"When G-d will return the captivity of Zion, we will be like dreamers. Then our mouths will be filled with laughter and our tongues with glad song." Psalm 126
I confess. I get a bit jumpy at times. And have a hard time falling and staying asleeep. If I fall asleep and there is a siren, will I hear it in time to make it down to the Mammad? When we go to a store or shopping area, the first instinct is to look for the large signs indicating a protected space. It’s an interesting way to live, always looking over your shoulder, so to speak.
Daily we get updates on the threat level. Somewhere in the North there is a red line to be crossed. I don’t know what or where that line is: it never seems to be specified out loud, but it looms on the horizon, just out of sight.
How can I best describe what life is like for me now? It’s like watching an action movie that gets so intense that you sometimes have to take a break. Even though you know the end of the story (spoiler alert- it turns out really well for the good guys), you don’t know where YOUR part comes in. You know all the actors are there on set, but you can’t remember exactly how or where or when the action will take shape.
In another analogy: if/when an all out war breaks out here in the North, will it be like ripping a bandage off a wound quickly? Or will it be a slow, spreading ooze of an infection? Pretty disgusting, I know, but if only I had a crystal ball or a magical screen that could peer into the future. Will it start with a bang or a squeak? It’s something that is completely beyond my control, so I just have to go about my days as normally and positively as possible.
Just in. Breaking news as I am writing this: Earlier this morning a large cache of weapons was found in a neighboring Arab city directly across the highway from us. Currently helicopters are circling overhead and my friend just NOW sent me another news flash. There has been a stabbing incident at our large outdoor shopping mall. The terrorist was neutralized (exactly what does this mean? Killed or just downed?) but not before he was able to stab three people. Two are in critical condition and will be taken to nearby hospitals. One is lightly injured.
No. I am not afraid. It says 365 times in the Scriptures, “Fear not.” “Do not be afraid. I am with you.” “ I go before you. Do not fear.” There is also a very popular Hebrew song that goes, “The whole world is a very narrow bridge. The main thing is to have no fear at all but faith in G-d.”
So interesting. Such timing. Such excitement. Coincidence? We just got a call from our dear friend in Virginia. Seems it’s the lede story on the Times of Israel webpage now. She wanted to know if we knew or had heard or seen anything. The people stabbed at our local mall this morning were soldiers.
If we stay hidden inside our homes for fear of attack, they have won. If our lives are crippled, our lives and patterns changed, then they have won. If we are so paralyzed that we leave the country and move elsewhere, they have won. We cannot allow ourselves to be bullied. Remain vigilant. Keep calm. Carry on. Be happy. Do good. Live life fully with gratitude.
I was going through my photos last night. My phone gives me highlights and memories of where we were in years past on that date. Four years ago on 2 July, John and I were enjoying a lovely tiyuul (daytrip) with friends to see the art/grafitti at the northern border wall. The wall or barrier with Lebanon. At that time, we could go right up to the highly patrolled wall, and even into the little lookouts.
The most interesting part was the graffiti. Most of it was symbolic of Israel’s desire for peace and for both sides to be able to come together. Even the Bible verse from Isaiah looks forward to the time when nation will not life sword against nation.
I have no doubt that the border wall is now pretty much shot up now. That all the wonderful places we used to frequent- I just hope they are all intact and can return to normal visits soon enough – the Irish pub, in Fassuta (how random to find an actual authentic Irish pub that catered to the UK UNFIL forces!); the natural rock formation, Keshet Arch; the caves near the Lebanese border; Amram, Dalton and Naftali Wineries; Julius Distillery and the wonderful little cafe in Hanita; Birya Forest and picnics; our friends in Gush Halav/Jish with its first century synagogue and Maronite community. The Circassian villages. The Rosh ha Nikrah Caverns and the goat dairy, Galili, at Kibbutz Rosh Ha Nikra. The Canada Center Olympic Ice Rink in Metulla. The hiking in Banias! And all the architectural wonders like Abraham’s City Gate, the oldest found, Agrippas’ palace, Nimrod’s fortress, Crusader Castles. There’s so much beauty and history and wonder here.
I’m saddened by all those who have lost homes and livelihoods because they have been displaced for the past nine months. All the business that have been shuttered. All the tour guides and bus drivers, restaurants and tourist attractions that have been affected, thus directly impacting the average citizen.
More reports as I am writing: My friends’ daughter just went from her regular military service last week, straight into reserve duty without a break. She will not be going back ‘home’ to Texas for her summer vacation. She is needed here on the medical front. They are expecting a full military situation imminently. Yikes. We are prepared as much as can be. I am not afraid. A bit jumpy, but not afraid. Sabres are rattling on all sides in tune to our rattling nerves. Pray. Keep calm and carry on.
I am so often taken aback when the weekly Scripture reading parallels our own lives or the current news stream. It happens regularly here. To explain, in Judaism as well as many traditional forms of Christianity (Eastern/Greek/Russian Orthodox, Byzantine, Latin Catholic, Episcopal/Church of England/Anglican, Lutheran), there are pre-set readings and a set liturgy for each week of the year. This week’s readings in the synagogue are called ‘Korach’ found in Numbers chapters 16-18.
In the story, there is a national crisis within the camp of the Children of Israel. They are poised to enter into the Promised Land, ‘a Land flowing with milk and honey,’ when ten of the twelve spies sent out return with a bad report. It is at this time of weakness, when the people are disheartened, that Korach attempts a coup against their leader, Moses. Korach, speaking to the general assembly of the Jewish camp, plays upon any resentment already existing. He loudly and brazenly tries to make Moses and Aaron look ridiculously incompetent in the eyes of the people. Seeking the perfect time to challenge Moses and wrest the power for himself, he legitimizes the crisis but twists the truth for his own devious purposes.
Turning the truth on its head, he divides the Children of Israel and foments rebellion. He gets another, Dathan, to accuse Moses loudly, “You seek to dominate us!” Fake news is then served up, causing doubt about the leadership in peoples’ minds and panic to rise up and finally a coup to occur. National unity is destroyed and anarchy is the result.
The people have taken G-d out of the picture, despite His leadings, His show of the shekinah, or Divine Glory, and also His judgements and provision on behalf of the Children of Israel. Korach and his small band have run a well-calculated campaign. It’s like modern day communism. They tell the Jewish people, “We are all holy. We can all be leaders, not just Moses…” The fear of the people has turned to outright rage against the government. They are caught in a nightmare of their own making. The sinful are quickly wiped out by the L-rd Himself and a plague comes upon the people. They are also sentenced to wandering in the desert for forty years.
The banners read “GUILTY!”Redemption of the captives is victory for the StateBasically reading, “Elections now!” and “The time has come to indict him”“You’re finished”
Yesterday we took someone to the airport , which was followed by a medical appointment in the Tel Aviv area. It seemed that over the weekend, the signs and banners had appeared overnight. I’m not trying to play sides politically. I do not agree with everything our current administration in Israel has done or are doing. I am not in favor of some of the recent decisions made regarding how the war is being conducted. That said, we are in the middle of trying to fight the war. Yes, everyone wants all the captives returned, alive and deceased. We all want a more, peaceful, just land, free from terrorism.
This is most certainly not the time for dissolution of a government or foment a coup. This is not the time for large demonstrations or disruptions Ike those we witnessed in Tel Aviv yesterday. Our wartime national slogan has been “United (together) we will win.” We were attacked during a time of perceived weakness last October. When we are united as a nation, we are strong. Our enemies are watching us and our reactions. If through propaganda or psy-ops, they can turn the heads of some Israeli citizens, they can sow the seeds of dissent.
Israel has been engaged in seemingly endless talks and negotiations to free the hostages in Gaza. Thus far, Hamas has refused. It’s been 19 times already. There is a faction, I believe a very vocal minority, who is saying that Prime Minister Netanyahu needs to resign at once. That new elections need to be held immediately. They are accusing him of delaying the end of a war in order to hold onto control of the government. That he is a dictator. That he is the devil incarnate (truly: there are graffiti slogans with Bibi=666 in prominent locations). And that he had advance knowledge of 7 October and is culpable.
In the meantime, aid has been pouring into Gaza from Jordan from Israel. Israel has filled warehouses in the Gaza Envelope with palettes of apricots, peaches, bananas, cherries, plums, corn, tomatoes, onions, watermelon, cucumbers and avocados from the Galilee, Golan and Hula and Jezreel Valleys. Dry and canned goods from Europe are all waiting on semis to be trucked into Gaza. The problem is hiring drivers to drive the truckloads across the border and risk having their lives taken and the shipments hijacked by Hamas terrorists and by opportunists.
In the United States, the White House is supporting Israel’s right to self defense. However they no longer see Hamas as a threat but an ideology which cannot be extinguished. Shipments of armaments and ammunition which have been ordered by Israel and have been paid for are not being delivered. According to Rep. Michael McCauley chair of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, the White House has delayed the shipment of seven weapons systems. These were signed off on and approved by Congress. Iran is still openly supplying the Houthis in Yemen, rebels in Syria and Hizbulla in Lebanon with weapons.
The Biden administration is advising the IDF generals not to open a second front against Hizbulla in Lebanon. Iran is sending in thousands of IRGC reinforcements to Syria and Lebanon, as well as smuggling Afghani (Taliban) and Pakistani mercenaries into the areas North and East of Israel. Yoav Gallant, Israeli Defense Minister held meetings with US Cabinet officials last week in which dialogue, cooperation, and red lines were discussed. The US and members of NATO are hoping to stave off a full blown war in the North with Hizbulla…at least for now.
Iran is currently holding elections for President. There are three choices, all backed by the ayatollah, as a replacement for the one recently killed when his helicopter crashed. So far, only 19% of Iranians have cast their ballots. Iran is currently capable of producing nuclear tipped ICBMs with the uranium enrichment program that was restarted three years ago. They are now saying that if Israel goes after Hizbulla in Lebanon, they will enter the war in a most unwelcome way. We shall see-
Since the founding of Israel, the ultra Orthodox Haredi men have enjoyed military exemption. While all the other young Jewish men ages 18-21 are serving cumpulsory service, if an Orthodox man aged 18-30 is enrolled in a Yeshiva (Torah/Talmud study) he not eligible for conscription. Last week the Supreme Court ruled that they, too, must serve in some way (there are plenty of openings for non-militants which would also lead to future job training for them). It has always been a hot button among Israelis. Much of Netanyahu’s coalition government is made up of these ultra-orthodox. Many have said they will refuse to comply with the new law. Quite a few are already in the service. Much depends on the rabbis, who hold a lot of sway among their communities. There are already squadrons of Haredi fighters active in Gaza at this time.
In the meantime, to answer a few of your inquiries, I am currently working on a list of places to donate to help the families of soldiers;the families of those who have lost a husband or father who was the primary breadwinner; and to help meet the needs of the soldiers themselves. I occasionally hear of old supplies being used (protective gear) that are in need of being updated for increased safety. I hope to have that blogpost out next week.
In the meantime, it was a fairly quiet weekend for us. We pray for peace on all fronts, but also for evil to be vanquished and for the captives to be rele@ed or found. Please, G-d- and please bring our country into complete unity so we can go forward victorious under G-d.
Since the last time I posted, just five days ago, five drones were launched into our area by Hizbulla. We were driving over the crest of the hill to get to our house when I saw a bright flash and a cloud in the sky. Because John was driving, the radio on and a loud conversation with a friend in the backseat, we heard nothing. But I said, “Hey, look! It’s Iron Dome. It just popped two missiles.” Our friend, Tomer said it was only clouds. He was a reservist so he should know. And we hadn’t heard any sirens. Turns out Hizbulla was firing on a top defense site two hills over from where we live. They were trying to hit a strategic target. The drones were sent to a military base nearby, a division headquarters, but they, too, were taken out. Thankfully. That was Sunday morning-
We are all trying to live life as normally as possible here, despite all the bad news. My next door neighbor is pregnant with number two. Every morning she takes her son to kindergarten and then heads off to work. Her husband is an independent contractor and is waiting to be called back to his unit at any time. Our other next door neighbor has just put up an above ground pool so their children can beat the heat. We hear them splashing around and laughing all day, which is a beautiful sign of life. Our neighbor across the street has a pet African Gray Parrot who just loves to squawk “Tsevah adom.Tsevah adom. Tsevah adom.” Red alert. Red alert. Red alert. It drives me nuts.
On Monday we all woke up to the news that President Biden is, in fact, holding up arms and ammunitions shipments to Israel. These are orders than have been paid for 4-6 years ago. It was reported that the USS Teddy Roosevelt would be coming to help out. Sounds good? Like the US is adding layers of protection, right? What wasn’t said was that the Roosevelt is doing its usual six month rotation with the USS Eisenhower, which will be leaving the Mediterranean this week.
Our Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, is in the States currently speaking with the Pentagon and State Department officials. He will be giving an update on the threats Hamas, Hizbulla, and the other arms of the Iranian octopus that are facing us. He should be warmly received by Blinken. President Biden remains sequestered at Camp David preparing for his upcoming debate. Still, there have been conflicting leaks coming from the U.S. Supposedly US officials assured the Israeli delegated that they would have Israel’s back should Hizbulla attacked or tried to invade. Tuesday morning we awoke to the news that US Military Chief, Gen. Charles Q. brown, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff was warning that the U.S. mighty not be able to assist Israel in a war with Hizbulla as it did when Iran sent over 300 missiles and drones last April. He urged the Israeli delegation not to escalate, as it could lead to a broader international conflict that is unwanted….like, who WANTS a war??? And many of us in Israel are asking why we need to give the US all of our military strategies and plans? Why do we listen to these people who will just sell us out? Are we crazy for trusting them?
Hizbulla has fired over 6000 missiles at Northern Israel since 7 October. Towns, villages and kibbutzim have been destroyed. Fires have blazed over our forests and grasslands. There are verifiable reports that Iran is flooding Lebanon with foreign mercenary soldiers. Thousands of fighters dressed as civilians are coming from Pakistan, Afghanistan Iraq and Dagestan (formerly Chechnya). The general Israeli population knows that we are once again facing a war for our existence. It has the potential to include neighboring Syria, the Iraqi Shiite militias and Turkey. Nazralla, head of Hizbulla, has already declared that if Cypress helps Israel, it, too will become a target. Cypress is part of the EU, so that could bring in Europe in a larger scale conflict.
Hoards of American-made weapons, smuggled in from Afghanistan via underground tunnels linking to Egypt, have been found throughout Gaza. Caches found in Rafah and Khan Younis, as well as recovered from surrendering terrorists are no longer ordinary Soviet Kallachnikovs, but US Armed Services guns, bazookas and other weaponry. Reports of weapons being brought into the Rafik Hariri International Airport in south Beirut are no longer secret. Lebanese airport workers anonymously speak of customs being controlled by Hizbulla officials and large rectangular containers of guns, missiles, rocket launchers, etc. which have been arriving to baggage claim for the past two weeks.
This past weekend over 100,000 Lebanese citizens, mostly Christians, flooded the airport, to leave the country. They were bound for Canada, the States and Europe. Have you heard ANYTHING about this???? That’s a little scary.
It’s as if someone has thrown a pall over the country the past few weeks. Everyone here knows war plans have been drawn up and approved for the IDF to go into Lebanon very soon. Tanks and heavy armored equipment are making the move South to North. We passed several on our way to and from Tel Aviv yesterday. Our usually upbeat doctors are sullen and serious. We tried to stay upbeat and happy during our respective appointments, but everyone knows someone who has fallen or has a loved one in the military. My doctor told John, “I’m not in a good mood anymore. The world is being run by crazy people and we are all caught in the middle.”
Businesses that have tried to stay open are now shuttered due to lack of customers and due to the fact the owners/workers are engaged in military service. The antiques shop I tried to visit on the way back from Tel Aviv was closed. Our favorite restaurant in Zikron Yaakov was temporarily closed. The air conditioning guy was supposed to come to our house last week. His two sons are in reserves, so he is working alone. We hope he will show up next week.
I was hoping to sell a slew of things as well as to buy a couple items I’d seen. It was closed. Anyone need a gorgeous wrought iron 1950s patio set?
And we wait. I’ve been working on the garden, putting up summer vegetables (canning) and enjoying the summer’s bounty. I refinished a beautiful plant stand we found in the neighbor’s trash – and filled it with lovely flower pots. John and I were going to pick nectarines and peaches with a group of volunteers in the Hula Valley orchards next week, but it has become too dangerous even for them, native Israelis. I check our safe room and add more batteries and bottles of water. Last night Pikud haOreff, the Home Front Command and ZAKA search and rescue said for those who live in the North to be prepared to endure two weeks of power outages and downed communication. We know if they say two weeks, it means a lot more.
Max is having a friend from the Netherlands visit over the weekend. Brave soul. I’m getting ready for that, and we hope to be able to tour Akko on Friday and then the Sea of Galilee villages on Sunday. After that, Max goes to summer camp in the Pocono Mountains of Pennsylvania as a counselor for a month. Then it’s off for a year or two in the UK for him. Several friends of ours are all planning summer vacations…. A Greek Island cruise, Barcelona, Croatia, and Viet Nam are all some of the exotic locations they will be traveling. John and I are hoping to have a two week vacay in August. We shall see if we get that far. Fingers and toes crossed. Questions: what happens to dogs in the kennel if there is a full on war? Will we be able to leave or return? Should we have our construction/home repair done now or wait until all of this is over? Why did I give away our two portable generators in California and why didn’t we order another one when we came? Do we need gas masks?
So to keep the mind occupied, I make lists. Lists of items to send the grandkids. Lists of items to get at the store. Recipes. Menus. Things we need to get done. Places I want to visit…. And we pray a lot. Always a muttered prayer under every breath. I try to be brave. I am not afraid, just anxious because I can’t predict the future and exactly how and when things will play out and with what intensity. Everyone is that way these days. The hospitals up here have moved their operations (literally) underground just to be safe. Underground parking has been sterilized and turned into useable medical space and hospital rooms.
Back to Gaza updates: the Givati and Golani Brigades have destroyed terrorist training outposts in Rafah; investigated and destroyed miles of underground tunnels; found weapons, cash and intelligence documents; and neutralized or arrested hundreds of terrorists. The Hamas soldiers have been badly routed and have now gone underground as civilians. They are resorting to urban guerilla warfare and are blending in with the citizenry. Film has been leaked out of “civilians” firing rockets from makeshift rocket launchers inside tents in the middle of a humanitarian protected area.
Sweet little Kfir Bibas looks just like our grandson
The baby, Kfar Bibas, who was taken captive along with his parents and four year old brother has now spent 264 days in captivity. He was 262 days old when he was taken. So over half of his life is as a hostage. Every time I see a red headed child, I think of those two Bibas kids. Is the world even aware? Footage was released yesterday of Hirsh Pollan-Goldberg, the 23 year old American, being forced into the back of a pickup truck, hand blown completely off. He and three others were taken from the Nova Music Festival. Are they still alive? We still have 120 people still being held captive. Does the world know or care?
My ‘new’ plant standCarrotsCucumbersTomatoesZucchiniField peasPole beansLettuceBeetsBroccoli raab
We look forward to company. We look onward to visits with friends. Good health results from tests. Captives being found. Summer weddings. And hopefully, an end-of-summer vacation. Praying for peace….
It’s getting more and more difficult to know what to believe and to distinguish truth from propaganda. There is so much news happening at such a rapid pace and more than a little is artificially generated and artfully crafted. I was going to write a piece yesterday, but found out much of it was disinformation. I strive for accuracy above all. Sometimes I do not always get it right and must make corrections.
The tensions between the Biden Administration and Israel (Netanyahu) have been rising to say the least. The US State Department and Pentagon have been very unclear in its messaging to Israel. They have said Israel has a right to defend itself, yet they have delayed the shipment of arms that were signed and paid for in past administrations. The US has applauded and committed to Israel’s fight against evil and terrorism, yet has dictated where, when and under what strident conditions the fighting should occur (or should be halted altogether).
The international communities led by the US, have insisted that more humanitarian aid be sent into Gaza, despite the fact that over 300 shipments arrive daily. So far, there has been evidence of an ample food supply for the Palestinians in Gaza. It is usually hijacked by Hamas and by opportunists, and sold at high prices in the public market. Those that suffer are the poor. Unused food has been photographed rotting in garbage dumps.
The States (Pentagon) spent $320 million (initially estimated to cost $234 million) on a docking pier for aid shipments. They containers, inspected by Israel in Cyprus, would be shipped to Israel, then unloaded onto barges in the Mediterranean and floated to the pier. Americans would not technically set foot on Gaza soil. Despite numerous technical, security and logistical problems, the project was begun. Construction had to be completed by UK forces as Hamas kept attacking the U.S. engineers trying to put the pier together. After its completion, the humanitarian aid docking station lasted a mere ten days before it broke apart and washed ashore further up the coast of Israel in high seas. Tens of thousands of dollars were paid to Israel to have it fixed, but in the long run, it was declared inoperable. At additional taxpayer dollars, it is set to be dismantled by early July. Critics are saying it was erected for political purposes rather than to serve anyone through humanitarian purposes.
The US has continually pressured Israel not to enter Rafah, the last Hamas stronghold in Gaza. After many pauses, and 17 failed hostage release negotiations- all rejected by Hamas leadership, the fighting to eradicate terror cells, destroy the underground tunnel system, which is everywhere, and try to rescue the captives, has continued. Hostages serving as human shields for Hamas operatives are surmised to have been smuggled via tunnel into Egypt. No one knows for sure, and there have been several misleading reports. Tunnels and arms caches as well as what has totaled hundreds of thousands of dollars have been found in almost every home in Rafah.
On the Northern front, Hizbulla has dramatically escalated the risk of an all out war. So far over 5000 missiles and hundreds of suicide drones have been launched by them from Lebanon since 10 October. The UN has not prevented the Iranian proxies from crossing south of the Litani River as per Resolution 1701 which ended the Second Lebanon War. They were supposed to stay 18 miles from the border with Israel. They are right up against the wall, within their striking distance. The northern villages and kibbutzim have sustained very heavy damage. The IDF has been responding tit-for-tat to avoid opening another front in all out war.
On Wednesday, Nasrallah in his Lebanese hide out, released a shocking video supposedly taken by drone and satellite footage. It clearly shows marked targets throughout the north of Israel to below Haifa: military bases and weapons storage facilities, hospitals, shopping centers, high rise apartment complexes and neighborhoods. It is more than frightening, and now many people are understandably on edge. Public bomb shelters, erected by the International Fellowship of Christians and Jews, have been set up on many street corners in commercial areas.
Whether the video is all a propaganda stunt remains to be seen. The level of detail in the video is alarming, to say the least. The Biden administration has sent diplomats to both Lebanon and an Israel to attempt to de-escalate the situation.
Last weekend Israeli Foreign Minister Yisrael Katz, stated the “Final plans have been agreed upon. We are getting very close to the moment of deciding to change the rules of the game against Hizbulla and Lebanon. In an all out war, Hizbulla will be destroyed no Lebanon severely beaten.”
On the other hand, according to the International Atomic Energy Agency, Iran has stockpiled enriched uranium over 30 times the agreed upon limit during the Biden term of office. Now, the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute has alleged that Israel has begun upgrading its Dimona Nuclear facility. They believe Israel is trying to enhance its navy to have its subs nuclear capable as well as to increase its overall nuclear capabilities. Thing seem to be heating up.
As of this morning, the Biden Administration has reversed its original negation of arms shipments to Israel. Sunday night, Netanyahu released a statement in English directed at the White House. “ Give us the tools and we’ll finish the job a lot faster.” A ship carrying critical ammunition left the States bound for the Middle East today.
There are many in this country who support Netanyahu and the current government. Since 8 October, our national slogan has been “Together we win: united in victory.” However, as time passes and the war drags on with its continual stops and starts, there is growing opposition. Benny Gantz, of the opposing party has left the War Cabinet. Prime Minister Netanyahu is continuing without him.
Over the past couple weeks, demonstrations against the current government have resumed in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem. One group demands the government have the captives released at any cost, including a permanent ceasefire. In Jerusalem, Saturday night, the protests got violent, Hundreds of protestors clashed with its police. They were allowed to assemble peaceably in front of Knesset, but decided to move through barricades towards the home of the Prime Minister. Fires were set in the road. Police declared the scene an illegal riot and used crowd control (water hoses and arrests) to disperse the angry crowd. Nine were arrested for assaulting police. Freedom of expression is allowed, but once the law is broken, measures are quickly taken to restore order. The protestors declared Netanyahu “Guilty!” And “a dictator.” They call for his immediate resignation.
People in the north are feeling abandoned by the government. They have been forced out of their homes for almost nine months. They have lost jobs and are fighting to stay afloat and to keep their families intact. The war still rages against Hizbulla and the other Iranian proxies and there seems no end in sight. Reservists are still on duty at the several after many months with only small breaks for leave. Israel is not only vigilant on the Lebanese border, but also in the Golan Heights, in Eilat to the South (Houthi rebels), on the Gaza border and the border with Egypt, and internally along the borders and checkpoints of the West bank(Judaea and Samaria).
It was reported last weekend that the generals were taking orders from the Israeli Supreme Court, and not from the War Cabinet (Prime Minister, Misister of Defense, Chief of Staff of IDF and others). Supposedly the court was going beyond their bounds in legislating pauses in the fighting in order for more aid to get into Gaza and for peace negotiations to take place. Whether this is true or propaganda, I still do not know. I have seen and heard reliable evidence from both sides.
However, this morning, the Prime Minister issued a statement urging his coalition to focus on the task at hand. “We are confronting multiple challenges and must make difficult decisions. Therefore, I call on all coalition partners to stay focused and rise to the occasion.This is not a time for petty politics or legislation that jeopardizes the coalition, which is striving for victory over our enemies. Our priorities must be clear: defeating Hamas, securing the release of all the hostages, and ensuring the safe return of our residents in the north and south. Therefore, I demand that everyone set aside other considerations and interests. Unite behind our fighters with a singular focus on our mission.”
As usual, we remain tense. The situation can boil over at any minute. We know that after Gaza is secured and Hamas’ capacities for terror are eliminated, Hizbulla must be dealt with. War seems not only likely, but imminent. I pray it doesn’t come to that…
It was an unusually quiet weekend after expecting the absolute worst. We were ready to make the move into the bomb shelter if need be, but, thankfully, nothing, nada, bupkess, zoltz. Which is good. Until we got the news at the end of the Shabbat that 11 of our IDF soldiers had been killed. One had succumbed to past wounds received a couple weeks ago. The others were in a tank that was waylaid by a remote-controlled roadside bomb.
Wassim Mahmoud was another downed Druze soldier. His community was on the next ridge over from us. The tank commander, 47 year old Elon Wais, was the father of three, a high school teacher. Stanislav Kostrov, 19, was recently here from Russia. Altogether they left behind 7 children. Two of the wives are pregnant. In Israel we don’t celebrate martyrs. We neither hand sweets when the enemy is struck down nor do we party when our own are cut short. Life is valued highly, so for us, it is a heavy, heavy day of mourning with flags at half mast again.
In good news, Maya Regev, 21, who had been captured from the Nova Music Festival on October 7 with her brother Itai, 18, was released from the hospital. On the morning she was taken, Maya was shot very badly in both legs and foot. She was taken alive to the home of a UNRWA doctor, a field veterinarian, who sewed her foot back onto her ankle….at a most unnatural angle. After her release back to Israel in the December hostage exchange for Palestinian prisoners, Maya and Itai were both hospitalized at Soroka Medical Center. Maya underwent several reconstructive surgeries, and had to wear a brace on her leg for five months. She was released to relatives over Shabbat, and will have to continue intensive physical therapy for quite some time. But she is back. She is in good spirits.
Babies are being born in Israel and so many women we know are pregnant. There is expected to be a huge baby boom from next month through the end of the year. Maternity wards and midwives are already gearing up for the delivery deluge. A huge Mazal Tov goes out to Yuval Shani, the widow of Cptn. Gabriel Shani, 28, who fell in Gaza 4 months ago. She is journeying alone in life now without her partner, as so many war widows are here. Her little baby, their third child, was born last week.
Dolev and Sigal had been best friends from childhood. They were inseparable growing up in the Nir Oz Kibbutz. It was only natural that after their army service, they would get married and start a family back in Nir Oz. On the morning of 7/10, Dolev told his wife to get in the safe room with their three children. He went out to defend the kibbutz. For some reason, terrorists did not enter their home that morning. But Dolev never returned. It was presumed he was taken hostage into Gaza. Nine days later, their fourth child, Dor Yehud, was born to Sigal.
Sigal wrote a song, “Air to Breathe,” hoping against hope that Dolev would hear it while in captivity. It soon turned out to be a song in his memory, because just before its release, Dolev’s body was found, and he was buried in Nir Oz.
In other news, on a brighter, human interest note, Shemesh Ezer is 65 years old. This paratrooper has never nice missed a day of his reserve duty. He is still in the elite 551 Commando Brigade. Shemesh inspires the young guys and they him. This entire nation is made up of unsung heroes who risk their lives daily to insure the existence of the Jewish homeland.
Some time back, I wrote of the young family who was burned when a terrorist threw a grenade into their home and then the house was set on fire. Ariel and Ellay’s Golan were huddled in their safe room with their 18 month old daughter. Ariel held the door of their shelter closed as long as possible, until they began to suffocate from smoke inhalation. They managed to escape out the window through the flames with their baby, running to a tractor and hiding there for hours in a wheat field. A group of soldiers found them and had them helicoptered to Sheba Hospital. Ellay lost consciousness only after giving first responders instructions on how to care for the nursing baby.
Ellay Golan spend two months in a coma, having received burns to 60% of her body. Her lungs were badly damaged and she was not expected to live. Ariel was burned over 40% of his body, and little Yale suffered 30% burn coverage. They all survived, thanks be to G-d, due to an innovative treatment developed in Israel called NexoBrid. They made tremendous and remarkable recoveries. But the story does not end here.
Last week, Ellay Cohen graduated from Ben Gurion University with her Doctor of Medicine degree, her hands still in bandages.
It seems just as we get used to the craziness around us, the sand beneath our feet shifts. It seems members of the US State Department and the Biden admin are here in Israel again. Last week, Gantz of the opposition party, quit the War Cabinet. He tried to dissolve the Coalition in order to dissolve the government and call for new elections. But Netanyahu still held a majority. Now we are hearing the generals in Gaza are calling for planned pauses in the fighting to allow in even more humanitarian aid. It turns out the generals have been taking their orders from the Israeli Supreme Court. Just a couple hours ago, Netanyahu dissolved the war cabinet. We have no idea who is taking orders from whom or what it will mean.
There are many people in the international community who are calling for a complete ceasefire. That the IDF needs to pull out of Gaza completely. Then the hostages will be released. And then what? Hamas will have a chance to re-arm and then come and attack again? They have already called for numerous October 7ths. There is so much pressure. Pressure from Hizbulla in the North, a powder keg waiting to explode. The French have been in Lebanon all weekend speaking with members of the terror group and members of the government.
In order for President Biden to hold on to his presidency and win the next election, he must have something to claim: a military win; a brokered ceasefire; a peace accords. At present the administration is trying to get Saudi Arabia to sign an accord with Israel in exchange for a two state solution. Palestine and Israel peacefully coexisting side by side.
In the latest poll, which came out two weeks ago, over 73% of all Palestinians in the West Bank (Judaea and Samaria) are siding with Hamas. Fatah, or the Palestinian Authority, is losing their power and their popularity among the people. Most Palestinians polled want a one-state, Islamic ruled free Palestine, which would be Jew free, judenrein. There seems no easy fix at this time. We have found out that the majority of Gazans were complicit with Hamas. Whether too afraid to go against them or not, many were complicit in fighting, hiding arms in their homes, letting their homes be used for terror tunnels, and educating their children to hate Israel and kill Jews.
If you look at who is saying what in the Western nations, watch the pro-Palestinians. They are not a peaceful bunch. They are now vandalizing and actively threatening not only Jewish people, but those in power who go against them (chancellor of UCLA, Brooklyn Museum admins, even President Biden). Their threats have teeth. Their goal is the Islamization of Europe and the US and Canada.
I had not intended to rant this way. We had guests over for lunch and got involved in some heated talk about current events. In a nutshell, most of Israel, despite their like or dislike for Netanyahu, see that there is a job that needs to be finished. And that is to fight evil. To completely disarm Hamas. To somehow, reshape their ideology. To get our hostages back, both alive and dead… by any means necessary. We cannot afford these pauses. We cannot afford to stop the war effort. We must win this war or our enemies will prey upon perceived weakness.
Signing off for now as our kids are all making their belated dad’s day FaceTime calls. Hopefully tomorrow will bring better news.
Despite yesterday being Shabbat, when many people in Israel disconnect their phones, good news has a way of traveling very quickly.
In an operation of combined forces of Shabaq/Shin Bet; Yamam, the police elite counter terrorism unit; Shayetet 13, the Naval commandos; the paratroopers and the IDF armored vehicle units raided two separate residential buildings in Nuzeirat, central Gaza in a surprise mission carried out in broad daylight. The details of this daring operation had been worked out for several weeks requiring exact timing and complex planning. Defense Minister Yoav Gallant reported that it was “one of the most heroic and extraordinary operations I have witnessed over the course of 47 years serving in Israel’s defense.”
Four hostages were rescued alive from Gaza. You might remember seeing footage of the young Noa Argamiani,25,being abducted by a gang of terrorists on a motorcycle into Gaza, the look of abject terror on her face, arms pleading for help. She was being held in a location separate from the other three men who were saved: Shlomi Ziv,40, Andrey Kozlov, 27, and Almog Meir-Jan, age 21. Now they are liberated! Thanks be to G-d and the IDF. They are home.
“Don’t Kill Me!!!”
Helicopters touched down on the beaches under heavy fire, and simultaneously SWAT teams entered the two buildings (family homes in the middle of a busy city, aka refugee camp) separated by hundreds of meters. The two locations were each heavily protected by Hamas in the densely packed neighborhoods. Yet the decision had been made to rescue them from the busy civilian area. Hamas operatives were launching RPGs among the civilians to keep the hostages from being saved. It is horrible to learn that civilians were also killed, but they were being used as literal human shields. One of the IDF elite commandos, Arnon Zamora, was killed in the daring rescue, in what is now known as Operation Arnon. The army managed to eliminate the terrorists without any harm to the four held captive. Several IDF soldiers were lightly to moderately wounded by shrapnel.The entire mission took just under an hour to complete.
Hamas made the choice to locate the captives in very heavily populated civilian areas and worked to blend them in with the civilians. That choice cost many Palestinians their lives. UNWRA, Save the Children, Doctors Without Borders and the Red Crescent all operate in that area. Not once were any of these relief aid workers officially put in touch with the hostages that we yet know of. If they knew anything….or if anyone knew anything about where the hostages were being held, they had a moral duty, if only anonymously to report the information to the IDF or leak it to the internet. How many Palestinians are innocent and how many are complicit?
During the rescue operation, intense gunfire and RPG attacks targeted the elite special ops forces throughout the extraction. The IDF had no choice but to send in ground troops and Air Force backup. The IAF launched several targeted strikes in the area to protect the escapees. According to IDF reports, many Palestinian civilians were killed. Hamas also launched anti-aircraft missiles at Israeli helicopters during that intense time. They were unsuccessful in bringing down any aircraft. However, the escape vehicle was immobilized by heavy fire and ground troops had to transfer the four to a safer vehicle. This was when Cmdr. Zamora was shot.
All four evacuees were helicoptered without needing special assistance and taken to Sheba Medical Center where they were declared to be in good condition. After being medically examined, they were all reunited with their families. But the story does not end here.
Noa arrived home and was reunited with her father. It was his birthday. What a surprise for him, when IDF instructed him to go to Sheba to meet his daughter. Noa was able to fulfill the wish of her dying mother. Her mother has stage four terminal brain cancer, and all she prayed for was to be able to see her daughter before she died. Liora Argamani is from China. She came to study in Israel in 1994, met her husband, Yaakov, converted to Orthodox Judaism, became a citizen and married Yaakov. Liora petitioned the Chinese government to come to the aid of their daughter, but they adamantly refused to assist in any way.
Since her release, we have found out that while captive, Noa Argamani was forbidden to speak any Hebrew, but was taught and could only communicate in Arabic. Noah was held in a cramped closet of an upscale home belonging to an AlJazeera journalist, Abdallah Aljamal, and his father, a doctor at the Shifa Hospital Complex. The father also worked closely with Hamas, the Red Crescent (Red Cross) and UNRWA. The Gaza-based photojournalist often reported from the “March of Return” rioting at the border fence from 2021-2023. Noa told her family that her captors denied her showers, but eventually after months of pleading gave her a bucket of water and some soap. She was only allowed outside to get fresh air once every couple weeks. When she was allowed out, under heavy guard, she was completely covered in a burka so she would not be recognized.
Shlomi Ziv, 40, was working as a security director at the Nova Music Festival on October 7. He was responsible for getting hundreds of young concertgoers out of harm’s way to safety. He was brutally beaten, hogtied and taken hostage to Gaza where he stayed for 245 days. He was brought back home safely to his wife, children and family. It was an amazing reunion.
Almog Meir-Jan’s story is heartbreaking. When he was admitted to Sheba, his mother and grandfather were waiting for him. IDF representatives came to Almog’s father’s apartment to tell him the good news of his son’s rescue and imminent homecoming. There was no answer at the door. His sister, Dina, who had a key, entered the apartment and found Yossi Jan had passed away. His father, Almog’s father, believing he would never see his son again, and not knowing of the rescue operation, had died earlier that morning. They said he died of a broken heart. Dina told reporters that all the stress over repeated hostage release fails contributed to Yossi’s death. He just could not bear it any longer. He died twenty hours prior….
“To all the families of the hostages, we are with you. Please, please, do not break. Try to take care of yourselves too, your own health. Also for them. They will need you when they come back. And you never know. It might be now,” said their family rabbi.
Members of the family spoke with news reporters at a press conference. They said that Almog had kept some sort of special diary or calendar each day while he was being held in captivity. That way he would be able to know certain holidays and mark time. Today is his mother’s birthday…. another great gift.
Little has been written or spoken of the last captive, Andrey Kozlov. All the information I could gather was that he lives in Israel with his brother. His parents from Russia, were notified and landed in Israel (by plane) this morning. The family was reunited with Andrey at Sheba.
Last night our time, many of the major US news networks reported on the entire event. Only they got it completely wrong. They called it a hostage release. I state: There were no negotiations. There was no deal struck with Hamas leaders. There was no hostage release. It was a planned rescue, an intense military operation. There is a huge difference.
This morning, we also heard that President Biden had worked closely with the Israeli government and shared intelligence with them. As far as we know here, or has been reported, there could be nothing further from the truth. However, after taking credit for this, if there is even a shred of truth to the story, is this the intelligence that Biden threatened to hold back if Israel didn’t do what he wanted? Would this have meant the hostages could have been rescued sooner if politics were not played? Just throwing it out there, but we will see, as I have no doubt the matter will be completely exposed-
In the meantime:
WRONG AGAIN!!!!!!
We pray for the safe release of all the other 119 steed held in captivity.
We started off the weekend with a real BANG here in Israel. Literally. There were loud booming sounds around 8am as IDF jets scrambled and intercepted a rocket and a suicide drone over Akko, only about 12 miles down the road. Akko is a world heritage sight on the gorgeous Mediterranean coastline. It is famous for its Crusader structures – immense hospital, Knights Templar dining hall, fortress, tunnels, chapels – as well as its rich history as a trading town and jewel of the Sultanate. This multicultural Arab Muslim and Christian as well as Jewish city is host to a thriving souk, several historic mosques, Franciscan and Orthodox churches, as well as a farmers’ market and numerous synagogues. There’s no other place quite like it, and whenever we have visitors, we make it a point to take them here. Hizbulla has no regard whether they are targeting Jew or Gentile, modern or historical, as long as it’s Israel.
I’m writing another (paid) article on comedy during the war. Israelis find things to make fun of or we would surely go mad. There has to be humor even in the darkest recesses. It’s one of our coping mechanisms and means of survival. So, hopefully by now everyone has heard that the US was building a pier to be able to unload groceries to Hamas…Oops. I mean Gaza. Kinda like door to door same day delivery. Because dropping MREs from airplanes and killing innocent civilians when the parcels fell on their heads just didn’t work. And for some reason, the Biden admin didn’t believe that the 180+ truckloads/ day that Israel was allowing in was getting hijacked by the terrorist organization. How could it be?
So the US sunk over $320 million taxpayer dollars to build a pier. Only, the army engineers were being shot at and were dodging Hamas launched RPGs, so they subcontracted the project over to the UK naval engineers who charged an additional unholy amount to the US. Well, the pier was up and operational for about ten days before it was reported that Hamas operatives were stealing the food off trucks before it could reach the civilian population. “We couldn’t believe it. Eleven trucks were cleaned out by Palestinians on the journey to the World Food Program warehouse in Deir ElBala,” a UN official told Reuters.” “They just basically mounted on top of the trucks and helped themselves to the food parcels.”
A Gaza civilian told our Arutz 12 News, “There is a lot of theft of the aid. It is no longer just Hamas. We see how Gazans just help themselves.There is no one to secure it and in the end it does not reach us. It winds up on the black market in Khan Younis and Rafia. Israel just pulled out of the middle of Gaza and now reverting us in chaos. Every man for himself, looking out for his own interests. Just anarchy.” The news reported that since the start of the war, Hamas has made over $500 million selling stolen goods at inflated prices to those with the most cash.
Also, as if this is not irony enough, the American-designed pier wasn’t built to withstand waves any taller than 3 feet nor could it handle sustained winds of less than 15mph, I kid you not. In fact, every trial of this type of pier has been a complete failure. So you’ll never guess what happened…. No really. I dare you to take a guess.
As Deputy Press Secretary for the Pentagon, Sabrina Singh, stated: On Saturday, May 25, four U.S. army vessels supporting the maritime humanitarian aid mission in Gaza were affected by heavy sea states, causing the motorized pier sections, which are used to stabilize the Trident Pier, to break free from their anchors due to a loss in power. Two of the pier sections washed ashore North of Gaza on the Ashkelon Beach. The other two had to be searched for with the assist of the Israeli navy recovered. Now highly damaged, they remain ‘in the shop’ being fixed by a bunch of local Israeli dockworkers and welders in Ashdod. They will then be towed back to Gaza and reinstated. I’m sure you can only imagine the memes and comedy sketches that have been going around on this subject.
So later Friday, I had morning coffee with another lovely neighbor who I hope to introduce you to soon. Then it was off to write a blogpost, followed by last minute cooking and cleaning for Shabbat. Hizbulla terrorists had been firing rockets and launching suicide drones into Northern Israel and parts of the Golan Heights all day. I believe there were over one hundred, sending many people scrambling into shelters. About an hour before sunset, when preparations are usually at their busiest (Shabbat is like a Thanksgiving meal…only it happens every week), we heard six very loud crashing booms. It sounded like steel beams being dropped into the large metal roll-off trash bin across the street. The whole house shook and the windows rattled. And my red alerts for this area were going crazy. Incoming!!!!
So what did John & I do? We rushed outside with our phones hearing the jets overhead. I needed to get shots of any action. I guess we’re bona fide Israelis now. Many of our neighbors were also in the street looking up, pointing and snapping photos. I managed to capture the puffs of smoke after the Iron Dome interception of six ballistic missiles overhead.
So being officially Israeli, I quickly uploaded all the excitement to my Instagram account @eemahleh and got back to making the salads. John went back in the house and finished setting the table. And the red alerts continued, just not so close to us.
OK. So let me confess. I am addicted to my iPhone. My entire life revolves around it. I’m sure you understand: appointments, recipes, prayers, news, photos, phone, entertainment and more. It’s all there. But on Shabbat, many of us in Israel put aside our electronics for the time of rest. So I didn’t see or hear the news. Few of us did.
Friday evening, shortly after Israelis, religious and secular, sat down to the traditional Friday night (family) meal, phones and TVs off, Joe Biden made his speech. I had heard people say get ready, because his poll numbers seemed to drop after the Trump verdict. Dropping polls never spell out good news for Israel. And BANG! Blindsided!
President Biden in an egregious and bold move on Shabbat, when Israel would neither hear nor respond, held a press conference. Not only was the premise an outright fabrication, but it put our government in a horribly tight spot. I will post the X statement he made to illustrate the point. Note the wording…
“Israel has offered a roadmap…”. Neither Netanyahu nor the Knesset members nor the military had any inkling this was constructed, much less even a thing. It came out of nowhere. There was no plan. There were no talks. There was no agreement. Biden was painting Israel into a corner when there would be no immediate response. Shabbat, remember. It was very tricksy. Very evil to do this behind a sovereign government’s back.
Netanyahu has said repeatedly that our mission in Gaza will not be finished militarily until there is no capability from Hamas to regroup, rearm or re-attack. The IDF would not stop the pressure on Hamas until all the hostages were found or brought home. Israel has given Hamas 11 different terms of negotiations including military pauses, trading captives for convicted Palestinian prisoners (and has released 180 in jail for capital crimes since October 7), and has increased aid into Gaza. Hamas has always refused the deals. Flatly.
There will be no withdrawal as long as they continue to lob missiles into central Israel, which is still happening on a near daily basis, albeit with less frequency and intensity. When they wish to surrender completely to the IDF; when Hamas will give back all the hostages live and dead, then the war will be completely over. Not until then. Not when they want to commit the same atrocities and massacre over and over again.
So Biden unrolled his plan for complete Israeli withdrawal from Gaza. For Palestinians to move back into the Northern part of Gaza, where the IDF was just recently still uncovering terror tunnels shafts, rocket launchers next to schools, and arms caches inside mosques. He unrolled his plan for the IDF to withdraw from Gaza as part of plan two….if Israel left in plan one, why was plan two including this? Nothing makes sense. And to trade Israelis held captives for the release of hundreds more terrorists to go back into Gaza. Yes. That insures the complete safety of Israel.
“… the temporary ceasefire would become, in the words of the Israeli proposal, ‘ the cessation of hostilities permanently.’” stated Biden. Hello? The Israeli proposal? What proposal? Sir, there was no such proposal! Phase three insures the return of the dead bodies held by the terrorists since 7 October in return for a complete reconstruction of Gaza. By who? At whose expense? On whose oversight?
Biden then went on in his speech to take a jab at our right-fielded Knesset members who “want to keep fighting for years and hostages are not a priority for them” Shame! He absolutely smeared BenGvir and Smotrich and other government members including Netanyahu. He is trying to divide and throw political dissent into our country, something Israel fell for last year, something that made Israel weak. He then went on to outright threaten the Israeli people with impending economic, military and social defeat if this plan was not supported.
In an unprecedented move, Prime Minister Netanyahu broke with Sabbath tradition and made a public speech. It was a defiant retort to the White House administration. He reiterated that Israel’s conditions for ending the war remain unchanged. Hamas must no longer be able to pose a threat to the state of Israel. Of course, Hamas praised the ‘deal’ and accepted the terms of Israeli withdrawal, permanent ceasefire and increased aid and reparation packages.
So, do you see, that by Hamas accepting and Israel rejecting a plan forward (that they never even saw), makes Israel the bad guy? The international community will pipe up in the coming days: Israel won’t stop fighting. Israel won’t play fair. Israel just won’t give up. Israel just wants genocide. All eyes on Rafah – and away from Biden’s dropping poll numbers.
And of course, the literal backstory… Former President Obama is fully on board with and backs Biden’s (oooooopsy…I thought it was Israel’s) plan to go forward.
That’s all I have to say, except that all day we’ve been getting red alerts. Bombs on the Golan, rockets fired at Akko, Rosh HaNikra, Nahariyya, Shavei Tsiyon, Achziv – all prime tourist destinations for their natural beauty, stunning coastline, historical sites, or great nightlife. I just received news (another paid article I do yearly: to cover the summer festivals in Israel) that the Tsfat Music Fest, Eilat Jazz festival, Karmi’el Dance Festival are all cancelled due to the war and due to large crowds not being allowed. I am to be updated on the Tel Aviv White Nights, summer concert series in different locations, and other annual citywide extravaganzas. Add to that, our favorite summer haunts are shut down because – you know – the war.
All summer outings and activities in the North are CANCELLED
First, I want to thank you, my dear readers. You are the best!! I collected several heartfelt notes and letters both in my messages and direct email for our neighbors, the Aviv family. They lost their son, a beautiful peaceful windsurfer, who fell while on reserve duty in Gaza. I took them in a lovely ribbon-tied envelope last week. Emmi, Ido’s mom, was overwhelmed to tears. Both Emmi and Mark were absolutely shocked to know that people across the globe stand with them and support Israel. Every single Israeli I’m talking with feels so alone now. We all cried and I hugged both Emmi and Dasha (Ido’s fiancée- the wedding was supposed to be next month). We held each other close for a long while. I’ll be taking them another meal next Thursday, so your letters of comfort and encouragement are still wanted.
Speaking of neighbors: it’s time you met a few of my neighbors. Aryeh and Leah are 94 and 92 years old. They were born here and their passports and documents from pre-1948 label them as Palestinians. They were born under British mandated Palestine and their families have been here since the 1800s. They have been married 73 years. Every evening, Aryeh and Leah go on a long neighborhood walk, which is how we first met them.
Leah loved my hollyhocks, so I gave her some seeds. She gave me a gorgeous red amaryllis. I shared my baby Italian and Native American tomato plants with her. Turns out Aryeh was an engineer just like my husband and he worked for years at Raphael, which is very much like Teledyne where John worked. Leah was a school teacher for decades. They are still avid hikers, and have traveled the world with their children and grandchildren. And…… they, too, are “collectors of found objects.”
It’s been a hobby/obsession of mine to pick things up from our travels and walks: flowers to press, shells from the beach, coral (leading to my arrest here the first year), pinecones, fossils and rocks. My kids used to make fun of me. John has gotten used to it and has become a pretty good “picker” himself. So, last week when we visited our neighbors, we were amazed. Geodes, rocks, fossils – each from a special place with a unique history and a story.
Meet the neighbors!Aryeh gave me that turquoise blue rock, a piece of copped from Solomon’s Copper Mines in the NegevThe balls are geodes found in the area. The Arabs call them Elijah’s bread!!Aryeh points to a special findFossilized shells found locallyRocks from Vesuvius, Egypt, France, Arizona, Wyoming, Maine, Peru…Amazing fossil collection including large nautilus shells when these mountains were under the sea-
This past weekend was the Jewish holiday of Lag b’Omer, a celebration of the Light of Creation, holy Light, the Light of the World through the Scriptures, which is sometimes compared to fire. It also commemorates the life of Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai (Rashbi) and the miracles associated with him. Lag b’Omer is always a huge holiday here in Israel. Whether religious or secular, it’s a fun family festival where huge bonfires are lit. Kids sing and dance around the bonfires and families roast potatoes and eggs and meat wrapped in foil in the hot coals. The ultra religious make a pilgrimage to Mt. Meron, Rashbi’s tomb. This year, because of the war, everything was cancelled. No bonfires. No large gatherings. Especially Meron, which is a closed military area. It’s quite depressing.
Wednesday, John and I decided to drive up to Tsfat, about 30 minutes away. Nestled at the top of a mountain, it’s one of my favorite cities. This is the usually-busy tourist season. We would be having guests and taking them there this time of year. Big Bar Mitzvah and wedding parties would, in normal circumstances, be processing with musical fanfare down the already bustling cobblestones alleyways. Tsfat – sometimes transliterated Safed or Tzfat or Zefat, dates from Biblical times and is one of Israel’s four Holy Cities.
Tsfat was the home of the mystics and kabbalists. Today there are still many ultra Orthodox, but also there the hipsters, the hippies and the artists. Galleries line the streets of the Old City displaying high quality professional artwork like weaving, sculpture, painting, incredible jewelry and various crafts. They are known for their pieces of Judaica. And it’s a great place to shop for presents. We had an engagement party coming up and two weddings, and an anniversary.
The drive up, although always gorgeous scenery-wise, was somber. Much of the area is so close to the border, people are not traveling there. We get drones and missile attacks from Lebanon several times a day. The city was a ghost town. No tourists. Empty streets. Most shops are closed. In Israel, when a person dies, a black and white notice goes up informing the public of who died, where the funeral and where/when house of mourning will be held. This time in Tsfat, posters were plastered throughout the city. Death notices. A sad but also clever way of saying the city and its businesses had died.
Death notice for TsfatEmpty streetsClosed shops and galleriesI love the architecture hereMemories of days past in Tsfat
Luckily, the candle shop was open. Safed Candles are amazing handmade, all-beeswax candles…for Shabbat, Havdalah, Chanukah and every day use. Plus this business, open for over 50 years, has lots of other beautiful Judaica. And now, because there is no business, everything was on sale. To fulfill a request from my oldest daughter I bought 6 pairs of long golden beeswax tapers for only about $15. She’ll be delighted. Plus I scored a few other colorful handmade gifts. One other gallery was open. We felt so sorry for the shop owner who had four small kids and no income for nearly eight months. So we bought a few items: Roman glass earrings for my daughters, an engagement gift and anniversary gift.
all-beeswax candles…for Shabbat, Havdalah, Chanukah and every day use. Plus this business, open for over 50 years, has lots of other beautiful Judaica. And now, because there is no business, everything was on sale. To fulfill a request from my oldest daughter I bought 6 pairs of long golden beeswax tapers for only about $15. She’ll be delighted. Plus I scored a few other colorful handmade gifts. One other gallery was open. We felt so sorry for the shop owner who had four small kids and no income for nearly eight months. So we bought a few items: Roman glass earrings for my daughters, an engagement gift and anniversary gift.
We stopped to admire the views from Tsfat. Mount Meron, which has been shelled daily (it’s a high point, literally, and a military intelligence installation. The day was so clear, there was no trouble at all seeing directly over the mountains into Lebanon – now all Hizbulla. Thankfully, there was no action, but John couldn’t leave quickly enough.
Over the ridge into LebanonMt Meron and Lebanon, far right
The highlight of our week happened last night. We were invited to an irusim, an engagement party. John had coached Pri’el in baseball as a kid and now he’s marrying his sweetheart, Bat’El. The cutest couple! But I’d never been to this type of party. The bride is from a Mizrachi Jewish family (Mid Eastern) and they have their own traditions. I was expecting a short, informal religious ritual where a rabbi blesses the newly engaged couple, basically a formal betrothal. I was totally wrong. No ceremony. No religious service.
Once again, most of the women were dressed fairly elegantly. Nope, not me. I kinda stuck out like an American sore thumb… and John in a short sleeve Hawaiian shirt. What were we thinking? We’ve been to funerals and weddings where people wore jeans, but the Mizrachi are different. Or rather we were- the men wore jackets, the women nice dresses. The young friends of Pri’El…. very casual, several in army uniforms.
The bride’s dowry and a gift table was set up for everyone to see. Gifts from the bride’s parents. All beautiful housewares – in white and black and gold. All wrapped beautifully in cellophane with silver or black ribbon. And my rainbow colored gift bag from America that said congratulations with the colorful tissue paper tucked inside. Totally out of place.
The music! Live DJ, drummers, guys singing these melodiously Arabic sounding Hebrew songs. The bride and groom-to-be wore all white. And the food! Hors-doeuvres, salads of the Middle Eastern variety (Baba ganoush, dolma, tabbouleh, humous, lox, pickled fish, cabbage salads, lentil salad….). Then the first course- skewered salmon grilled over a fire. Wow. Then the large platters of meat – kabobs, sausages, brisket, steak pieces). So the party was at 7:30. And I had made dinner and we ate beforehand. Oooopps!
And of course, the dancing. The guys all dancing separately from the girls in circles. The joy. Spontaneous eruptions in different places. And then the young couple and friends sneaking out into the courtyard for a dance together…but never touching. All so pure, and innocent, beautiful and joyful.
After all the food and dance, the father of the bride-to-be presented his future son-in-law with a magnificent gold watch. Rolex??? Then our good friends, the parents of the groom presented Bat’El with gold earrings, a necklace, bracelet and ankle bracelet. It is a tradition in the Mizrachi culture to give gifts of gold.
Then came the next high point. The engaged couple paraded through the room like prince and princess with families behind. Then the bride’s mom and the Kallah instructor (the bride has a special female escort and instructor of the laws of family purity…well save that one for another time) handed a crystal bowl filled with chocolate pudding??? and two candles to Bat’El. They each lit a candle. They then took the bowl of pudding???? with the lite candles and proceeded to wave it in circles over the heads of the engaged couple. So weird. While the chazzan chanted and the people clapped along. PriEl’s friends were dancing on the chairs – it was very very cool.
O.K. So I found out it wasn’t pudding. Or mud. Or a bowl of poo. It was Hannah. And now the ceremony begins as the bride’s mother and grandmother henna’d the palms of the engaged couple. And put a cool seal on to, tying it behind the hand. And next all the women line up to get their hands henna’d too.
By this time, it was getting on to midnight, and the desserts and rest of the festivities were going strong. We were beyond exhausted so John and I took our leave. It was quite the cultural experience- and a lot of fun. But now, preparations for Shabbat begin in earnest, so…more news next week.
Please, if you haven’t already done so, I ask you to write little notes of comfort for and solidarity with the grieving Aviv family. I will present them next Thursday. I can’t tell you how much a little note means to these people. To know they are not alone. Just put them in the comments section. And have a peaceful, relaxing weekend.
Writers of the history, stand with me. Look into my eyes and see, People go away but never say goodbye. Someone stole the moon tonight, took my light. Everything is black and white. Who’s the fool who told you boys don’t cry? Ours of hours and powers and flowers. Life is no game for the cowards, And time goes wild. Every day I’m losing my mind, Holding on in this mysterious ride. Dancing in this storm. We’ve got nothing to hide. Take me home and leave the world behind. Baby, promise me that Never Again – I’m still wet from this October Rain. October Rain.
These are the original lyrics from the Israeli (and Eurovision) hit song, Hurricane/October Rain. Our lives are a pendulum. And time goes wild. Emotions swing back and forth at a rapid pace, as the rollercoaster ride I blogged about just last week. As I was doing a web search for the lyrics to October Rain, or any mention of the song for that matter… they were there two days ago!!! The only thing I could find was “Sorry, we ran into an error displaying these results. Please try again.” It’s gone… Luckily I downloaded a live performance of Eden Golan singing the song to the families of the hostages live in Tel Aviv two nights ago.
On a brighter note, and to ‘schep nakhas,’ from the Yiddish to brag: I looked forward so much to going down to Herzliya last night. John and I were going to the Reichman University, Raphael Recanati International School, to attend my son’s awards ceremony. Max was number one in his class (School of Government and Foreign Policy) for all three years with the highest grade point average and lots and lots of hard work. He will be graduating summacum laude in two weeks.
On the way down we heard the news on the radio: news of the video clip that was just released from October 7. In one of the tunnels in Rafa, the IDF found the usual ammunition, weaponry, intelligence. This time there included video evidence. A large group of beautiful young girls, taken from their IDF base (they were watching the computer screens for border breaches, but the screens had gone black and their communications lines were cut. Some were still asleep in their beds at 6:39am when the Hamas terrorists broke in), they wear badly beaten, bloodied, hog-tied and lined up against a wall. In the video, you can hear the Hamas leader say “these are the ones who can get pregnant. Look at that one. So beautiful.” They are all hauled off at gunpoint into a stolen IDF jeep and taken into Gaza. It’s unbearable to watch.
I cannot even imagine being a parent and being informed that your hostage daughter was essentially a sex slave. And to see the video which is too graphic to reproduce here (you can still see edited versions on YouTube.. I have the long original version,which I really want to show, but will refrain at this time). The parents gave the go ahead for the film to be released in its entirety because it is so important to them for the entire world to know the brutal truth of what is happening. And still NBC News reports, “ New Oct. 7 video appears to show Hamas abducting…” and CNN and the New York Times headlines, “Recently released footage allegedly shows Israeli girls taken into Gaza.” This is absolutely insane! And their versions were highly edited and shortened.
Appears to show???
When we arrived at Reichman, a beautiful table with refreshments – little sandwiches, bourekas, quiches, fruits, juices – had been set up at the event site. It was lovely to see all the parents and friends who had shown up to honor the recipients. And to see several people I knew in the crowd: my good friend’s daughter and her family were there for their best friends; Max’s friends and their families showed up from abroad. It was a lovely reunion. But everywhere were the reminders:
In the library, a memorial for a student who had fallen in GazaI had no idea that one of the RU students was kidnapped from the Nova festivalI met my good friend’s daughter. Small world!Notice the matching accessory of the girl in black – she’s a student who was on leave from her serviceGathered on the lawn awaiting the ceremonyThis girl was on her 12 hour leave from active combat in Gaza. An honor student in Communications
Before the awards were given out, there was a memorial service for the nine soldiers who had been students at RU and killed in the line of duty. 55% of all Reichman University students are in the IDF, in both active duty and in the reserves. It is the most of any Israeli school percentage wise. 4500 of the 8000 who attend classes have or are currently serving in this present war. This is not even to mention alumni. As the service progressed, Jonathan Davis President of the School, learned of the death of a tenth student, just fallen in combat in Gaza. The most poignant for me was Joseph Gitarts. He was a friend of Max’s. They were on the debate team and had traveled through Europe together. Joseph was an honor student and ranked first in his class in Communications. He will be remembered by the memorial garden planted in his honor in the middle of campus. His sister was there to receive his honors.
The rest of the awards program was uneventful, yet inspiring. Students had come to the International School from over 100 countries – from all over the world including Dubai, Saudi Arabia, Africa, South America, India, Taiwan and of course, a Europe and North America. The university slogan is “Live in Israel. Study in English.” The growing curriculum offers both undergraduate and graduate degrees in Business, Psychology, Computer Science, Health and Medical related services (research), Government, Economics and Sustainability.
Max, a Rhodes Finalist, will be attending grad school in the UK next semester
And life goes on. This morning I found out my adorable neighbor and friend, Yanna, is pregnant with her second child. We are so excited. I can’t begin to tell you how many women we know who are pregnant now. Life is a precious gift here in Israel. Children are cherished. Families are strong. It’s a sign of the overall health and optimism of this country.
We continue to pray for all those who are held captive. The US has been stymieing Israel’s ability to fight the war as a true war. They fought us tooth and nail on entering the last Hamas stronghold, Rafah. It was revealed yesterday that the Biden Admin withheld crucial intelligence from the Israeli war cabinet on Rafah. They knew about the over 70 tunnels that led into Egypt. These tunnels served as a means to resupply the terrorists with weapons, missiles and ammunition. They served as a major mode of transportation and escape for the top brass, like Ismail Haniyeh. Do they know anything about the whereabouts of the remaining hostages? Could they have been taken into Egypt?
On a happier note, I’ve gotten several requests for the recipe of my non-dairy cornbread. In a Kosher kitchen, according to Rabbinical (not Scriptural) tradition, dairy and meat cannot be combined in the same meal in any way. So if you keep Kosher, you find ways around- because grilled chicken and BBQ ribs just cry out for cornbread. So here goes:
Non-Dairy “Buttermilk” Cornbread
Ingredients:
2 cups plant-based milk (I use rice milk for this one)
2 TBSP lemon juice
2/3 cup sunflower/safflower oil
2 large/extra large eggs
1 cup sugar
1 1/2 cups cornmeal
2 1/2 cups flour (I use Bob’s Red Mill 1:1 Gluten free)
1 tsp salt
1 TBSP baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
Optional (1 drained can of corn, cut up chili peppers)
Grease a 9X9 baking pan or a muffin tin and set oven to 350*/170*.In a large bowl, add the lemon juice to the plant milk and set aside for a few minutes. The milk might curdle like buttermilk(or not). Stir together dry ingredients. Into the curdled milk, mix in the eggs, oil and sugar. Stir until thoroughly incorporated. Add in the dry ingredients and mix together. If using the canned corn or jalapeños or chilis, now is the time to add them in. Pour into the pan and bake 20-25 minutes until golden brown. Poke with cake tested for doneness. For muffins, the time in the oven is 12-15 minutes. We use the leftovers crumbled in a bowl with maple syrup and milk for breakfast. Heat in the microwave for one minute. It’s delicious!
The last few days have been both surreal and restful. It’s truly amazing to what people get accustomed.
Carrot harvest!!Sweet Melissa for teaBroccoli Raab ZucchiniField peasWay too many tomatoes Strawberry 🍓 Fields forever Baby golden & chioggia beetsRutabagas/Swedes & carrots Beans!!Chard!!!
I woke up early on Friday morning to work in my rooftop garden. Everything is growing like gangbusters now. We’ve had surprise rains and the weather has turned warm. Harvested carrots. Planted more radishes and lettuces. Did some weeding. And separated the seemingly hundreds of tomatoes that are growing from last year’s dropped fruits. I’ll be distributing them to neighbors all this week.
Every once in a while as I’m up on the balcony I hear a few thunderous booms off in the distance. Antitank artillery from Hizbulla. This followed by helicopters or jets taking off to strike the launch sites. Life continues as usual as children are outside playing without a care. It’s Friday so the neighbor across the street is washing his car. People are out walking their dogs as if nothing is going on just a few miles North.
John and I take decide to go for a hike before it gets too hot or too late in the day. We take the dog with us and the scenery is breathtaking. We have our favorite spot… a paved walking path two miles around the ridge of a mountain overlooking Haifa and the Mediterranean. And the jets strafe the sky overhead. My phone gets continual dings, alerts of rockets launched from Gaza into the South of Israel.
We stop off at our favorite nursery on the way home. Each roundabout before a village is ringed with Israeli flags and bright yellow flags, a reminder of the hostages still held in captivity.
Different communities have set up “bring them home” displays: posters of the hostages; yellow banners, ribbons and kites; empty chairs. It serves as a stark reminder against the beauty of the Galilee spring.
The nursery is incredibly crowded with families loading up on plants. The days are getting longer and there’s more time for planting. Planting gardens. A sign of hope. A symbol of beauty and pride in the neighborhood. As we are each one of us choosing our herbs, flowers, and fruit trees there are more very loud bombs in the distance. It sounds like a crane that has dropped a load of cement blocks. Plumes of smoke rise from the mountain range in the distance and no one gives the slightest jump. It is all way too surreal. And has become way too familiar. If they stop us from living- going to work/school, shopping, meeting friends, doing our normal activities….then they’ve won. Our enemies cannot stop us.
By the time we got home, I had no time to plant the flowers in our front garden, write a blog, prepare dinner and get ready for the Sabbath, so… I saved the blogging for today.
We were supposed to have friends from the middle of the country (Tel Aviv area) for dinner both last Tuesday and last Wednesday, but neither family was able. We were going to have a Tex-Mex American cook-out. I saved the ingredients for when local friends visited on Thursday and for Shabbat dinner.
We had barbecued chicken on the grill, American potato salad, and Texas baked beans in the crockpot. Oh my word! There ain’t no eatin’ like that round these parts. I served a delicious cornbread (made with oil, no dairy) with jalapeño jelly. And pickled corn salad.
We invited our Israeli neighbors over on Friday to share the bounty. But the most different and delicious part for them (besides the Texas ranger cookies I’d baked a ton of ) were the fried green tomatoes!
Leah and Aryeh had never heard of, seen or tried them before and were over the moon!
Fried Green Tomatoes
Serves 4. Pareve (neither meat nor dairy)
Ingredients:
1/3 cup mayonnaise
1/2 fresh squeezed lemon juiced
4 drops Tabasco sauce
Sea salt & freshly ground pepper
3/4 cup flour
2 large eggs, beaten
1 cup cornmeal
2 tsp Old Bay Spice Mix
3-4 medium green tomatoes, sliced 1/2 inch thickness (ends off)
1/4 cup vegetable oil (sunflower,etc)
In a small bowl, mix mayo, lemon juice & Tabasco & set aside. In 3 separate shallow dishes place flour, beaten eggs & cornmeal. Season each with the Old Bay. Heat oil in large skillet until shimmery. While oil heating, dip tomato slices first in flour to coat, then egg, then cornmeal. Fry tomatoes in oil working in batches. About 3-4 minutes each side. Transfer to wire rack with paper towels at bottom. Serve while hot with the sauce on top.
(We just got back from taking our dog on a walk as I was writing this….John & I needed a break. As it turns out, two separate neighbors stopped me to ask about that American food… with the tomatoes. And the cornbread and jalapeño jelly…we’ll be having more guests next week!)
This next salad was so so simple to make. Pretty standard fare. Avocados and tomatoes. But the nuts!!!! Took it to a whole higher level! Not only delicious but healthy too.
Tomato Avocado Salad
Serves 4 Pareve (vegan)
Ingredients:
1 large medium ripe avocado
2 cups (1pint) cherry tomatoes
1/3 cup walnuts
Extra virgin olive oil
Juice of 1 small fresh squeezed lemon lime
Sea salt, pepper
(Optional 1 1/2 TBSP pumpkin seed oil)
Cube avocado into small chunks and place in bowl. Halve cherry tomatoes and place in bowl. Toast walnuts until golden brown in olive oil or pumpkinseed oil (highly recommend!!!) Let cool and add to salad. Drizzle lime juice & small amount of olive oil over top . Sprinkle with sea salt and cracked black pepper .
The fact there is a war going on just a few miles from us is surreal. It will curb some of our outings this summer, but we will find new places to hike and new villages to visit. Our enemies will not stop us from living. It’s the Israeli spirit-
Israel Dreams 