Talks are of Spies and Online Security

The cover of Gregory J. Wallance’s book about Sarah Aaronsohn, the leader of the Nili spy ring

In June, Gregory J. Wallance visited Israel from the US for one week and honored the ESRA Herzliya Branch with a talk on his research and book The Woman Who Fought an Empire, a biography of Sarah Aaronsohn, the leader of the Nili spy ring that was operating in Ottoman-ruled Eretz Israel during World War I.

Gregory is a lawyer and a writer, a former Federal Prosecutor, and a long-time human rights activist from New York City. He became fascinated by women spies during wartime and especially by a young woman, Sarah Aaronsohn, who despite her capture and torture ended her own life at the age of 27 without exposing any person in her spy ring. Gregory's book is a fresh look at a life story of almost mythological importance. Sarah's utmost devotion and bravery, her independence and free spirit, and talent for leadership, emerging in a world where gender equality and feminism were still far away from consensus, have the power to inspire men and women around the world a century after her death.

I bought his book which Eddy, my husband, read and couldn't put down. It opened up an amazing period in the history of the Yishuv of amazing people prepared to save the Jews of Palestine from suffering the same fate from the Ottoman Turks as that of the Armenians, at the hands of Turkey.

We enjoyed our usual delicious refreshments in the lovely home of Dena and Stanley Laufer.

Online advice (from left) Dena Laufer, David Gee, Lenita and Stanley Curzon (Photo: Denis Kaliser)

In July, David Gee, the son of one of our members, who was visiting his mother together with his family, gave us an evening out of his holiday to tell us how not to get into trouble online and keep ourselves safe.

David lives in Silicon Valley, California, and is the chief marketing officer of Imperva, a world leader in keeping data safe and secure online. He gave us lots of tips on what to look out for and to avoid, plus all the things we should do. He charmingly answered everyone's personal questions.

We then enjoyed delicious refreshments in the beautiful home of Lenita and Stanley Curzon.