The Land of Israel is like no other. First timers and old-timers alike share a common awe - just being there, just breathing the air. Some claim that the Land speaks to them, offering insights, comforts, and warnings. In Wish I Were Here, author Sarah Shapiro, who has breathed the holy air of Eretz Yisrael for over three decades, shares profound lessons she has harvested in the Land of our Forefathers. A cogent and articulate writer, she proffers a unique gift for wresting wisdom from the most ordinary of events.

Wish I Were Here is a book of personal reflections that guides the reader through ancient and modern paths, pausing to capture meaning at each turn in the trail of thought. Laced with irony, sprinkled with humor, this skillfully woven anthology challenges the mind and touches the heart.

Sarah Shapiro takes an unabashedly street-level view of Jewish life, global events, extended family, friendships, personal setbacks, and hard-won triumphs. While many incisive books have been written by authors from Eretz Yisrael, Wish I Were Here delivers a uniquely compelling reading experience. In this, her third book for Shaar Press, Sarah Shapiro transports readers through a vicarious experience of the realities and rewards of living a Torah life in Eretz Yisrael.