First there were three. And now another four

When I wrote last week I was under the very-optimistic illusion that, with the ceasefire, 33 hostages would be released. The reality is that three women were released last week and four more yesterday. Which is incredible, wonderful, amazing and also such a punch in the emotional gut. The rest will be released in dribs and drabs.

Focusing on the good, here are the incredible women who, somehow, survived being held hostage for over 460 days....

Emily Damari (28), Doron Steinbrecher (31), and Romi Gonen (24)

Released yesterday were Karina Ariev (20), Daniella Gilboa (20), Naama Levy (20), and Liri Albag (19). They were all soldiers working as unarmed "lookouts" on the Gaza border (we'll leave for another time that the lookouts for months had been telling their supervisors that Hamas was clearly planning a big attack). Liri had just started her military service on October 6.... 

I want to share with you a tiny bit about one of the former hostages. British-Israeli Emily Damari lived in Kibbutz Kfar Aza. She was one of 37 of the "young people' on that Kibbutz. 11 of them were murdered on October 7 and seven were kidnapped to Gaza. Emily's dog was shot and, as she comforted Choocha as he was dying, she was shot in the leg and also the hand, losing two fingers. Emily somehow survived 471 days as a hostage. When told she was going to be released, she asked that American-Israeli Keith Siegel be released in her stead. (I'm convinced Hamas will only release the prisoners that are in good shape now; they will only let the sick/emaciated ones out in a few weeks, when the world isn't really watching any more)

Photos of Emily waving on a video call right after she was released went viral last week.

And inspired this, which was done by the father of Aner Shapira, who was Hersh Goldberg-Polin's best friend, and died defending a group of people from the Nova festival (including Hersh) who had hid in a roadside bomb shelter. Hamas terrorists tossed grenade after grenade into the shelter. Aner threw back the first seven. The eighth one exploded and killed him. 

the Priestly blessing

Knowing nothing about soccer aside from the poor reputation of most fans, I was touched to see the support that the Tottenham Hotspurs gave to Emily , including waving yellow balloons, putting yellow ribbons on the stadium and making up a special chant for Emily: "She's one of our own". 

Ceasefire

"last hurrah" by those darn Houthis

By the time this gets sent out tomorrow morning, please Gd, 33 people will be safely back in Israel.

Hopefully included in this group is Oded Lifshitz, who I have been davening for for many months.

And Omer Shem Tov. I heard his mother speak a few months back. Omer has asthma and celiac disease and is likely included in this first group (which is women, children, the elderly and those very sick) due to not receiving proper food or medication for the last 15 months....

For those of you unfamiliar with Israel's history of hostage negotiations: In 2011, Israel released over 1200 prisoners for soldier Gilad Shalit, who had been held hostage in Gaza for five years. The prisoners exchanged included Yahya Sinwar, who was in prison in Israel for murder and, while there, had his life saved (SAVED) by Israel when he had brain surgery while in the prison system. Sinwar became the mastermind behind the attacks of October 7. All I can say is that sometimes it really stinks being the only democracy in the Middle East. ("fun" article: "He saved the life of Hamas’s leader. Then they murdered his nephew")

So we've danced this dance before and the outcome has been REALLY BAD. 

Even many people who support the deal have serious misgivings.  Tal Haimi was a hostage later murdered by Hamas while in captivity (his wife gave birth to their fourth child while he was held hostage.....). Tal's cousin Udi Goren, supports the agreement but had this to say:  “Do I like it? No. They’re insane jihadist murderous terrorists. Is there another way? No, there isn’t. And this is how negotiations work. You need to give something in order to get something. And because we are, at the end of the day, a Western democracy that values human lives, we will give whatever is needed in return to get our people back.”

But, of course, the more we trade unequal numbers of people (not to mention that Hamas will not actually say how many LIVE hostages they're giving back), the more incentive terrorist groups have in the future to keep kidnapping....It's a horrible loop....

Praying that every hostage returned tomorrow is alive and is able, somehow, to be able to rebuild a life that is happy and healthy in every way

Spoke Too Soon

Remember way back yesterday when I talked about all those missiles and finished my post with how wonderful that there had been "nothing since then"? Not fifteen minutes after I hit "publish", we heard that crazy, horrible, immediate-fight-or-flight WHOOOOOOOOO of an azaka. When that siren sounds it is the most visceral thing. I think the best thing to compare the very first microsecond of a siren gearing up for full wail is (sorry for a gross comparison) when you have a stomach bug and wake up in the middle of the night; there's that split second where you're trying to figure out what's going on and then you're sprinting to the bathroom. 

Again, the Houthis sending a ballistic missile (at least they usually only send one a day #WarOnABudget). Which is truly the best that can be said about their behavior. 

Again it was, thankfully, shot down outside of Israel and no one in Israel was injured.

Fragments of the missile as well as the intercepting missile fell in our sleepy suburb  (I think I've got to stop calling it that. Yesterday, it was announced that we live in the fastest growing city in all of Israel). Truly amazing how this biggest part fell in an open area about 100 feet from where all the apartment buildings at the entrance to the city are. Thank you, Hashem.

found in someone's garden. Eek

Off to get some shut-eye. Last year, to "celebrate" New Year's missiles were sent. Hoping for a quiet night and a 2025 of peace and security.

-------

PS: "only" five places in Israel had azakot at midnight (in comparison, the day before there were 231). The head of the local Hatzala said that the Houthis tried to send another ballistic missile, but it fell in an open area in Saudia Arabia. All I know is that I fell asleep shortly before midnight with the light on downstairs so I could grab Percy from his crate easier, and a light on in the mamad so we wouldn't trip on the box of Chanukah supplies in the hallway and then, YAY, slept until the morning.

Chanukah 2024/5785

Some nice highs this Chanukah. Chana came to visit from New York for two weeks (she just left this morning. Booooo) and it was so nice to have time with her. Penina, Mensahe, Ilana and Cousin Coby came for Shabbos and it was great to be together.

Chanukah party with Menashe's family ;)

Downsides: a BUNCH of sirens. The Houthis have been trying their darndest to hurt people here. Thankfully, so far they haven't succeeded (thank you, Hashem). Most of the ballistic missiles have been shot down outside of Israel, over the Mediterranean (to the tune of $2-3 million each one. sigh).

So the Houthis decided to wake us up with a missile on Wednesday night at 4:20 in the morning. 

As the three of us (well, four including Percy) were in the mamad, I told Chana it was so that she could have an "authentic" experience to report back to her friends in the US.....

Then another on Thursday night at 3:30 in the morning (Penina, Menashe and Ilana were staying with us by then)

And then over Shabbat:

not my Whatsapp status, but sums up the situation nicely

b''H nothing since then,  I'll say that this tiniest of tastes of what life up north/down south is Israel is like was enough.....

Happy Chanukah 

PS for those of you who play Wordle, look at what happened tonight (!)

So where DO the things I collect for the Army go?

 Great question! Thanks to "AP" for asking it, as I'm sure others are also wondering. 

The short answer is, "I know a guy" :). Moti lives in my neighborhood and we knew each other a bit before the war started as we both have Maltese dogs. 

Leo trying to help pack bags for soldiers (he and Percy really DO look alike, don't they?!)

When the war began, Moti started procuring supplies for local soldiers that he knew, then branched out into assisting low income soldiers (the army gives basic supplies, but, in order to be well tricked-out, soldiers need to chip in on their own) and helping "lone soldiers" (those from overseas who don't have immediate family in Israel. This includes a  LOT of Americans). He does his best now to give to any soldier who contacts him, and has helped thousands of soldiers over this last, crazy year.

He spends time going to the airport to pick up the duffel bags sent to him by US contacts (eight came in yesterday). He's at the airport once or twice a week and each time it takes 5-6 hours to release the bags with all of the forms filled out and any taxes dealt with. Sometimes, people bring duffels to Israel with them, like my friend Temima from NY who brought 7 duffel bags with her earlier this fall (Go, Temima!!). 

Eight duffel bags picked up on Wednesday

Unloading them in his basement, the entirety of which has been taken over as an unofficial Army supply depot:

Look to the side: this was Wednesday night and there are two duffel bags that came back that afternoon waiting to be unloaded :)

And spending time each night giving out items to soldiers. 

Moti has been so amazing putting in hours and hours each day doing this. 

"Are you still able to work your regular job, Moti?" (software, working American hours [4-midnight])

"I am working but it has taken a huge toll of work delays, missed days, etc"

"You once mentioned to me the amount of your own money you've put into this. It's been a while. How much, now, do you think you've put in of your own money?"

"I don't want to know....."

Here's a little tour of their basement by Moti and two of his kids:

When I was in Boston over the summer, people reading this might have donated granola bars and protein bars for me to take back. Thank you! Moti's guys loved them ;)

If you would like to help Moti's incredible efforts, here's the US tax-deductible link to "We In It Together":

https://secure.cardknox.com/weinittogether

And you've got 1.5 more weeks until I show up in the US and start packing up all the things that Moti requested I shlep back. Here's the link to the Amazon registry: 

https://www.amazon.com/registries/gl/owner-view/3M02MX8X2KQG0?ref_=registries_subnav

THANK YOU!!!

"You Give Strength to the Weary"

For a long time, I have maintained that the appropriate prayer for any issue a person is dealing with is found in Morning Blessings.

It is hard to believe that for 404 days, we have been saying the blessing matir asurim --"You release the bound"--with the concept that, yes, our limbs are moving and we can arise from sleeping, but also that there are hostages who truly are bound and need to be released. Every morning I say the name of each one of the hostages and Daven that today will be the day they come home. 

We ask Gd each morning to give us strength ("Please Gd, give all the soldiers who are working so hard, all the strength they need").

But the blessing that is most resonating with me these days is hanoten l'yaef koach, "You give strength to the weary". I try not to speak for everyone, but for this, I think I can truly say that the country is weary. It is hard to believe it's been 13.5 months since the war started. 

When it began, I numbered my blog posts ("War Day 5"), in the innocence of thinking this would be over soon.....

Now, we have my friend's son, who was called up in his Reserve Unit on October 7 and was in the Army until mid-October. That's OVER A YEAR. He's home now, working and getting ready for his upcoming marriage, and just found out that, though he was supposed to go back in the Army in February, it's been moved up to January. His wedding is the 29th of December, so they better not push it back any further....

A video going around shows a restaurant closed as the owner has been called up for reserve duty. "Pray for me" the sign says:

It is soon to be our neighbor Binyamin Airley's first yahrzeit. His mom, Jen, has become a very popular speaker on the English-language circuit (listen/read any of these: she's always amazing). His parents opened Beit Binyamin in his memory, to give soldiers, first responders, war widows and others deeply affected by the war the space to do some healing. 

And each day, each week there are the smiles in the photos of the beautiful soldiers who have been killed in battle. "Approved for release" have become heartbreaking words because they're followed with the names of soldiers who have fallen in battle:

And how can there still be HUNDREDS of missiles being sent to us each day?! Yesterday alone, there were 265 incoming missile alerts. The total since the beginning of the war is 28,000 incoming missile sirens in Israel. 

This is what the middle of the country looked like on Tuesday, mid-day. Menashe, who has started a new job in Tel Aviv, says he's learned his way to the building safe room really well:

We had an "incoming" siren the other morning at 5:56 a.m. The best spin on it that I heard was, "At least I didn't need to wake up my kids for school". 

And here I am, about to make my annual weekend visit to my mother to celebrate my birthday and I truly cannot wrap my head around the fact that I am, again, collecting supplies for soldiers. Last November, I would have said there was no way I'd be collecting again this year. Yet here we are.....

https://www.amazon.com/registries/gl/guest-view/3M02MX8X2KQG0

Still praying for peace and permanent safety for our tiny little corner of the world.

October 7: One Year

It is truly hard to believe that it has been a year since the beginning of all of this....I went back and read my first blog post about the war. In the beginning, I numbered them: War--Day 5. I can't imagine I was alone in thinking that, like the Six Day War, this might be bad but at least it would be short. 

And crazy that today, we had a siren ("anniversary siren"? GRR). This was an "easy" one: no booms, the house didn't shake, and the sirens stopped after one time. Evidently it was the Houthis in Yemen sending a ballistic missile (which, thank Gd, got intercepted by David's Sling, which is the Iron Dome for ballistic missiles).

I want to share something that I recently heard in a Torah class. I believe it was from Rabbi Yitzchak Breitowitz. 

If you're the same person now that you were last October 7, you're doing something very wrong.

I've been thinking about this since I heard it, probably a month ago. Feel free to send me a message with your thoughts.

Praying for a world at peace.