Shabbat started out fairly peacefully, but we knew something major was brewing. Three of our neighbors were suddenly called up to reserves, two of them are paramedics. The Israeli Defense Minister signed an emergency directive that was broadcast on all media and social media:

There are new Home Front restrictions for all civilians in Haifa and northward. All kindergarten and elementary schools open on Sunday only if nearby shelters can be accessed in time allowed for that area. Middle and high schools closed. No after school activities or sports. No outdoor gatherings over 30 people. Stay close to shelter at all times.

For the past 11 months Hizbulla has launched over 8300 rockets and exploding suicide drones into Israel. Over 70,000 residents from the northern border communities have been displaced since 8 October. Many of these little villages that butt up against Lebanon have been totally destroyed. There is really nothing left intact. It’s a game of psychological warfare for the terrorists. We have endured constant barrages on a daily basis. Most have been shot down by Iron Dome, but there has also been much damage to forests, fields, farms, and property. Thank goodness, the casualties have been less than 100 so far, but just one innocent civilian killed (12 Druze children in Madj Al Shams last month) is a precious loss for us.

Last week, Israel launched its own version of psychological warfare on Hizbulla. On Wednesday, precisely timed detonation of all the pagers used by the upper level terrorists went off, killing 14 and wounding thousands of Hizbulla fighters. The next day the Iran proxy, IRGC, and Hizbulla command resorted to using walkie -talkies, which all blew up simultaneously across Lebanon. And Friday, the Israeli Air Force made a surgical strike in Beirut on the building in which remaining Hizbulla and Iran were meeting. This sends the message- we know who you are and where you are. You cannot hide. We will be coming for you unless you cease fire.

As a result of these surgical IDF strikes, several of the top eschelon of the elite Radwan command unit were killed. This included Ibrahim Aqil, head of Hizbulla’s military operations, two senior commanders and 14 other members. For your information, Aqil had been on the top 3 wanted terrorists list in the United States. He was the one responsible for the 1983 attack on the US military base in Beirut during the Reagan administration. The attack killed 243 US soldiers. There was a $7million bounty on his head. (Israelis are joking that we just saved the US taxpayers $7million. Thank you very much). The White House and Secretary of State Antony Blinken expressed concern that they were not forewarned.

While Hamas, Hizbulla, PIJ, etc have tried to target the civilian population in both their psy-ops and their warfare, Israel has only targeted known terrorists. Last weeks’ telecommunications ’malfunctions’ was only intended to hurt the members of the terror organizations. It showed them that they are not safe. That Israeli intelligence knows who they are is watching.

In Arab culture, this was a mark of severe shame upon them. It was pure humiliation as they watched the memes and the jokes roll out that made fun of their exploding devices. In Arab culture, to shame someone is the worst possible affront. So they were flaming hot mad and their leader, Nasrallah, vowed to take revenge.

Israel is back on highest alert.

Last night (Motzash/Motzey Shabbat/ the ending of the Sabbath at night) just after sunset we began to hear the loud booming explosions in the distant north. It lasted for a few minutes, then we heard the expected IDF jets roaring through the air. One huuuuuge boom. The sky over the mountain ridge had a faint pink glow towards Lebanon. There was an Israeli air strike on a large weapons warehouse used by Hizbulla. It was quiet for some hours after that.

Then, just before midnight we heard the booming thuds again, this time coming from the mountains just south of us. I looked at the red alerts on my phone: Kfar Manda, Nazareth, Tsippori, Cana, Shimshit, Beit Shean – all deep into the Jezreel Valley. They were aiming for military logistics bases and warehouses nearby and a large defense company (Research and Development much like Teledyne) on the mountain across from us. There were two direct hits in Nazareth, one that exploded in an empty lot and one that came straight down, but did not explode.

The videos that came to us over the news shortly afterwards included one of a group of Arab men in Nazareth taking selfies and posing for photos with themselves wrapped around and hugging the yet unexploded missile. (We are repeatedly warned to not go near, but to report any pieces of rockets or missiles we come across. They can go off at any time-). Just brilliant, Guys. I’m sure your friends will all be impressed.

John and I said our night prayers and went to bed. We had an early day on Sunday and I set my alarm for 06:15. The alarm came and I dozed back off. I’m sleeping fully dressed in yoga pants and a shirt (not PJs) because we have a gentleman living with us. I refuse to go into a saferoom in a nightie. Exactly 06:27 BOOM!!! BOOM!!!!! BOOM!!!! Wake up!!! The whole house is shaking. Glad I took down all the photos, paintings and breakables. These sounded super close. And they weren’t letting up. I also sleep with the window partially open to hear a siren if there is one. No siren. Very strange. More booms like the loudest thunder.

From the neighboring villages all around, all the way towards Haifa Bay, but not from our city, I heard the constant wail of the siren. My phone started beeping the red alerts and the booming continued, one after another. So, what was I supposed to do? No sirens here in our neighborhood.

I grabbed my phone, opened the metal shutters covering our patio door, and rushed outside. I had to get all of this on film for you to experience. It seemed Haifa and suburbs took direct hits. There were puffs of smoke from the Iron Dome interceptions all over the sky to the west between Akko and Haifa. 17,18,19, 20 and counting. I didn’t even think to look directly overhead or towards the mountain across from us. But there, too. Scores of missiles being taken out. We later found out there were 87 in all.

John straggled out behind me. It is customary to recite Psalm 27 every morning and evening during the Hebrew month of Elul. Hmmmmm….. it’s come in very timely. I think we’ve memorized it by now. Anyway, John is out on the patio on our rooftop reciting the Psalm:

The L-rd is my light and salvation; whom should I fear? The L-rd is my refuge; of whom should I be afraid? When evildoers come at me to devour my flesh, These enemies and foes themselves stumble and fall. Though an army encamp against me, my heart does not fear. Though war be waged against me even then do I trust….

And then, as suddenly as it started, all was quiet. Except for a few alarms going off, things seemed normal – except for the two plumes of smoke rising in the direction of Haifa (you can see it in the first video if you look hard in the distance right and then center at the base of Mt. Carmel…). I started checking all my news feeds. Within a half hour, we got photos of a bullseye on a home in Kiryat Bialik (Haifa suburb) and in Moreshit (Moor-AY-sheet). All residents in their safe rooms. Only three people with very minor injuries due to shrapnel. A barn holding several cows in Beit Shean was hit, the meat is now Hallal and will be on the menu for dinner we presume (dark humor, but this is how we cope).

So what to do? Should we stay home? We had some appointments in Tiberias, some friends to see, and I really needed to shop at my favorite little kibbutz store in Deganya. We are flying back to the States next week and I needed to pick up several gifts… olive oil, dates, techineh, halvah, rose water, Dead Sea products. The coast seemed pretty clear, and there were no missiles for 40 minutes. We weren’t going to let them change our lives (then they win).

So we attended to our business; had a lovely brunch with friends; went shopping; then stopped at the fish market to buy some fish (I have no idea what Levrak is, but it’s delicious): it was pulled out of the Kinneret (Sea of Galilee) just this morning. The entire time IAF jets strafed the skies above. If there was a siren, we would deal with it then. But that was the typical pattern. Rain down about a hundred bombs and run away.

Rambam Hospital in Haifa has moved its quarters into the underground parking lots. Everything has been thoroughly sterilized. All non-essential services and appointments have been canceled. They are now ready for and expecting the most severe of circumstances. The once-parking lot is now fully equipped with beds, seven complete surgical theatres, dialysis equipment, oxygen lines, emergency equipment, power generators. Hopefully it will not be needed. My husband has a small procedure scheduled for mid-October. Hopefully it will not be pushed further back as it was made eight months ago.

We got back home this afternoon just in time for the prime minister’s speech, issuing a stern warning to Hizbulla. “No country can accept the wanton rocketing of its cities. We can’t accept it either. We will take whatever action is necessary to restore security and bring our people safely back to their homes.”

Please join me in prayer for both Israel and any innocent Lebanese civilians caught up in this whole mess. It’s a matter of pride and ego for the terrorists. They will not give in until Israel is free of Jews (Christians, Druze). They cannot lose face. They are already being humiliated on the world’s stage. They would rather die as shahid, or martyr. We hope and pray for peace. Please, let there be quiet and safe days ahead. We really don’t need all this excitement.