While friends and family battle the cold and snow in the US, we battle the heat. Actually, don't hit me, but it's beautiful. And every day I go for my jog, returning an hour later red-faced and gulping bottled water. Since that first luscious rain, there has been no more. That's a good thing, as it doesn't hamper my daily run, nor does it dampen my children's spirits on the way to school. Literally.
Happily I am still floating on my mellow wave, efficiently but calmly going through my daily routine. And while the election madness has dissipated, it has left a bitter aftertaste that has churned out weekly protests against the election fraud that cast a shadow on our otherwise harmonious town. The tragedies of life seep into the daily lulls, like unwanted guests. A beautiful 19-year-old soldier is stabbed to death by a Palestinian terrorist while sleeping on a bus. A mother of four loses a lengthy battle with cancer. When our hearts break, our souls must not. We must stay strong for the war that we all know is coming.
As the world sits back and watches Syrian genocide and Iranian uranium enrichment, we prepare to fight for those who can't and for those who won't. Our tiny country, one that could fit into the state of New Jersey, has been shunned and threatened with violence and international isolation by a visiting official from the very government who, until now, was our greatest ally. We are asking for it, he warns, while even American senators have been left scratching their heads, disturbed by this unprecedented assault. The only democracy in the Middle East is not only being deserted, it is being reprimanded, for not making peace in a region that the world's superpowers are very adeptly staying far away from.
Not to worry. Israel never sleeps nor slumbers. Our children always notice the subtle changes here amidst video games and snackfests. The number of planes overhead, and very loud ones at that, have increased significantly over the past few days. Since our town does not sit in any flight paths, the sounds of planes always signal military exercises in progress. Those are the sounds of constant protection, as though the voice of G-d is thundering out words of comfort, reminding us that in the absence of international support, we are always under His watchful eye here in His land.
As we prepare for shabbat, our holy sabbath, we look forward to the joyful events taking place amongst us in the next 24 hours. A bar mitzvah for a 13 year-old boy in our neighborhood, and an aufruf, in which a groom will read from the Torah in the synagogue on the sabbath before his wedding day, will take place in our community. Everything stands still on shabbat except for prayer and joy, and of course plenty of amazing food!! We Jews really know how to enjoy our food.....
My own joy will be enhanced tenfold, as my husband will be returning from a two-week trip, which was extended an hour due to a glitch in the plane's in-flight entertainment system. No movies on a ten hour flight?? Perish the thought. Time to primp, straighten, and then it's off to the airport for a glorious homecoming. Shabbat shalom to all!!
Happily I am still floating on my mellow wave, efficiently but calmly going through my daily routine. And while the election madness has dissipated, it has left a bitter aftertaste that has churned out weekly protests against the election fraud that cast a shadow on our otherwise harmonious town. The tragedies of life seep into the daily lulls, like unwanted guests. A beautiful 19-year-old soldier is stabbed to death by a Palestinian terrorist while sleeping on a bus. A mother of four loses a lengthy battle with cancer. When our hearts break, our souls must not. We must stay strong for the war that we all know is coming.
As the world sits back and watches Syrian genocide and Iranian uranium enrichment, we prepare to fight for those who can't and for those who won't. Our tiny country, one that could fit into the state of New Jersey, has been shunned and threatened with violence and international isolation by a visiting official from the very government who, until now, was our greatest ally. We are asking for it, he warns, while even American senators have been left scratching their heads, disturbed by this unprecedented assault. The only democracy in the Middle East is not only being deserted, it is being reprimanded, for not making peace in a region that the world's superpowers are very adeptly staying far away from.
Not to worry. Israel never sleeps nor slumbers. Our children always notice the subtle changes here amidst video games and snackfests. The number of planes overhead, and very loud ones at that, have increased significantly over the past few days. Since our town does not sit in any flight paths, the sounds of planes always signal military exercises in progress. Those are the sounds of constant protection, as though the voice of G-d is thundering out words of comfort, reminding us that in the absence of international support, we are always under His watchful eye here in His land.
As we prepare for shabbat, our holy sabbath, we look forward to the joyful events taking place amongst us in the next 24 hours. A bar mitzvah for a 13 year-old boy in our neighborhood, and an aufruf, in which a groom will read from the Torah in the synagogue on the sabbath before his wedding day, will take place in our community. Everything stands still on shabbat except for prayer and joy, and of course plenty of amazing food!! We Jews really know how to enjoy our food.....
My own joy will be enhanced tenfold, as my husband will be returning from a two-week trip, which was extended an hour due to a glitch in the plane's in-flight entertainment system. No movies on a ten hour flight?? Perish the thought. Time to primp, straighten, and then it's off to the airport for a glorious homecoming. Shabbat shalom to all!!
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