On October 7th, the invaders came, intent on destroying Jewish life.Killing wasn’t enough. They wanted to torture and humiliate. To steal our joy and our future. They thought that if they brought the Holocaust to Israel, they could break us.And they did bring the Holocaust to Israel – with fire, slaughter, and even plans to … More How the Jews became more Jew-y
This sign stands in the traffic circle at the entrance to our neighborhood. It reads: “The community of the French Carmel bows its head in mourning for Sergeant First Class (Res.) Benyamin Asulin, of blessed memory, who fell in battle.” The shiva for Benny Asulin is over, and already there are other soldiers to bury. … More What do you say to a mother with a broken heart?
It’s cold outside. The rain beats on the windows and thunder rumbles in the distance. Night is approaching and the warm bed beckons with the promise of a cozy embrace. The closeness of comfort seems so utterly wrong, knowing that he is outside, alone, in the dark, setting off for a night of strenuous effort. … More Mother of Soldiers
A girl speaking to her best friend, saying the things you can only say to your best friend. I can’t see her. There are too many people between us. I know she’s not really a girl but she sounds so young… “Shirush, my dearest darling. That’s how I always started the notes I wrote to … More Shirush, my dearest darling
Why is it that, although terrorism and war are not infrequent in Israel, the number of IDF soldiers suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is actually amongst the lowest in militaries around the world? In 2013 the Israel Defense Forces Medical Corps Mental Health Department released a study on PTSD with staggering statistics. For … More 5 reasons IDF soldiers suffer less from PTSD
Welcoming IDF soldiers home from war, rejoicing that they are alive… what could be more Israeli? They type of celebration seen in the video below is as Arab as it gets. An older woman sings out in piercing tones words of greeting, words of blessing. The other women join in. To western ears their tone … More Israel, not what you think…
Reflections from Israel, August 15, 2006 by Forest Rain, Lionheart I feel so, so sad today. For the past few days I’ve felt like I can’t breathe. I can’t rest. My throat is choked with unshed tears. All I can think about is numbers. Israelis often seem obsessed by numbers. The over 6 million murdered … More Numbers
Inspiration from Zion: This is a Love Story 