Election Day 2026

Happy Election Day!

Some things that have made the news today (either national/international or just "Ellen news"):

Israel does not allow absentee ballots except for embassy personnel. Since this year's election is very important, close to 70,000 expat Israelis flew back at their own expense. Now that's patriotism!

Since it's been almost 4 years since I've written about voting, here's a little review. "Startup Nation" has a surprisngly low-tech way to vote. After your identification has been checked (you need a teudat zehut national identity card, driver's license or Israeli passport) and compared against the voter roster, you get an envelope and your chance to step behind the cardboard screeen that is exactly like what is used for a middle-school science fair project. 

Behind the screen you see:

a plastic contraption holding little papers with 1-3 letters signifying the different political parties. 

You pick up one (only one!) of the little papers, put it in your envelpe, seal and put it in the large cardoard box waiting in front of the 5 poll volunteers:

Note that it is possible that, in this day and age, if you do not have a selfie, or at least a photo, from your voting your vote may be disqualified (joking but just barely! And a big mazal tov to Ilana for her first time voting!)

Voter turnout is super high. I'm writing this as the polls are near closing and turnout is being reported as close to 75%, the highest in 50 years. Netanyahu just showed up to our city and is speaking at the mall ten minutes from my house (Israel is weirdly-small sometimes)

Our super close Philly friend Elisha made aliyah 2 weeks ago (YAY!!!!) and he shared this very moving remembrance from Rabbi Moshe Alpert (1895-1955), on what it was like to vote in the first-ever elections here:

 "Early in the morning, my wife, my brother-in-law, and I got up... after drinking coffee, we put on Sabbat clothes in honor of this great and holy day, for 'This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.' After two thousand years of exile or more, one could say from the six days of Creation until this day, we have not been privileged to see such a day—that we should go to vote for a Jewish state, and 'Blessed is He who has given us life, sustained us, and brought us to this season.' 

My wife, my brother-in-law, and I went to the polling station in Area 10, the Hapoel HaMizrachi house on Habashim Street, holding our State of Israel identity cards... With great and immense joy, we walked the short way from our home. The entire way to the polling station, I walked as if it were Simchat Torah during the Hakafot with a Torah scroll, because the Israeli identity card was in my hand; there was no bound to the happiness and joy I felt... 

At 6:02, the voting began. With a tremor of holiness and sacred awe, I handed my identity card to the chairman and entered the second room where all the slips for all the parties were laid out. With a trembling hand and a feeling of sanctity, I took one slip and put it inside the envelope I had received from the chairman. And then came the most sacred moment of my life, a moment that neither my father nor my grandfather was privileged to see. Only I, in my time, in my lifetime, was privileged to reach such a moment of holiness and purity—happy am I, and happy is my lot! I recited the Shehecheyanu blessing and placed the envelope into the ballot box. 

At 6:28 we returned home, and I went to pray—a great holiday. On this day, I opened a new page in our lives." 

------------------------------------------

Finally, I leave you with "A Prayer for Election Day". 

October 7 anniversary

 

The days surrounding October 7 were full of reports like this:

Local artist Deena Ackerman had an art display at the city's cultural center ready for the October 7 memorial event. She has made watercolor paintings (that she gave to the families) of each of our city's war fatalities: 4 people murdered at the Nova festival, 17 soldiers who fell in battle and 10 people killed when an Iranian missile made a direct hit in our city:

(If the video doesn't work, you can click here to see it)

(Hebrew translation) Beit Shemesh Remembers

May their memory be for a blessing

In memory of those who fell and were murdered since the 7 of October

Lastly, I've shared rather a lot about former hostage Omer Shem-Tov, since I heard his mother speak about six months after October 7. Here is an interview with him in Mishpacha Magazine, about the spiritual aspects of his over 16 months of captivity, including 50 days in a totally dark cell that was so small he couldn't stand up in it: https://mishpacha.com/free-to-surrender/

Over Sukkot, we had lunch with friends in their sukkah. Their parents were visiting from the US and the talk turned to October 7. As we reminsced, his mom said, "and then you called to tell us you were okay". And our friend summed up the last three years perfectly by saying, "We were fine. But we weren't okay".

Sukkot 2026

 It's not only our first Sukkot in our new apartment, it's the first Sukkot for everyone who lives here! It's been so interesting to see how everyone worked to put up their Sukkah. Ours in a little bigger than in our old place and has a much higher "roof" of schach. Feels great in there!

Kicking back and enjoying the view:

Before I sign off for Shabbat and the final day of the Holiday, I want to touch on the AirDubai attempted hijacking. On a serious note, the flight number was 1073. Tomorrow is three years (3) exactly since the Simchat Torah attacks on October 7 (get that? 10/7?). Put it together: 1073. Wow.

And on a lighter note:

Yom Kippur

 Sharing two lovely videos about what Yom Kippur was like this year. The annual Ben Gurion Airport “closing for Yom Kippur” video is a favorite of mine! I love how the baggage handler signs off by wishing the other person an easy fast and a good new year:

https://youtube.com/shorts/PTvIVVk1km8?si=rva7i0Jb-65IC_no

And the other is the annual “the streets of Tel Aviv are empty” video. The very end shows people biking on the highway

May we all be blessed with a New Year filled with love, light, health, and happiness.

Supermarket!

 I kind of can't believe that's the big news around here, but so be it. When we "bought on paper" 2.5 years ago, we were told there was going to be retail space beneath the front apartments and that one space would be a supermarket. I figured it would be a makolet, the classic Israeli neighborhood convenience store that sells basic dry goods, dairy products and, being Israel, tomatoes and cucumbers. 

Having lived here a month watching that supermarket get stocked, while shlepping around to other stores for my shopping, made me REALLY exicted when it finally opened last week. And, hurrah, it's a genuine supermarket, albeit a small one. 

This video was posted on our neighborhood chat. I love the guy's comments (why in English if he's so clearly a native Hebrew speakers?!):

Meanwhile, we're all enjoying doing "just in time" shopping and my pantry of future food has slimmed down mightily (which is good because I don't really have room for much of a pantry here).

We Moved!

 Wow, after almost 11 years in our rented house, we have moved to the apartment that we "bought on paper" (see last post).

It was/is a big, wild, crazy, overwhelming move as it involves downsizing, but it is so incredible to think that we *bought* a place in Israel--hurray!

Favorite thing from moving was watching them use a crane to get our stuff in. Which I thought would be like "The Claw" game in an arcade/Toy Story: 

But was really like this (which was certainly much more effective than one thing at a time!):

https://youtube.com/shorts/ykNJKDNeEbA?si=Y25rV4wajRePsq8b

The move was two LONG days and I'm glad it's over, to say the least! We've been in our new place for two weeks and still have quite a lot of unpacking to do, but, aside from getting used to less space, it's lovely and I'm glad this will be our long-term home.

Right after the movers left (just in case anyone wanted to feel some PTSD about moving)

"Buying an Apartment on Paper"

 If that statement made your ears hurt, well, I get where you're coming from. It now sounds totally normal to me, though :)

In Israel, there are no "condominiums". You can "buy an apartment" or "rent an apartment", but it's still called an apartment. 

"Buying on paper" means that you are purchasing pre-construction or during construction.

2.5 years ago, we bought an apartment on paper and, two years later it was ready (about 6 months later than their projected date ["due to the war", which doesn't work as a reason since the war had already been going on for several months when we bought....]).

We actually got the keys and had the walkthrough the day my mother died, which makes me get teary and also feels like a good sign (and huge thanks to my dear husband who supported me from afar, did the first walk-through with the company after receiving the keys, and then went to the airport to fly to Boston).

Our new place is about a 20 minute walk (there's a hill) or 3 minute drive from our current one. We will still attend the same shul. It's a fair bit smaller than where we live now, but we're really looking forward to to owning a place in Israel.

Next up: actually moving! Send us strength as we pack and pack and pack some more. Moving at the end of May.