Israel at War

Thank you to everyone who has reached out to check on us. We are safe at home, and Kai is with us. No sirens have been sounded here in Zichron, and at the moment, there have been no official instructions for the city to open our municipal bomb shelters for use. The public has been advised to avoid gatherings and stay close to home. We have received information from the Ministry of Education on how to talk to our children about the “emergency security breach,” and notification that all schools are cancelled for tomorrow.

English instructions for helping kids during this stressful time

I have received messages on WhatsApp asking local teenagers to volunteer to babysit for families who are called in for reserve duty and need emergency childcare (since all of the schools are closed tomorrow). The town council is coordinating the logistics for locals to host families from the south who need a safe place to stay. A “preparedness team” has been patrolling the entire community in coordination with the police. Danny and I took a walk this evening, watching the sunset and tracking military aircraft overhead. We also noticed that the entrance to the kibbutz at the edge of town was completely closed, including tractors barricading the inside of the metal gate. The signs outside the gate say that the kibbutz is closed and no visitors are allowed inside. We have never seen a situation like this here in Israel. Even as I write this, I received the message below showing that the rockets have reached Givat Haviva, the location of Kai’s boarding school.

This morning I walked to synagogue for Simchat Torah services, and all was quiet aside from the raucous singing and prayers as I passed by the ultra-orthodox synagogue. As I walked up to our synagogue, I noticed two men in a car dressed in military uniform talking to one of the women outside. They said a quick goodbye, and sped down the road out of town. A group gathered near the gate, and immediately, the news spread. Israel was under attack in the areas near Gaza. As more people arrived at services, people shared stories about their family members, friends, and neighbors being called up for reserve duty in the early hours of the morning.

I stood at the threshold of the synagogue, not sure if I wanted to go inside to celebrate the holiday. When the hakafot (rounds of dancing with the torah) began, I was pulled inside to join the circle of dancing. A friend next to me apologized for the tears falling down her cheeks. I told her not to apologize. I felt a lump in my throat and wanted to cry too. How could we celebrate a joyous holiday while under attack? Nevertheless, we danced, and people held their babies and toddlers, and there was a moment when I forgot what was happening elsewhere in Israel. Moving together was cathartic, particularly when we all felt helpless.

We took a break outside for kiddush before returning for services, and everyone shared their worries, connected with friends, and wondered what would happen. A police officer came to the gate to let everyone know that services could continue as planned, but that actually led to a spike in the fear level. We have a few members of the congregation who carry a gun, so one assigned himself to stand by the now closed gate, while the others were inside the building. Parents were asked to keep their kids close by, and the service was finished in record time so that people could return home since there wasn’t enough room in the bomb shelter at the synagogue to safely hold everyone who was gathered for the holiday.

A lot of people have been asking how they can help, and I don’t have any information on that yet. I will try to keep everyone updated as the news progresses, or when I hear of ways to help from afar. My mom is supposed to arrive this Tuesday evening for a visit. We don’t have any updates on flight cancellations or airport closures at this time. I don’t want to be naive, but I still really hope that she can come.