Hamas War

Sunday, May 8, 2011

Comfort in Being Together

I've had a long day, B"H, working, and then I went straight to our Shiloh Memorial Ceremony in which we, as a community mourned our neighbors, mostly kids, who had been killed by Arab terrorists. The other part of the program included a number of neighbors, actually including my husband, who talked about friends who had been killed by our enemies in Israel's wars.

My husband talked about our Betar friend, Chaim "Chuck" Hornstein Haran, HaYa"D, who was one of the IDF soldiers killed early on in the 1973 Yom Kippur War.  Chuck was a "chayal boded," lone, family-less soldier who came to Israel on his own and served in the army.  In those days there were no special privileges for a "chayal boded."  Telephones were rare, and that was to make local, to an Israeli number calls.  Staying in touch with family and friends abroad was very difficult.  Calling overseas needed special phone lines and operators.

Almost thirty-eight years after the Yom Kippur War and over forty years since our aliyah, we still have the same friends from New York Betar, so Chuck and Eli Solomon, another friend killed a couple of months later, live on strongly in our memories and friendship.

I feeled drained from the emotional program.

After getting home, one of the first things I read when I checked my email was Ben-Yehuda's latest Havel Havelim.  He makes a point of including posts, even if he doesn't agree with them.  I agree with that approach.  We can each write what we want on our own blogs, but as a community, everyone is allowed to express their opinions.  That sort of respect for one another makes Havel Havelim and Jblogging so wonderful.  So on a night as miserable as this, I find comfort not only in my Shiloh community but by being part of the wide world of Jewish bloggers.
Just to end with something another more upbeat story.  Last week when traveling to work I noticed groups of girls with Israeli flags at certain junctions on the road.  I didn't have my camera out when I finally was able to read their sign.  They were memorializing victims of Arab terror at sites of murders.  Yes, I do consider this "upbeat." 
 
These young girls show strength, not fear. They recognize that there's never any promise by G-d that we'll all survive. They're being raised to always do their best with what they have.

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

i am always inspired by israeli youth, no matter what their cause [well, almost].
i dont see american jewish kids caring about anything past their own nose, and here israeli kids always have wider concerns, beyond themselves. it is beautiful to behold.

Batya said...

Another reason I'm glad to have raised my kids here.

Anonymous said...

Ditto. While it's true that I was personally involved in relatively many Jewish and Israeli causes in my upbringing, I am amazed at what my children acquire from growing up here and living and breathing the politics, issues and influences. That includes pre-teen kids.

Batya said...

Shy, real Jewish life is here, glad you feel it, too.