Tomorrow, my husband Ed and I will celebrate 40 years of marriage. It is really hard to believe that it has been that many years already. We met at university in 1975. I had just returned from my gap year in Israel and he was already a 3rd year student. We were part of a group of Orthodox Jews that celebrated Shabbat together each week and over time, we paired off. We got married just a few weeks after I received my BA.
Even though the Six Day War happened before I was born, it shaped much of my life. I grew up hearing stories of the miracles that took place during those short, yet brutal days of fighting.
Every now and then, we get to witness something truly miraculous. Recently I was able to experience one such miracle, a miracle that you, and other donors of CFOIC Heartland, directly helped to bring about. It is a story that I can’t help but share.
Zionism runs strong in my family, as deeply connected to my identity as my family name and my devotion to Orthodox Judaism. Zionism was simple when I was growing up in the United States, because all it took to be a Zionist was to love Israel.
There are two different kinds of sirens in Israel. An urgent rising and falling sound warns of an attack and is the signal to flee to the nearest bomb shelter or safe room. A mournful steady sound is for remembrance.
The terrorists came on Shabbat night. Wind whispered through the quiet streets of Rechalim. The rustle of trees and the occasional hum of a passing car on the nearby highway were the only sounds in the small Samarian community.
Imagine being woken up at 5 in the morning by a wailing and threatening siren whose menacing tone rises and falls with the known signal of impending attack. It is the same sort of feeling that is experienced by families living near Gaza — those families have been experiencing sirens like this for years.
We are encouraged to think about what we want to accomplish in our lives and then write it down, refer to it and continue to strive to reach those goals that we have set for ourselves. It is a Biblical principle that once we have recorded these dreams and aspirations, something supernatural will happen to help us attain them. You begin to see them in your mind, and then they start to come to pass in your life.
Just two months ago, I wrote about elections that took place in the US and in Israel — national elections in the US and municipal elections in Israel. And now Israel has entered its own national elections season. But in Israel, there is always drama surrounding elections.
I know for many who love Israel and follow the Hebraic roots of our faith, whether or not to celebrate Christmas can be a real struggle. And I usually get some chastising notes and emails from well-meaning folks who are aghast that I allow a pagan Christmas tree in my home, when I should know better! So I will apologize in advance if talking about Christmas or saying “Merry Christmas” is offensive to you.