Posted by

twdunbar2015

Posted on

June 19, 2025

Posted under

Iran, israel, israel news, Israeli-Gaza War, Israeli-Palestinian Conflict, medical centers, MidEast, Negev, Uncategorized, War stories

Comments

2 Comments

Close Calls and the Miraculous. War Stories. Day 621/7. 19 June, 2025

After a restless night of running to the safe room, we were awakened again this morning to the sound of the red alerts They were first signaling UAV invasions into the Golan and Jordan Valley. Then came the huge missile barrage.

We are witnessing days of the miraculous, my friends. Last night, there was an emergency meeting of the board at Soroka Hospital in BeerSheva. It was decided for some reason to move the outpatient clinics and one-day surgery underground. At 07:15 am the sirens began to blare throughout the county signaling imminent attack. Shortly afterwards we received the news. Soroka had taken a direct hit.

Soroka is the largest hospital in the south serving all the Negev and Gaza Envelope communities. It is also one of the largest rehab units for wounded soldiers and is always full of patients. The missile hit one of the main buildings and yet no one was killed because it had been evacuated the night before. There were almost 90 wounded: 2 seriously, an 80 year old man and a 78 year old woman. There are 6 others in serious condition and 9 in moderate condition, but no deaths. Baruch haShem! Praise the Lord!

Now for my op ed. Last year, the IDF was quickly and falsely accused of bombing a Gaza hospital. It was immediately (within 15 minutes) reported that there had been over 5000 casualties! This was soon toned down to over 1500. The news spread throughout the world as reported by the unreliable propaganda arm of Hamas, the Gaza Health Ministry. Shortly thereafter, it was reported the rocket landed in a parking lot, killing 23 people. After a thorough investigation and review of drone footage from aerial surveillance, it was discovered that Hamas had launched a rocket from a pickup truck at the back of the hospital, which misfired and struck the hospital. The damage was done, and people still believe the IDF targets hospitals and innocent civilians.

The IDF targets terrorists. We have seen it in Gaza as well as Lebanon and now Iran. They go out of their way to evacuate civilians from active military zones and will abort a strike if there is the chance of killing an innocent people. Hamas placed their weapons in and underneath hospitals, schools, mosques and UN facilities. Underground tunnels are burrowed under homes and public places. Iran has exclusively been targeting civilians, mostly dense packed urban areas. Now a hospital. This is a war crime. Where is the outrage from the world?

Also this morning, a kindergarten/day care was hit in Ramat Gan (all of this news has been cleared for publication. I reveal no secrets). All of the little children are fine as the classrooms were held underground. Rescue workers were there to evacuate all the little children and reunite them with their parents. Another miracle and narrowly averted disaster!

Two days ago, a direct strike hit the Weizman Institute of Science, one of Israel’s most prestigious research centers. Dozens of experiments were destroyed. The ICBM struck more than ten biology labs, including those focused on cancer, aging and A-I based personalized medicine. Work that was in progress for over a decade was all destroyed. Israel aims at life-saving research, for the benefit of mankind.

Hundreds of Americans on Israel birthright trips were evacuated by cruise ship to Larnaca, Cypress. They had survived the Iran bombardment. 1500 people were on board the ship, escorted by the Israeli navy. Florida governor, Ron DeSantis chartered four jets to pick them up and fly them back to the States where they can then take other connecting flights home.

Thousands of Israelis are waiting at American and European airports to return to Israel. Airspace opened yesterday for two packed flights (including scores of returning soldiers) to land at Ben Gurion. This morning, another inbound flight from Cypress was diverted mid-air back to Larnaca due to Iranian missile barrages. Hopefully flights will soon resume to bring stranded tourists and foreign nationals back home and pick up the returning Israelis.

Israel yesterday destroyed Iran’s digital nuclear archive backup, the last copy of knowledge on how to build a bomb. There are now no top scientists. No documents. And for now, limited ability fore a nuclear future. Strikes have been made on Iran’s Arak nuclear wastewater facility after the evacuation of all civilians in a wide radius. One of the last things left to do is to somehow destroy or incapacitate the Fordo nuclear facilities, which lie deep underground. Whether this can be done by stealth or even remotely remains to be seen. The only bomb that can reach the bunkers that far down are held by the United States and is carried by the stealth bomber. I pray America does not have to enter into the war!

Last night, the Iranian broadcasting company was hacked. Images of demonstrations and calls shown on screen for the Iranian people to take to the streets and protest against the regime were shown. The Crown Prince, Reza Pahlavi made a statement from outside the country: “The Islamic Republics has come to an end and is falling. What has begun is irreversible. The future is bright and together we will navigate this sharp turn in history. Now is the time to stand. It is time to take back Iran. May I be with you soon.” There have been reports of major demonstrations and young girls and women are throwing off their burkas and head coverings. The Iranian government cut the internet at the beginning of the war, but it was quickly restored (by Elon Musk) through Starlink. The channel also broadcast a statement from Netanyahu telling the citizens of Iran that Israel does not fight against them but against the totalitarian regime. The time of the people will come shortly.

German Chancellor Freidrich Meira, at the recent G-7 said, “ Israel is doing the dirty work for all of us.” There are unconfirmed reports which claim that Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khameni is dead. In the meantime, Iran continues its own threats. “We are about to launch the largest and most violent attack in history on Israeli territory.” That was three days ago.

In the meantime, IDF estimates that over 60% of Iran’s missile launches have been destroyed by the Israeli Air Force. Still, over 100 remain operational. The IRGC has switched from static launches to mobile launchers which shoot much fewer missiles simultaneously, but can be moved around. Several have been hit within the streets of Tehran as well as adjacent to large mosque complexes. Israel is able to eliminate them with surgical precision strikes, that do limited damage to nearby surroundings (unless the launchers are loaded). The IAF reigns supreme over the wide open Iranian airspace.

In lighter news, an elderly British-Israeli couple were visiting their children in England when they became stranded. Taking matters into their own hands, they dressed as Muslims, traveled to Egypt and somehow found their way back into Israel through Eilat.

We wait with bated breath to see what will happen next. I shall try to keep you posted. Again, we watch and pray for good news. May peace come soon to all of us.

Posted by

twdunbar2015

Posted on

January 12, 2025

Posted under

charitable organizations, culture, israel, israel lifestyle, israel news, medical centers, spirituality, Uncategorized

Comments

3 Comments

Finally…An Uplifting Story!!!

The longer we live in Israel, the more reasons John and I find to fall in love with this country. I always thought Americans were unparalleled in their giving….and they ARE! But the Israelis!!! For good reasons, native Israelis are called sabras, or cacti. The cactus is rough and prickly on the outside. If anyone has ever accidentally rubbed up against a cactus…ouch!! Watch out! But inside the flat green plates and the purple fruits is luscious juicy sweetness that just drips out. Israelis are much the same way: abrasive and tough on first encounter, but with hearts of pure gold. The entire story of Yad Sarah is a prime example. But first, a little backstory-

O.K. So I am now using crutches or walking sticks as my back, hips and knees are at the crumbling stage. No biggie. My crutches help when I really need them and absolutely nothing will stop me. When we were in Venice in October, I propped my crutches up on a balustrade over one of the canals to take the most gorgeous selfie of John and myself. And that’s when it happened. One of my rather expensive sticks slipped into the canal. It floated on the surface for about four seconds, as if it was waiting to see if my dear husband would jump in and rescue it – and then, glug glug glug, sunk down to the bottom of the Venetian canal.

Two weeks ago, I visited our local Yad Sarah. I’ve seen the signs pointing to their branches in various cities, and have heard many people talk about using their services, but never really paid much attention to this most amazing organization. Yad Sarah is a non-government, non-profit volunteer service. They have offices in almost every Israeli city, many Arab villages, and in the larger kibbutzim and moshavim.

In Jerusalem, 1976, a rabbi and high school teacher, Uri Lupolianskineeded a vaporizer for his sick child. He searched drug stores and medical supply stores throughout Jerusalem, eventually finding one to borrow from a neighbor who had immigrated from the States. Seeing an immediate need, with a large vision and a small amount of seed money, Lupolianski started Yad Sarah in memory of his Grandma Sarah who had died I the Shoah. He started by procuring and lending small home medical equipment to those in need: wheelchairs, crutches, vaporizers, oxygen tanks, etc.

Today, Yad Sarah is the largest volunteer organization in the country, with over 9,000 volunteers. It has grown exponentially over the past decades, allowing patients to rehab in home, thereby staying out of the hospital and long term care centers. Every one of two families has been helped by Yad Sarah in some way. The branches provide everything from hospital beds to apnea monitors; breast pumps to nebulizers; shower chairs, toilet lifts, and post-surgical walking boots. Lent for free to the poor, home bound and elderly, this saves the country over $350 million annually in medical costs.

As if this was not enough (Illu!), students do internships and residencies for university credit, helping in the fields of occupational and physical therapy, child development, gerontology, social services, psychological services, and even legal work. The larger Yad Sarah centers offer help in preparing advanced medical directives and wills. There are counselors who advise the elderly and poor on their medical rights and with contracts.

Professionally trained volunteers at many Yad Sarah centers work with children ages 3-12 who have developmental issues, autism, ADD and other problems. They offer art and music therapy and even provide parenting classes for free or a nominal cost. There are day centers I Jerusalem, Tel Aviv, Renaana, and Netanya that service disabled and challenged of all ages. They offer everything from volunteer organized and staffed yoga, art, music, dance and exercise, and even horticulture classes. The various services offered are truly amazing! Complete courses in computer skills and basic programming are offered to the disabled so they can enter the workforce as well as interface online.

Some of the larger cities have Yad Sarah offshoots. Gil Zahav is one of them. In Hebrew, senior citizens are called Gil Zahav, or Golden Agers. Seeing the need for the expanding older population, Yad Sarah established centrally located spaces where the seniors can meet for classes and social events. There are lectures and activities, field trips planned, movies and concerts shown and beauty (hair, manicures) and light medical services (podiatry days, dermatology days) provided for very low cost. All Gil Zahav places offer light snacks and meals, some are even equipped with cafeterias.

Horticulture class at *Gil Zahav* center

Also available for the elderly are geriatric dental services. This even includes a mobile dentistry unit that travels to more out-of-the-way locations. Dentists and hygienists volunteer one day a month to keep this service running. Volunteers from Yad Sarah drive shuttles that are specially equipped for disabled. They provide rides to and from clinics, shopping centers and grocery stores and even airport shuttle services. There are also special programs for shuttling disabled tourists, everything being arranged in advanced from the main center in Jerusalem.

“Help! I’ve fallen and I can’t get up!!!” If you are from the United States, you will easily recognize this commercial for home medical alert systems. The system was developed by Yad Sarah volunteers here in Israel. A need was recognized and solved and wall-mounted and wrist-worn medical alerts were provided for a small fee. The alarm system once activated goes to a central 24-hour YadSarah control which is then immediately routed to United Hatzalah (motorcycle paramedics), Magen David Adom (ambulance), police, or other necessary unit. As an extension, the Azakah Gan, or kindergarten alarm was installed in every kindergarten as an alarm in the event of a terror attack, G-d forbid.

The services just go on and on and on. We spoke with Alan, one of our local Yad Sarah volunteer staff, who gave us an extensive list of all their services. There are people, who, for a nominal charge, will pick up soiled linens from the home bound, wash and return them within two days. There is a meal delivery service, which for a small monthly fee, provides hot Kosher meals daily. This is contracted out to a local catering service and is much like a meals on wheels program. On staff here are four gentlemen who donate some of their time as shiputzniks, or handy men. They will go to the apartment or home of an elderly or home bound person and offer small fix-it and plumbing jobs at no cost. It’s considered a mitzvah, a good deed to a fellow human being.

All the equipment that is lent out (larger or more expensive items are loaned for a small, refundable security deposit for a renewable period of three months) is either donated new or refurbished. All items are cleaned and sterilized by an all-volunteer staff. The items are inventoried in centrally located warehouses, labeled and sent out again. A brand new six month training course offered to new immigrants (in the Tel Aviv and Jerusalem areas) by Yad Sarah certifies them to correctly assemble and package medical equipment. This provides these usually low-income, lower skill set people from countries like Ethiopia and the former Soviet Union with future employment opportunities. It also gives them a way to integrate fully into their new country. What a great idea!!

Especially during this time in our country, Yad Sarah offers Rehab Centers and services for wounded soldiers. Not only are they helping with physical therapy but also emotional and psychological therapy is provided to soldier with PTSD. And now, services have been extended to all those affected by the trauma of war. As if all this was not enough, Yad Sarah also provides a myriad of service to victims of domestic abuse. In women’s restroom stalls throughout the country, there are stickers notifying victims of abuse of how and where to receive help.

Yad Sarah has won many awards for service and charity including the Israel Award and recognition by the UN (really!). This organization has expanded its training modules to underserved countries throughout Africa and into Asia. Effective, accessible and affordable medical services in order to raise the dignity and worth of every individual is their primary mission.

Yad Sarah is the most amazing organization I’ve ever encountered. Yes, their central offices in Jerusalem are staffed with paid employees. But most of the medical equipment and service vans are provided by generous donations from both within Israel and abroad. Local and international charity drives are often held. When renting a medical device, if the person is able, small extra monetary donations are gladly welcomed. Tax deductible receipts for all donations are given. This is one group we will gladly support, both monetarily and with our time.

If you are within Israel, reading about this for the first time and are I need, contact *6444. Someone will be available to answer your questions in Hebrew, Russian, English, Arabic, Spanish, French or Amharic. There are fundraising branches for Yad Sarah set up in The UK, US, and Canada. To be added to their mailing list or to make a charitable, tax-deductible donation, go to Friendsofyadsarah.org.

Posted by

twdunbar2015

Posted on

October 20, 2024

Posted under

Hizbulla war, Israel Gaza war, Israeli-Gaza War, Israeli-Palestinian Conflict, medical centers, MidEast, War stories

Comments

3 Comments

Deep Underground (to Cathy & Harv & Mona-). 20 October, 2024. Day 380

What an interesting time and place in which we live! Life during wartime goes on as ‘normally’ as possible here. If you ask me to describe Israelis with one word it would be RESILIENT.

Shabbat began for us with a heavy barrage of missiles that continued in bursts about 20-30 minutes apart until about 01:00. It was all around us, but in our part of town we didn’t get a siren. At 06:29 (sunrise) we were awakened with my phone going off. “TSEVAH ADOM! TSEVAH ADOM! TSEVAH ADOM!!” I looked and saw the missiles were headed towards the Haifa suburbs, the Krayot.

The volleys from Hizbulla continued throughout the day. My phone would go off; I’d check to see where they were headed (whew! pray!); we’d hear sirens in the distance; go about what we were doing as normally as possible (breakfast, packing for our upcoming trip, reading); wait for and count the booms. Sometimes the thunder came low from the distance, other times it seemed as if it was overhead and the windows would rattle and the house jolt a bit. Keep calm and carry on. What else can one do? Resiliency. How I love this word!

In addition to the missiles falling as far south as Zikron Ya’akov area (south of Haifa), Iranian supplied drones were flying in from Lebanon carrying payloads of explosives. Several were shot down. This is nothing new. Last weekend, the situation escalated as a drone snuck through and got as far as an army base in Binyamina (towards the center of Israel just east of Caesarea). It was planned. 07:15. The soldiers were all gathered in the mess hall. Boom!!! No warning. The drone hit and exploded the dining hall.p

In that incident, 3 soldiers were critically wounded, 14 in serious condition. They were helicoptered to nearby hospitals. Another set of drones, which went undetected by radar, were again launched that last Sunday evening following the same path. One was intercepted by an F-15, the other slipped through and hit another dining hall in a military training center near Caesaria. This time, 4 soldiers died, 62 of the new recruits were injured. It was the highest casualty toll in a single day since the war started a year ago. Just how did Hizbulla know where and when to strike for maximum impact? Satellite imagery?

Ofri Tamari, 19; Yosef Hieb, 19, a Bedouin Israeli soldier; Yoav Agmon, 19; Alon Amitai, 19 All Golani soldiers in training

Most of the drones are made from plastics. They fly at very low altitudes, are incredibly fast, and can fly between buildings and trees as they are controlled remotely by operators. Yesterday, Hizbulla launched more of these suicide drones. In one swarm, three were shot down and one flew as far as Caesaria, exploding near the publicly known private residence of the Netanyahu’s. This was very serious and takes the war to a whole new level as it targeted the Prime Minister directly.

John and I left home at 6 this morning, just as light was brightening the eastern sky. He is having a colonoscopy at Rambam Hospital in Haifa and we needed to leave early. All of the hospitals in the North have literally moved underground. That way they won’t be affected by bombing. Rambam was the first to do this.

The Sammy Ofer fortified medical center was begun in 2002 in response to the Second Intifada. Three stories underground is the hospital parking lot. In the event of emergency or war, the structure can be converted into a full service 2000-bed medical facility in 36 hours. The entire space is sanitized and services like oxygen, gasses for anesthesia, power cables, water are piped in from the ceiling and within the walls.

I sit here writing as John has his procedure. There was a red alert for the Haifa suburbs just 5 minutes ago. Down here in the deep underground I neither heard sirens nor felt the ground tremble beneath my chair. John will be anesthetized in the parking garage. All of the medical staff and necessary equipment is there. Surgeries are all on the lowest level. It’s an amazing sight to behold. On the level above, -2, newborn babies cry in their little cots. So far this month over 70 babies have been born here. I pray the rest of the facilities never have to be used.

After his procedure, John was moved to hetosh’shoot, recovery, which was upstairs on main floor near the emergency room. Another siren. This time I heard it. All the patients and their caregivers were wheeled into a protected space by the nurses. Calmly. Calmly. “Opa!!Welcome to Israel!” Well that was just a little exciting. We waited for the sound of booms as the rockets were intercepted by Iron Dome overhead. Bang! Bang! boom! Boom! Bang! Wait 10 minutes. All safe. Time to get wheeled back.

Doctors, nurses and patients waiting out the missiles in a protected area It’s a little nuts now that I look at it.

In other news, the fighting in southern Lebanon has intensified as more terror tunnels are uncovered there (what else is new?). There is so much evidence that Hizbulla was planning another Gaza Envelope infiltration into northern Israel and massacre. We can hear the explosions from our house. Yet the children are playing outside, albeit close to home and the workers are doing their jobs reconstructing the house below us. Another brigade of reservists was called up for active duty yesterday. All are reservists, and all are highly trained.

I couldn’t believe this but it’s verified from a friend. Not all of the soldiers going in still have up-to-date protective gear. They still have the old helmets and vests (without ceramic plates) from 1973. This is more than outrageous. It’s a matter of their lives and death. Chaya Hitin started Unit 11741 to raise money for helmets and breastplates. She and Daniel Mael (aka The Maelman) started a production facility in Netanya, Israel to make the bulletproof helmets and plates to give full coverage for the soldiers. The helmets can be camouflaged or mounted with a camera. Please help them help the soldiers by donating to unit11741.com. You can read all about them on their website.We fully support the work they are doing. 100% of the donations go directly to the manufacturing of the protective gear.

Five more young soldiers fell in battle in southern Lebanon. May the memories of their lives be a blessing to all. We can hear when the helicopters go overhead bringing the casualties of war to Rambam.

Maj. Ofer Bachar, 24; Capt. Elad SimanTov, 23; st.Sgt. Elyashiv Eitan Wieder, 22; st.Sgt. Yakov Hillel, 21; st Sgt. Yehudah Dror Yahalom, 21.

And another heartbreaking death. After serving in the Border Patrol unit, Adair Kaddish, 33, became a police officer. He was engaged to be married in three weeks… but was shot by a terrorist at an intersection south of Tel Aviv. The assassin was eliminated shortly thereafter.

Also, two more fell yesterday, Sgt. Ofer Berkovich,20, and Sgt. Elishai Young, a Hebrew African from Dimona (originally from the U.S.). They were warriors of the 401st battalion in Gaza.

In other news, Israel has once again given in to US pressure. The reprisal from Israel against Iran’s huge ICBM attack last month has still not come. Biden/Harris have called for Netanyahu to hold off (until after the election?) and have called for limits on possible targets. No oil production or refineries can be hit. Nuclear facilities are all off limits.

Prime Minister Netanyahu has seriously been trying to work with the White House, but too many parameters have been set on how to conduct this war. Too many secrets have been leaked by the administration to the press. Israel has been very concerned, especially now, as this seems to have happened again. Quietly, secretly over the weekend, classified Pentagon information concerning the strategic and tactical plans against Iran were leaked to CNN and other mainstream media outlets. They have since been circulated on Telegram and other social media. The authenticity of the documents from October 15 and October 16 was confirmed. They contained vital information on air strikes against Iran sourced to the National Security Agency. Supposedly, this will be examined by the FBI.

This has happened multiple times, in the Obama administration and in the Biden administration. If American is Israel’s friend, who needs more enemies? It is further isolating this tiny country, forcing the people – the government, the military and the general citizenry – to rely on G-d alone.

Enough of the bad news, now for the good. We received the test results and John is free and clear of cancer. Woohoo! Baruch HaShem!!! He’s officially cured! This is amazing! I’ve years ago he was given little to no chance. It was a long battle, but he is cured! Yaaaaay!

The next bit of news is that we made plans quite some time ago to celebrate our 40th wedding anniversary in Italy. We leave Tuesday night and we will rent a car, and go from Milan/Lake Como in the North to Mantua, Venice, Ravenna, Florence,Pitigliano, Siena, Arezzo, SanGrimignano, through Tuscany to Luca, Assisi, Pompey/Herculaneum, the Amalfi Coast, Naples and Rome. Great art, beautiful scenery, an opera in Florence, gondola ride with serenade, stops to see friends, the food!! Archaeological wonders I’ve studied and taught… it will be amazing. We’re pulling out all the stops. We ‘ll be gone for three weeks.

I’ll be keeping up with the news from time to time. If anything major occurs that you might not hear, I shall let you know. For the time being, it’s ciao, ciao!

POSTSCRIPT, 30 minutes later. News updates:

Two barrages of missiles were fired this morning by Hizbulla from Lebanon targeting Israeli civilians. In Akko, a rocket directly hit a vehicle, critically wounding a man who later succumbed to his injuries. The attack left at least nine others wounded with varying degrees of injuries.

In Kiryat Atta, a 28 year old man was seriously injured by shrapnel from a direct rocket impact, while a man and a woman in their 40s sustained injuries from the same blast. Several individuals have been treated by paramedics for anxiety. Over 60 rockets at a time were launched towards Akko, Haifa, the Haifa suburbs and Uoper Galilee.

Yesterday, a man in his 50s was killed in Akko by falling shrapnel.

Posted by

twdunbar2015

Posted on

June 9, 2024

Posted under

israel, Israel Gaza war, israel news, israeli hostages in Gaza, Israeli-Gaza War, Israeli-Palestinian Conflict, medical centers, Politics, Sheba Medical Center, War stories

Comments

2 Comments

The Rescue and the Return. Day 246. War Stories

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.

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.

Posted by

twdunbar2015

Posted on

February 7, 2024

Posted under

Israel Gaza war, israel news, Israeli-Gaza War, Israeli-Palestinian Conflict, medical centers, Sheba Medical Center, War stories

Comments

2 Comments

Day 124. War Update. 7 February, 2024

We’ve had 14 days straight of rain and finally the sun is shining. But more on that later.

The IDF is doing a stellar job of flooding some of the Northern Gaza tunnels and filling in more. Terrorists dressed as civilians have been venturing back into Northern Gaza ‘to check on their properties,’ but it has turned out to be a most deadly ruse on two separate occasions.

Mostly Northern Gaza is cleared. The same with Southern Gaza. The IDF have surrounfed the Hamas stronghold of Khan Younis. Defense Minister Yoav Gallant stated, “We are completing our mission in Khan Younis , we will also reach Rafah and we will kill every terrorist there.”

The Israeli military, so far, has been skirting around fighting around large civilian populations, trying to minimize the number of casualties. They have limited their air strikes and drone surveillance at the behest of the Biden administration. This means the soldiers are going home to home looking for terrorists, arms, tunnel shaft openings and information. They haven’t been disappointed.

In almost EVERY home, many have to be cleared before entering because they are mined with explosives, the IDF soldiers have found massive amounts of weapons. These include guns and ammo: from pistols (homemade Don Karlo’s), rifles, automatic weapons, grenades, to RPGs. Sometimes they are hidden in kitchen pantries and children’s bedrooms.

Very surprisingly, in almost EVERY home they have uncovered tunnel shaft openings leading to the wider underground “Gaza Metro System.” The underground tunnels are much more extensive then Israel ever imagined, being longer totaled that the London or NYC metro. Each home has an opening leading to multiple layers underground of passageways. (Confirming, unfortunately, the idea that most Gaza residents are at least complicit, if not full blown militants).

The Times of Israel reported in mid January that the Gaza tunnels stretch for at least 350 miles- with up to 6000 separate shafts found thus far. It’s like a giant complex ant farm. And Gaza is only 140 square miles in area.

All of this is being extensively recorded and documented by the IDF for posterity, as it will be defense in probable international court cases. Several tunnels are wide enough for large trucks to pass through. Others are equipped with bathrooms, kitchens, meeting rooms, storage facilities, dungeon-like jail cells, surgical/medical facilities.

Speaking of which:

We’re you aware that there were 83 hospitals in Gaza????? 83!!!! UN sponsored hospitals. Italian Hospital. Scottish Hospital. French Hospital. Irish Hospital. On and on and on it goes. 83 hospitals. In all of the Northern Israel from Haifa up, there are only 16 (some are very small private hospitals). In all of the hospitals, weapons, uniforms and tunnels have been found. With all of their vast medical network, Gazans traveled regularly every day into Israel for treatment- cancers, pediatric, cardiology, even reconstructive plastic surgery for women who have had acid thrown at them.

Speaking of surgeries and recovery, Israel has been blessed with some miraculously quick recoveries. Not always complete, but miraculous nonetheless.

Part miracle, part perspicacity. Mayan goes to physical therapy daily. The 21 year old lost both legs in a tunnel explosion, but it is not stopping him. He is totally determined to overcome all odds and get on with life. He will receive prosthetic legs within the month.

On the morning of 7 October, the Golan family was awakened by red alert missile firings. That was nothing new for them as they were residents of Kfar Aza. But it didn’t stop. Soon they heard the noise of gunfire. And Arabic cursing outside their window. Speaking with family members on the phone, they were told to lock themselves inside their safe room.

Evyatar Hogeg, the brother of Elliah stayed in touch with his sister, her husband, Ariel and their 18 month baby, Yael for over six hours. Then Elliah said, “Pray for us. They are inside.” That was the last he heard until he received a call from Sheba Medical Center telling him to go to the ER immediately. The family was there, but in bad shape. Hamas had attempted to burn them alive.

Elliah had 3rd degree burns over 60% of her body. She also suffered extreme laryngeal and respiratory distress . Ariel, her husband had 2nd and 3rd degree burns over his extremities and lower torso. The baby, Yael also had burns over her head, limbs and body and was rushed to the pediatric burn unit. Elliah and Ariel were in the ICU of the burn center, sedated and intubated… placed into temporary comas.

The baby was the first to wake up after 2 1/2 weeks. She was cared for by her grandmothers who took turns at her side. Bandaged over most her body, she is now fairly active and beginning to speak.

Ariel woke up next by hearing his daughter’s voice. When she was able to have visitors, the Sheba staff wheeled Ariel in his hospital bed to see his baby. Soon he, too, was up and walking on crutches with daily rehab. His desire was to see his wife.

Elliah still remains heavily sedated, but is off the ECHO breathing system. Her husband pleads with her,”We are waiting for you. We want you to be strong. We will hear your voice again soon. Enough. Come on. Come back.” He strikes her head. She recognizes him, but still has a long way to go and needs all our prayers.

Ariel now stays with Yael, eats meals with her, and his bed has been moved so they share a room in the hospital. He says, “We didn’t survive all this for only two of us to go back. It must be all three of us. It can’t be otherwise.”

Evyatar, Elliah’s brother commented that “The people doing these atrocities are not people who want freedom. They just want blood. Jewish blood. Whatever happens, we’re waking up in a different country. We’re not going to be the same Israel. Maybe, just maybe, it will be a good thing. A loving Israel, a united Israel.”

Please pray for this family. It will be a long haul for all.

Baltimore’s Elman Retina Group’s Dr. Sid Schechet Heroically Restores Sight to Wounded Israeli Soldier
Beer Sheva, Israel – Feb. 1, 2024 – (BJL) Sid Schechet, M.D. of the Elman Retina Group, took two weeks off from his busy practice to volunteer as a retina surgeon at the Soroka Medical Center in Beer Sheva. Soroka is the major trauma center for wounded soldiers. Since arriving on Monday, Dr. Schechet has been operating non-stop for more than twelve hours daily, helping to restore vision to severely wounded soldiers and anyone else in need. He has shared innovative surgical techniques he developed with the excellent staff in Israel. Dr. Schechet also arranged for a special laser valued at $200,0000 to be shipped to Israel, which allows for the repair of retinal tears in the ICU in soldiers that cannot be moved to the Eye Clinic. Periodically, he shares his experiences with the Elman Retina Group staff members. Here is one such story.

“I hope all is well on the home front. Today was another doozy but filled with miracles in so many ways. Here’s a nice quick story:

This young hero is a soldier who sustained a bilateral open globe with metallic foreign bodies. He was blasted by Hamas while sleeping with his team, and unfortunately, they all died. He was the lone survivor, with injuries from top to bottom. I honestly didn’t know what would happen to him after I repaired his severely damaged eyes earlier in the week. I was scared for when he’d first awaken to hear what happened to his team and to then to open his eyes only to realize he had no vision.

He woke up last night and realized what happened to his team and that he couldn’t see. Despite this, he immediately requested to return to his battalion to continue fighting against the terrorists. Today, when I examined him again, he miraculously could see parts of the letters I brought from my kids made for wounded soldiers. We both cried. It’s been stuff like that every second, exhausting but very uplifting.”

Given the extent and severity of his injuries, Dr. Schechet was concerned that the soldier, despite the surgical repair, would never be able to see anything again, but the Ribono Shel Olam ( the creator off the world) thought otherwise.

Our G-d truly is good and merciful. There are thousands of victims. People are suffering not only physically but emotionally and mentally. But Israelis are a resilient, determined bunch. There is so much support here in hospitals, with social services, rehab specialists, psychologists and of course, the miraculous from Above that we all depend upon.

As an update to this story : I just found out the main leader of Hamas, Ismail Haniya, living a life of opulence and luxury in Qatari exile, has a sister who lived in Gaza. She is now in an Israeli hospital being treated for an aggressive form of cancer. I’m sure she will get the best of treatment and then be released back to Gaza…. To commit acts of terror as did Hamas leader Yayha Sinwar?????

Today John and I took a long walk, the longest is ages, We went to a nearby mountaintop village. Absolutely spectacular!!!!! The scenery. The sun. The flowers. The homes. Birds chirping. It was such a peaceful break.

Tomorrow I will feature this community. I hope to be starting something new- because there is so much antisemitism, most Israelis are still more than convinced Israel remains the safest place. I will be featuring a different community: a moshav or kibbutz, a village or city, each with a unique flavor. If anyone is interested in making Aliyah, I’ll be more than glad to help. In the meantime, my weekly “Get to know the places better…” Come travel the Land with me vicariously.

Posted by

twdunbar2015

Posted on

January 26, 2024

Posted under

Holidays & Feasts, israel, Israel Gaza war, israel news, israeli hostages in Gaza, Israeli-Gaza War, Israeli-Palestinian Conflict, medical centers, MidEast, War stories

Comments

7 Comments

There’s a crack in Everything. That’s how the light gets in. -Leonard Cohen. War Stories Day 112. 26 January, 2024

Yesterday was Tu b’Shvat in Israel. It’s the oldest Earth Day on record, a new year….for trees. It’s been on the Hebrew calendar for centuries. We celebrate by eating produce native to the land of Israel, namely dates, figs, pomegranates, grapes, barley, wheat and olives. And we plant trees. Fruit trees and sturdy oak, cedars and pine, eucalyptus and carob and nut trees.

This year trees were planted at the graves of fallen soldiers. An entire citrus orchard was planted outside Sderot (Gaza Envelope) for victims of 7 October. There were over 1000 orange and grapefruit trees placed in the ground in memorial.

Outside Kibbutz Nahal Oz a shade grove was planted. One for each of the 249 people taken captive into Gaza. It was very moving. There were red ribbons wrapped around each tree representing a returned hostage. Black ribbon for those who did not make it. And yellow for those still presumed alive in Hamas or PIJ captivity.

Another moving shade forest was planted at the site of the Re’em field where the peace concert took place. Friends and family put a tree in the ground at the site their loved one was found slain. Each tree had a picture of the deceased and an article of clothing hung from a stake in front of the tree. These will be permanent memorials. They celebrate death. We plant trees and celebrate new life.

Coincidentally, since 7 October, Israel has been blessed with a baby boom seen at no other time in its history. Maternity wards are filled to overflowing. In the early days of the war, and even now with many husbands gone, greater numbers of women are choosing to have a home birth with a midwife. There are many that are afraid to leave the house alone at night to travel to a hospital, so home births have boomed.

This week Elya and Novo were released from their unit after over 50 days of heavy combat in Khan Younis, Gaza. Both of their wives went into labor on the same day. The women share a recovery room and the new fathers have a week leave to be with the families. Brothers in arms; brothers in childbirth. Mazal tov!!

Meet Battalion 8103. They went into Northern Gaza from the beginning. Since 18 October, 29 babies have been born to this special group of elite soldiers.

Another heartwarming story:

And lastly, a friend sent around this pregnancy announcement from her daughter. Her son-in-law is a reservist serving in Samaria. This will be her third grandchild- B”H is an abbreviation for Barukh haShem or Praise the Lord

Israel is entering into its 4th month of the war. So far, over 32,000 soldiers have been injured. Over 400 critically. Since military tactics have been changed to appease the US requests for scaling back and slowing down, more soldiers have been wounded. The use of surveillance drones to make pinpoint surgical strikes is gone. Both sides are now incurring more casualties.

Yet despite the high numbers of wounded, this war is seeing the lowest death rate percentage wise (IDF) than any other war in history. Major medical advancements have been made. Each unit is trained in triage and battle care so as to stanch bleeding as medics are called in. Tank units become mobile ICUs, containing full ambulance equipment and paramedics including surgeons, anesthetists. Type O blood is held in reserve, so that for the first time in history blood transfusions can be started in a tank or helicopter. Surgeons are lined up in operating theaters awaiting the injured.

The mortality rate stands at 6.7%. This is a decrease of more than double. According to the data, the average time from injury to the operating room stands at 1 hour and 6 minutes. This is for Gaza and for the West Bank. If war were to break out with Hizbulla, these statistics would be quite higher due to the larger area, more difficult terrain and proximity to hospitals. Thus, field hospitals will be set up at strategic locations along the northern front in event of escalating hostilities.

The soldiers of the IDF realize that this is an existential fight- if they don’t protect the land on 4 fronts (Hamas/Gaza; PA radicals/West Bank; Houthi rebels/Eilat; Hizbulla/North). Israel would be wiped out. The country is united in their mission. Our soldiers, especially those that have given up everything in sacrifice for their loved ones, are being hailed for their valiant efforts.

I believe this attitude helps make all the difference in the recovery of the patient. They know their sacrifices were not in vain. We salute them and thank them and owe our lives to their bravery. Medical advances are being made in the areas of physical and occupational therapy. Prosthetic limbs are helping amputees get back to living more quickly. And a robotic type exoskeleton has been developed to help paraplegics stand and walk again.

Amitai Argamon was in one of the first units to enter a booby trapped building in Beit Hanoi. Four of his friends were killed. Five others were seriously wounded. At the initial blast, a wall fell on Amitai, crushing both legs beyond repair. He was on the verge of death, with almost no pulse, but a strong will to survive and a stronger faith in the Lord.

He knew to stay alert and talk with his rescuers, answering questions and asking questions of the paramedics continually engaging. The doctors at Ichilov made the split decision to do a double amputation which also saved his life. Amitai, surrounded by family and friends, medical staff and personalities from the Israeli music and film industry and religious groups, was in ICU for a month. He has remained an inspiration and encouragement to everyone.

“I knew that I was fighting for my family and for my home. I know my life has been preserved by the Lord. There is a reason I’m still here. There is a special purpose I will now have for my life. We are a strong and resilient people. There is always hope. There is strength in G-d and strength in Unity. Together we will win,” stated Amitai with a smile.

Even in the darkness the Light shines for the upright…

Shabbat shalom and May we have a peaceful weekend-

Posted by

twdunbar2015

Posted on

July 20, 2020

Posted under

art, culture, Daytrips Israel, History, israel, israel. nature. spring. galilee., medical centers, MidEast, Politics, Uncategorized

Comments

4 Comments

Art Over Hate

We had heard about the graffiti wall on the Northern border of Israel with Lebanon, but had been unable to located it in day trips past. So it was with great anticipation when we drove up there with Israeli friends a few weeks ago. The world seems to have exploded in bouts of rage and rioting and baseless hatred and division over the past few weeks. This wall is most definitely a ray of hope.

Despite the fact that the Hezbollah terror group is strongly entrenched directly on the other side, with hundred of thousands of missiles (thank you, Iran!!!) pointed at us, we actually felt quite safe traveling up to Moshav Shetula. The moshav (small community – this one of about 250 people) was founded shortly after the 1967 War by a group of brave individuals forming the front lines of defense. As one man told us, “Someone has to do it. And we are here to live fruitful, quiet lives.” In fact the Hebrew word ‘shetula’ means planted firmly with roots going deep. It is a beautiful place, perched atop the mountains with spectacular views. The families earn their living mostly through farming and raising chickens, both for the eggs and the meat. Many of the residents are Kurdish Jews, who managed to escape before things got really bad. For them, just the ability to live in freedom in the land of Israel is an honor and a blessing.

In 2017, after several breaches in the security fence, and the finding of Hezbollah terror tunnels that were dug underground into Israel for the purposes of kidnapping and killing Israeli citizens, a reinforced cement wall was built along the border. Soon after, artists – Israeli graffiti artists; school children; non-profit organizations and artists from around the world were invited to decorate it. The theme: Art Over Hate/Love Conquers All. It is an amazingly beautiful sight!!! Full of bright colors, love and hope.

The above paintings are entitled “Planting the Tree of Life: Shetula” and “Come Together Right Now Over Love.” The vibrant colors express a vision of hope and peace for Jews and Arabs, looking towards a brighter future when all people can live in harmony. We are not there yet, but perhaps one day soon….

The next grouping is an homage to the people of the moshav who raise chickens. Whimsicality reigns with these three pieces of art. Honest work to feed the country’s people – noble indeed. May they enjoy many peaceful years up there raising the chickens!

I absolutely love this one. It’s a painting of Montfort Castle, just a few miles to the south. For a story on the mystery of this Crusader ruin, read my last blog post. The olives grow all over the Upper Galilee, and are one of the crops the people of Moshav Shetula grow. The olive branches are symbols of holiness (the holy oil used to light the menorah and to anoint priests and kings in Biblical times) and of peace. The blue in the background is a special color used here on roofs, gates, doors, and the tombs of holy saints. It has its roots in thousands of years of superstition and is thought to ward off demons from entering.

In the next grouping, the top painting was done by the children of the moshav. Grapes (grown in the little village), olives, and a heart shaped swimming pool to cool off on those sweltering summer days. A child’s vision of a good world. The bird in the next photo is a Bee-eater, indigenous to the area and quite necessary for pollinating the fruit trees and flowers. He’s bitten his apple into the shape of a heart (Love and Beauty Conquer All). In the next illustration, a dove of peace flies an olive branch to a young girl. And the last in this set is a whimsical depiction of colorful elephants. Check out the baby, holding a lit candle to be a light in the darkness. These illustrations are all about happiness. There is no negativity, no hate here. It’s simply wonderful!!!

Of course, there are the typical graffiti tags and pictures. What would a graffiti wall be without those??? The portraits of the two men were done by Solomon Souza, who is most widely known for his painted murals at the Mechane Yehuda Market in Jerusalem – as well as several album cover designs.

Something every soldiers looks forward to – there is actually a phone app counting down the days – is that momentous day they get to cut their choger, (pronounced khō-GAIR) which is their active military duty ID card. And here is a piece of art celebrating that:

Of course, being in the Holy Land, there is the Bible Verse from Isaiah 2:4 and Micah 4:3 “They shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more.” This is an English translation from a youth group, B’nei Akiva. I think their English skills need a little help, but the sentiment is there.

My favorite remains the explosive colors and message of hope and love below:

O.K. I lied. It’s the blue owl. He’s called the Mona Lisa Owl, because his eyes follow you as you walk along the road. But if you look carefully at his pupils, you can see the reflection of the local mountains, opposite him.

So, there are a few other things I’d like to point out before we leave the art wall. Every few meters there was an indentation of sorts in the wall which looked out over the real electrified border fence. Several military bases are stationed within a mile of each other guarding the border. Our friend, Gabi, was able to explain just what we were looking at. There are cameras all over the place. Every square inch is under IDF observation 24/7. An extra security fence was in the process of being built around the moshav, a necessity and fact of life as to increased threat. IDF patrol vehicles and UNFIL jeeps (United Nations Interim Forces in Lebanon) also passed us frequently. Exactly what good they do is hotly debated. And a gentleman who had just picked the most delicious nectarines from the local orchard stopped to give us handfuls on his way to market. That’s typical Israel.

What type of people would build homes, places to raise young children in a place like this? What does the community look like? The homes were all very nice and well-manicured with flowers and an abundance of green everywhere. There was a synagogue, community sports facilities, little general store and post office, swimming pool, amphitheater, basketball courts – typical of every single moshav I’ve visited throughout Israel. Every block had the instant emergency warning system and underground bomb shelter, may they never have to be used. Adjacent to some houses were farms, groves and gardens, with lots and lots of chicken coops on the Southern outskirts of the village. There is also a restaurant on the moshav serving authentic (Kosher) Kurdish dishes….

As we were leaving, we were stopped at the front gate by the police, border patrol, and civilian guard from the area. There had been a “security breach.” The main exit road was blocked to deal with it. We still felt safe as there were other cars stopped and no-one was panicked in the least. We were told to turn our cars around and leave through the back gates. No biggie. Later we were to find out that three Sudanese men attempted to sneak into Israel and had been apprehended.

We pray for the peace and safety of this land and for art to rule over hate.

Posted by

twdunbar2015

Posted on

March 16, 2020

Posted under

Co-VID19, Coronavirus, israel, medical centers, quarantine, Uncategorized

Comments

ALIYAVERSARY!!!! 5 YEARS!!!!!

Who would believe? Five years already since we packed up our things and made the huge move from Southern California to Israel! Who would believe we’d be spending our Aliyahversary under quarantine?

This week was supposed to be incredibly special – celebratory. My old neighbors and girlfriends of 25 years were supposed to fly in for an incredible visit yesterday. We were supposed to tour this gorgeous, history-packed country for the next two weeks. We were supposed to see the best of Israel from the hiking trails and waterfalls of Mt Hermon in the North to the Arava Desert and the coral reefs of the Red Sea in the South.

Instead, life on most continents has come to a screeching standstill. Actually, this has been an opportunity to really see the best of this country firsthand. I’ve been following stories of food, toilet paper, sanitary supply shortages in the United States as panicked shoppers try to prep for the seeming apocalypse. Angry Americans placing blame on government leaders. Hoarding. Inflated black market prices for basic supplies. Israel is surprisingly not experiencing that at all.

Israelis are notorious here for not following rules, being unable to form a simple queue. But we are a people who know how to handle emergencies. Get me right: I’ve had my doubts over the years. Over the span of five years, we’ve had the imminent threat of war several times. Hezbolla’s 15,000 missiles aimed right at us from Lebanon. ISIS, rebel strongholds, Bashir’s forces and a raging civil war in Syria within striking distance of our city. Yet, these Israelis always seemed nonplussed.

The first days in our lovely rented villa were spent equipping the mamad, the safe room. I stocked it with water to last a few weeks, food, medical supplies, a portable toilet and sanitizers, camping lanterns and cookstoves, flashlights, cards and boardgames, radio, sleeping bags, big-out bags, copies of important documents, clothes…. we were set. I did practice rounds in the event of hearing the red alert siren. Ready to go.

But this coronavirus snuck up on us. For the past two weeks, we watched and listened as this country shut down bit by bit. Israel was the first country to proactively cancel travel visas and send tourists back to their home countries if they did not have a place to quarantine. Incoming flights from Asia, Italy… incoming flights from Europe…incoming flights from the States: canceled. Hotels closing. We were the first country to put a halt to all non-essential travel. I spent the week canceling hotel reservations and tickets purchased. Netanyahu and crew made the announcement that any group over 1000 people, then 500 people would be barred. Sporting and cultural events were closed. Then came the announcement last week that all schools would be shuttered for the next five weeks until after Passover. Regional hospitals to able to handle the virus were assigned. Then the public service announcements: cinemas, malls, restaurants were the next too close. No meetings of more than ten people – and they had to keep a two meter distance from each other. That put an end to religious gatherings – in this Holy Land. If we feel that we have come down with the virus, call Mogen David Adom, the ambulance services. Hotlines are set up, and the appropriate crew will come to us.

I fully expected to see huge lines coming out of the grocery stores. No food or supplies on the shelves. No. Quite the contrary. There’s plenty. No need for panic. Buy what you need. No hoarding. Antiseptic wipes to clean the carts and hands in plentiful supply. Face-masked customers and clerks greeting one another with a “Khag Corona samayakh!” or “Happy Corona holiday!” A bit surreal. The stores are much less crowded than usual, but still cheerful. Before entrance to a store or clinic, the usual security guard is armed with a digital scanning thermometer. He swipes our foreheads and asks each person: Have you been outside the country? Have you had any contact with a sick person? Have you had a cough or fever in the past few weeks? Why are you here? You may pass. So weird…. but I feel pretty safe.

7056D64C-3090-4E92-BB94-F1C009DFB39C

The restaurants have all closed. But the home-delivery business is thriving!!! Extra drivers are being hired for grocery, pharmacy, pet store, and food deliveries. For those that have been temporarily laid off, they can fill out a simple online form at the Bituakh Leumi (Social Security) office and be reimbursed by the government for the loss of income. Things are running smoothly here. They seem to be organized and thorough. Funds have been fully allocated to handle the emergency.

Each person that has tested positive for the coronavirus has been tracked as to their exact whereabouts and contacts over the past two weeks. There is actually an online interactive map for tracking how many cases have been reported and their location (in real time)! I don’t know if I love it, but you can click the pinpoints on the map and get a detailed rundown, ted by the Ministry of Health, of where each infected person has been hour by hour- what stores they frequented; what sporting events; what synagogue or church or mosque; what clinic they used. There is a plethora of testing kits and facilities ready to handle the onslaught.

Even though all schools have been cancelled, online counsellors are available to help parents. They recommend being honest with the children, telling them exactly what is happening; instructing them on proper distancing and hygiene; the importance of keeping up a regular schedule and set routines; the importance of letting the child ask as many questions as they want – and trying to give them age-appropriate answers. There are on-line classes set up by each teacher – WhatsApp classroom groups, where the children can continue with their work and interact with their classmates.

WhatsApp groups are a big thing here. It is THE MAIN way people communicate in Israel. Whether classroom, sports group, groups for immigrants, hobbyists or religious communities. Everyone seems to be a member of an infinite number of WhatsApp groups. Not only are there WhatsApp classrooms, but new Quarantine Friend Circles, and even Quarantine Dating Groups!!! (spend your 14 day quarantine with a fun-loving guy who loves Thai food, hiking and animals – no joke!!)

Last week we spent the holiday of Purim making and delivering several food baskets for our quarantined neighbors. We knew of people who had recently returned from South Africa and Europe. They had to go into a 14-day confinement period. So we made big baskets of an Italian dinner complete with tapenade, crackers, pasta, pasta sauce, salad, homemade croutons and Italian dressing, meringues and lemon curd, wedges of cheese and a bottle of wine (Usually these mishloakh manot gifts for Purim consist of sweets and treats). We left them at their front gates with a cheery note and our phone number if they need anything else. a great way to meet a couple of our neighbors.

Boredom in your new self-imposed confinement? I think not!!! I’m totally surprised at and delighted with the world museums which are offering virtual tours: no lines, no crowds, linger as long as you’d like. The Met Opera is offering free opera screenings all this week – the best of the best. There’s Netflix and HBO and DisneyPlus. Hulu is offering free screening. Check out Spotify!!!! There’s a myriad of new Coronavirus, CO-VID19 and Quarantine playlists.

The global community has been coming together in a most extraordinary way (how did people survive before the internet????). Authors are offering story times for children. Artists, drawing and art classes, activities and contests. Instagram is rife with lovely activities for all ages. Free yoga and exercise classes. Crafting lessons. Gardening help.

#carsonellis

I’m not trying to make light of this situation by any means. My husband has been glued to the stock market as it continues to drop. But hopefully, this dire situation will pass soon. Hopefully, we’ll stay healthy and take all the proper precautions. Here, it is not a time for mass panic. It’s a time to catch up on all those projects we’ve been putting off. It’s a time to hunker down, count our blessings, hug our loved ones, reach out to those across the miles. We are waiting for the next week of drenching rains to arrive and planning a time of board games and movies. Soon enough, the warm weather will be here and the cases of illness will drop off. There will be time to celebrate our Aliyahversary in style another day. Be creative. Be gentle. Be thankful. Be safe. Be well- we can get through this stronger and better people. May G-d bless us all!!!!

Posted by

twdunbar2015

Posted on

July 24, 2019

Posted under

cancer, israel, medical centers, MidEast, Sheba Medical Center, Uncategorized

Comments

2 Comments

Sheba: The Queen in Israel

The central part of Israel from Jerusalem to Tel Aviv is known for its hospitals and excellence of medical care. I grew up knowing of Hadassah Hospital in Jerusalem – my parents were big donors. But there is also Shaare Tzedek, Beilenson, Ichilov, and Sheba Medical Center at Tel Hashomer. When my husband was diagnosed with Stage 3+ cancer, we made the immediate decision to transfer from our hospital in the North to Sheba. It required some pull (proteczia) from friends who knew people there, but we were able to get an immediate appointment, thank the Lord.

Sheba Medical Center, the largest hospital complex in the Middle East (and the largest I’ve ever seen), was first established as a triage and military hospital in 1948 in military barracks and quonset huts for casualties from the Israeli War for Independence. In 1953, it also began to take on civilian patients. Today, it sits on a 163 acre campus east of Tel Aviv. With over 125 departments, Sheba has been rated in the top ten medical centers of the world by Newsweek. It is number four in cancer care worldwide. It is a city unto itself, complete with its own infrastructure.

Original hospital barrack

The center today

John and I were more than a bit overwhelmed by our first visit – just trying to find our way around this huge campus was daunting. However, we were immediately put at ease, as an entire personalized team had been pre-assembled for John which included his own oncologist (world famous, Dr. Anat Shmueli who specializes in colorectal cancer), radiologist (Dr. Jacob Lawrence also only sees colorectal cancer patients…he’s the best!), surgeons, dietician, nursing staff, social worker, acupuncturist, alternative medicine specialist, spiritual advisors (there is a panel of rabbis, priests, pastors, imams and other spiritual leaders), and our personal patient coordinator. We understood from the beginning that theirs would be a holistic approach to healing, leaving nothing out. Unlike many of the hospitals here in the North, everyone is completely fluent in English. All the signs and paperwork are in English and Hebrew, which was a huge improvement for us. Cleanliness and efficiency are all top notch. All of our paperwork was handled the first day, so there was not the typical delay in getting referrals, approvals for each doctor and procedure, and delays in appointment and treatment protocols. It was all handled for us.

All of the departments are world class and cutting edge in research and technology. The medical center is home to the National Center for Health Policy and Epidemiology Research; the National Blood Bank; two heart centers; several medical research centers; the world’s largest rehabilitation center; geriatrics; pediatrics; a huge Alzheimer’s center; an eating disorders hospital; and numerous other clinics, both outpatient and inpatient.

Some of the departments, I’ve never even heard of, like the translational medicine center. I guess that’s for people like us who need remedial help with their Hebrew????? No clue…. but I’m pretty sure that if it’s a disease, a treatment for it can be found here.

Sheba has its own hotel for guests who wish to stay close to their patients. Because it is known for medical tourism (people from all over the world come to be treated here), there is an off-campus “hotel” just for patients who need to be seen on a regular/daily basis for treatment. This full-service hotel is for patients of Sheba only, with full-time nursing staff in house and shuttle to and from the hotel to each building of the hospital. We were advised to have John spend the last two weeks of treatment there, but did not need it (it was all covered under our state medical insurance).

In addition, there are two full shopping malls for all your needs from clothing to books to pharmacies to grocery stores, banks, and a post office. There are full service hair and nail salons, offering free services to cancer patients. Four restaurant courts have a wide variety of Kosher restaurants. Sheba is a little city unto itself.

Because art and music are known to be beneficial to the soul, and have been proven to aid in the recuperation process, there are magnificent pieces of original art in sculpture gardens scattered throughout the campus and galleries along each corridor. It is not infrequently that we heard a classical or jazz quartet in one of the lobbies or courtyards. Pianists, local klezmer groups, and choirs serenade the patients regularly on a volunteer basis. This is a medical center like no other that we’ve visited. Tucked away in nooks and crannies are indoor lily ponds and waterfalls, multi-language libraries, family rooms with interactive games for the children, zen gardens, and all sorts of things to feed the soul and make the hospital stay as pleasant as possible.

Kadishman Sheep, ’84, pastel

Bike Rider, David Gerstein, ’05, painted steel

Kadishman ‘0, Oil, Gold leaf, jewels

Modeh Ani, Uri Lifshitz, Iron

Trees, Jack Jano, Painted Iron, ’95

Kadishman Sheep, 1986

Couple in Sardine Can, Beny Levy, Bronze, ’13

Our favorite buildings included the pediatrics wings. the cheerful, brightly-colored sculptures outside (pink alligators climb the wall of the main building), indoor play areas, rainbow colors, and interactive and educational displays are everywhere. There is a full size theater, a puppet/marionette theater, and roaming clowns, mimes and musicians who roam throughout. A small rainbow train takes children and parents from building to building.

For me, the crown jewel (literally) was walking into the newly dedicated Beit Yehuda and Tamar Synagogue. Spectacular, dazzling colors caught me by surprise. The stained glass is everywhere. Modern and reminiscent of the Chagall stained-glass windows at Hadassah Hospital in Jerusalem, it is an artistic masterpiece designed by the German artist, Yvelle Gabriel. The focal point is the cobalt blue, stained glass Aron Kodesh (holy ark that houses the sacred Torah and Haftorah) suspended in mid air. I was up in the balcony (women’s section), but the rabbi told me that when viewed straight on, it appears to be in the shape of a Star of David. The Ner Tamid (Eternal Light) is a kaleidoscopic star of reds, oranges, golds and yellows. Other pieces of stained-glass are found throughout the large synagogue symbolizing the journey of the Jewish peoples from the Beginning to modern binary pixels. There is a supernatural, almost cosmic feel to the place. There are study halls adjoining the main worship hall. Services are conducted several times daily as well as Shabbat and holidays. I was able to be present for the morning davening and Torah reading. It was a spiritually uplifting experience in every way.

Medical care is open to all. Patients from the Palestinian Authority and Gaza are also treated. And Sheba is not just in Tel Hashomer. There are outposts in Uzbekistan, Mauritania, Equatorial New Guinea, Cambodia, Armenia, Rwanda, Sri Lanka – and a multidisciplinary clinic was recently established in the Ukraine. Docotrs, many specialists in their field worldwide, fly into Sheba Medical Center for further training.

John’s radiation and chemo treatments have been easy going, thank G-d and the staff of Sheba. He has had absolutely no symptoms: no nausea; no hair loss; no low energy; no weakness; no appetite loss; no further weight loss; no ulcerations. This part of the journey has been an answer to prayer. We pray his MRI and PET scan results come back clean and that he will not have to undergo that horrific surgery. It would be a huge miracle, but we wholeheartedly acknowledge G-d’s hand in all of this. We could not have asked for better care anywhere. The oncology center has an on-call hotline for questions that is open 24 hours. We were given many different numbers for who to call/contact directly in case of emergency or just for information or questions. There were always doctors and pharmacists available and a host of nurses on call. I only wish I could say this about the hospitals in the north of the country. Truly, Sheba deserves its rating as one of the top ten in medical care.