hilik Wald’s Monthly Newsletter March 2025: New National Library of Israel – Hilik’s Recommendation
Since October 7, 2023, following the Hamas attack on Israel and the war in Lebanon, the incoming tourism sector (international tourists) has come to an almost complete standstill. Naturally, I am not working as a tour guide at the moment. In every tourism crisis, tour guides need to “reinvent themselves.” During such crises, […]
Hilik Wald’s Monthly Newsletter February 2025 Day: Mother’s Day, Family Day, and Hadassah Women’s Cookies
Herzl once asked, “When will we be like all other nations?” “When a Jewish policeman arrests a Jewish prostitute.” Herzl aspired and worked for the Jewish State to become like other national states. If the U.S. has Mother’s Day, then the Jewish State should have Mother’s Day too. Mother’s Day in the Past and Today’s […]
Hilik Wald’s Monthly Newsletter January 2025: Accessories and Jewels in a cultural context
Hilik Wald’s Monthly Newsletter January 2025: Accessories and Jewels in a cultural context It is not uncommon for people to wear jewelry or darn fashion with a political statement. From the yellow bracelet, or pin for the return of the hostages to the dresses with the flag of Israel or Palestine at the most […]
Hilik Wald’s Monthly Newsletter – July 2024: “Show Me the Money (and the Culture)” – Natan Alterman: 200 Israeli Shekel Bill: A Reflection on Culture.
A tourist once told me something that has stayed with me since two things have not changed throughout history: death and taxes. Both come sooner or later, and neither can be avoided. Much can be learned from observing the money of a culture, society, or country because society chooses to present the main narrative it […]