Articles
Since 1995 Motro has published hundreds of commentary articles addressing the human side of the global events by which her life--and millions of others--have been touched, among them the meaning of the American dream in the 21st century, the legacy of a Holocaust family, and life in the great modern experiment: the State of Israel.
They range from the whimsical ("When Ike Sabotaged Halloween," The New York Times, Oct. 31, 1999), the nostalgic ("Sentimental journey in a good old Oldsmobile," Chicago Tribune, Jan. 14, 2001) and the entertaining ("Some Confessions of a Tennis Addict," The New York Times, Sep. 8, 2002) to heartfelt reverberations arising from close family association with Nazi tragedy ("Bound Together by an Unspeakable Past," Newsweek, April 21, 2003) and painful experiences both of motherhood ("Gas masks reflect new age we've entered," USA Today, Jan. 2, 2003) and of caring for an aging parent ("After 90 years, birthday thoughts of war and remembrance," Wisconsin Journal Sentinel, July 25, 2004).
Motro draws on her background in literature ("An Ignoble Fast," Christian Science Monitor, Sep. 26, 2003) art ("A Bloody Artwork Mirrors Mideast Tragedy," The Boston Globe, Jan. 21, 2004, "Austria's stain on Klimt beauty," Christian Science Monitor, June 15, 2004), and law ("In Israel, another court speaks loudly," The San Diego Union-Tribune, July 1, 2004) to explore cultural and social issues of the times. Her concerns range from Vietnam and World War Two war commemoration ("The Vietnam War Reconsidered," Baltimore Sun, Aug. 12, 2001, VE Day: homage to lives lost,The Boston Globe, May 5, 2005, Austian Jewish swimmers banned from Nazi Olympics (International Herald Tribune, and implications of Hiroshima ("The day the sun rose twice," San Francisco Chronicle, Aug. 4, 2002), to analysis of Abu Ghraib abuse ("Dogs are not to blame," Orlando Sentinel, May 16, 2004), the beauty and tragedy of Tibet ( "Finding Beauty and Heartbreak in a Troubled Land," International Herald Tribune, Nov. 1, 2007, violence at the Olympics ( "Maccabiah Games Enter New Era but Cannot Erase Memory of '72," New York Times July 24, 2005
Topical subjects include 40th anniversary of the Six Day War (Christian Science Monitor), war in Lebanon (NY Daily News, NY Post, Philadelphia Inquirer), buying fair trade coffee to aid indigent farmers (Orlando Journal Sentinel), God receives letters in Jerusalem (San Diego Union Tribune), The Cat in the Hat and the Gaza Strip (The Boston Globe), innocents abroad on Independence Day (Ft. Worth Star Telegram), the dogs and cats of war (Globe & Mail), women journalists in the Middle East (Lilith), modern-day locust plagues (Chicago Sun-Times),and the symbolism of Wendy Wasserstein (Miami Herald).
Motro is recipient of the Common Ground Award for Journalism in the Middle East. In her commentary pieces on numerous aspects of Israeli society she brings to life its heartaches, dilemmas, hopes, and realities to readers across North America, Europe, the Middle East, and Australia.
Motro's work has appeared in the following periodicals: Atlanta Constitution, Baltimore Jewish Times, Baltimore Sun, Bergen Record, Boston Globe, Chicago Sun-Times, Chicago Tribune, Christian Science Monitor, Cleveland Plain Dealer, Columbus Dispatch, Congress Monthly, Detroit Jewish News, Ft. Worth Star Telgram, Forward, Haaretz, Globe & Mail, Hadassah Magazine, Hartford Courant, International Herald Tribune, Irish Times, Jerusalem Post, Jewish Journal of Greater Los Angeles, Jewish Telegraphic Agency, Library Times International, Lilith Magazine, Los Angeles Times, Melbourne Age, Miami Herald, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Minnesota Women's Press, Moment Magazine, Montreal Gazette, NY Daily News, NY Post, The New York Times, Newark Star Ledger, Newsday, Newsweek Magazine, Oregonian, Orlando Sentinel, Philadelphia Inquirer, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Rocky Mountain News,Sacramento Bee, Salon.com, San Diego-Union Tribune, San Francisco Chronicle, Toronto Star, USA Today, WIN Magazine, Wisconsin Jewish Chronicle, Women's eNews.