Just another day

Today I was just getting over a stomach bug. My day was slow and tiresome. I took a nap in the middle of the day. When I woke up I went straight to my couch to watch tv and see what was new on the web. About two minutes later, I hear an alarm. After a few seconds I realize it is the Red Alert alarm. I automatically think back to when I first heard the Red Alert alarm in Beer Sheva, when I was volunteering for the army. But this was different. It was going off in MY city, where is hasn't gone off since the Gulf War in 1991. For those of you who are not familiar with Tel Aviv, it is like the Manhattan of Israel; young, hip and expensive. It doesn't get targeted much during wars but that was about to change.

After I realized it was the alarm to warn us that a rocket has been launched in the area, I put down my computer in panic. I ran to the door and unlocked the door. Once I locked my door, I realized I didn't have my cell phone on me and started to wonder if that was a mistake. I didn't know for how long I will be out of there. 

I didn't know where our bomb shelter was in the building so I asked the woman calming walking down the stairs, while reading something on her cell phone, "Where is the bomb shelter?" "She responded "What" in hebrew a few times before realizing I was speaking English. In my panic, I didn't have time to think of how to say it in Hebrew. Right before I got frustrated at this woman - either because she was so calm or not responsive -  the neighbor across the hall came out, quickly locked her door, and carried her two year old son and her four year old son is walking alongside her, both kids in pajamas. Around this time, it was around 7 PM. 

In a rush, we all went to the floor under and waited in the stairway since our building is too old to have a bomb shelter. I could see the fear in the mother and the four year olds eyes. The two year old was sitting on the stairs playing with his mom's iPhone, oblivious to what was going on. After a minute, the older brother started jumping around and his mother told him to stop in Hebrew, that it is dangerous. After chatting for a few minutes we went back to our own places. Shocked to see my things in order, I went immediately to my phone to check that my friends and family are okay. Everyone is fine. Three rockets hit surrounding towns of Tel Aviv and there are no reported injuries as of yet. 

It is the first time that Gaza militants have developed rockets with the ability to reach Tel Aviv, located only about 70 km (50 miles) north of Gaza strip. Just to give you an idea of how serious the Israeli government is about rockets hitting Tel Aviv, the following is a quote from a Jerusalem Post article; "...a strike on Tel Aviv itself, Israel's commercial and cultural capital, would mark a significant escalation." 

An update of 274 rockets have landed in Israel since yesterday. Today is the second day of the war Operation Pillar of Defense. Yesterday the Israeli Defense Forces killed the head of Hamas' militant wing in Gaza, Ahmed Jaabari, who has been a threat to Israeli civilians since 1998. Israel's Shin Bet also destroyed dozens of rocket launchers. Israel made special efforts to destroy launchers for Hamas' Iranian-made "Fajr" rockets, which are believed capable of flying even deeper into Israel. Hamas says that the killing of their leader will "open the gates of Hell" for Israel. But words are just words to Israelis. 

I was chatting with an Israeli friend and he told me the whole situation is scary and of course I agreed. He responded with "everything will always be okay and good." I commented that Israelis have a such a positive mentality and he went on to say that it is because they have someone who keeps them in the sky's. I couldn't have thought of a more calming answer! If that isn't the right mentality during a war I don't know what is! They certainly know how to deal with it after 64 years of continuous terrorist attacks.

Another thing I love about Israelis is their passion to defend the country. My American friend who moved here for her boyfriend, now fiancee, moved back home last week. After hearing what was going on in Tel Aviv today, she texted me saying her fiancee wishes he was here to help fight. This is a true Israeli - one that is willing to die for the future of his country!!! 

The following is a link to the timeline of events that happened during the second day of the Pillar of Defense Operation: 

http://www.timesofisrael.com/southern-israel-under-fire-air-force-strikes-terrorist-targets-in-gaza/

Lyla tov Israel. I wish everyone a peaceful couple of nights...

the light at the end of the tunnel

Can you imagine what goes through your head after being captured?  Will they torture you and let you suffer? How will you pass the time and have fate you will make it alive? Are you psychologically prepared to survive this and if so what would be the aftermath? How can you see the light at the end of the tunnel?

On October 15 there was a one hour interview with Gilad Shalit, the Israeli soldier who was abducted by Hamas militants in a cross-border raid via underground tunnels near the Israeli border with Gaza on in June of 2006. The interview nearly marked the one year anniversary of his return home from a more than five year capture.


The interview first showed the support of all of Israel throughout the five years of his captivity, showing city marches, bumper stickers, fundraisers, and protests on the tv screen, all to get the then 20-year old young man back to his country. 

Gilad's mom mentioned in an interview taped during his captivity that everything she is surrounded with, she wonders if he has, wherever he may be: It's cold here, does he have a sweater? With every bite she wondered if he had any food. To pass the time he would "play all sorts of games, mostly sports-related. I would form a ball out of a sock or a shirt and throw all kinds of things to the trash bin. I also wrote." He regularly drew his neighborhood to not forget it, and followed a daily routine. He went to sleep around the same time every day, based on the sunset. 

Almost every Israeli citizen was backing him until the last hour that his release became reality. 

Referring to the day of his release he said the following: "I was nervous. There was a lot of pressure. I didn’t know if anything would happen at the last minute, if anyone would try and hit us, if something would go wrong.
Once I got out of the car and was handed over to the Egyptians, then there was a sense of relief. All of a sudden I saw all these people around, hundreds. After not seeing more than a handful of people for all those years." 

He wasn't home free just yet. The first interview after his release was conducted in Egypt by an Egyptian woman. Watching the clip, the viewer could see him nervously swiveling in a black chair. When Gilad was exposed to anybody during his captivity it was strictly Arab men. Gilad didn't know how to act in front of women. 

The first thing skinny Gilad did when he set foot in Israel was salute the Prime Minister Natanyahu. Not only was he about to see his parents in a few hundreds meters but it was the first time he was exposed to sun and the outside air in over five years. 


The first thing he wanted to do after this release was to play basketball with friends and ride his bike around the neighborhood. Although he has been waiting for this day for multiple years, he comments the following: "It's difficult coming back to normal life. It's difficult socially. People have changed, have grown up, you feel as if you were left behind."

The whole ambiance of the interview was calm and insightful, while at the same time keeping its' distance. The questions toward Gilad were positive and happy ones, such as "What did you look forward to?" His mother was asked "What did Gilad smell like to you?" This is a very respectable manner to interview someone who has just gone through a harsh situation like his. In America, they would first of all, not be able to give him his space and only be able to wait two days at most, to interview him. The questions would be more invasive and show the suffering much more. This is American culture. 

When the hour was over i felt happy that Israel got their son back and he had returned back to normal life!

This specific interview touched my heart  since I was in Israel for the release of his captivity and witnessed the energy and unity of the country. It's something very special that I have never witnessed in any other country.

25 hour fast

Only the first few hours of yom kippur (the day of atonement, and the holiest day in Jewish tradition, where we fast for 25 hours to repent our sins from the last year) has passed. People mainly reflect on the harm they have done to others, whether it was intentional or not. Along with this, i would like to add that no one should judge someone else before completely knowing them. Ask questions, learn about the life they have before you make a conclusion about who they are.

At 11pm, I took a walk down Rothschild Boulevard - literally ON the road. This is the only day in Israel where 100% of the country is at a complete halt; no businesses are open and no cars on the street. Just time to rest and think. Only today do you see people pushing strollers, walking their dogs, or on their bikes, or teenagers learning to skateboard ON the road. As I notice my surrounding environment and see all of the couples, friends, and dogs having a good time, I can't help but to realize that this is the first time since I moved here that I could hear the air conditioners making noise, rubber bike tires turning...  The Tel Aviv I'm used to has screaming children, drivers constantly honking their horns, people yelling from across the street. This is the one-time a year I (don't) hear my city noiseless.

In short, this day is to think about the ways you've hurt others and ways you need to change in order to   not have that reoccur. Besides judging, criticizing, and complaining about others or yourself, also gets you nowhere. Improve yourself for you.

I'm going to sleep because I'm too hungry to be awake right now! Lyla tov and I wish everyone an easy fast.

this time last year

As I read the newspaper article that a Nesfesh B'Nefesh flight had landed that morning - July 12th - I run through all of my memories in the past year in fast forward mode. HOT customer service hanging up on me, sheirut rides, nature parties, kibbutz parties, changing diapers every Sunday and Thursday, learning Hebrew from my kiddies, being Israeli, many of my "Ahh ok" Ulpan moments, understanding that once you know fifteen people in Tel Aviv you know everyone...
Even though this is nothing like America I have definitely adapted to the life here and have become Israeli in just a year that felt like a few months. I don't know if I will stay here forever - only time will tell - but I do know that I will be here for at least a few more years. Israel is my home and there is only one place like here, for the good and bad.
Having my family visit and check out all of the major sites reminds me how ancient and special this country really is :) I am genuinely happy here.

Next week I am going to visit America and these are some of the things I will miss :



"Ah, you came on Taglit?"

Tamara juice bar before Ulpan

volunteering in the Army

hearing protests out my window

Rothschild Boulevard

being able to catch up with a friend for hours over dinner

street graffiti

the energy at the Wailing Wall

the sense of the whole city feeling like family/ being invited to strangers houses for Shabbat

telling Israelis where the closest parking lot is

the background noise of matkot on the beach

Friday afternoon art fairs

Saturday being reserved for beach day

meeting Olim from all over the world

never being bored

"From where are you?"

realizing how easy hebrew is

the energy in the whole country

"Yalla, bye"

the chutzpa

It was a typical day at the kindergarden; kids screaming after we told them to be quiet for the third time, a mess in the classroom. After Sam came up to me to ask me where the paper towels were I made a mental note to ask Yakov for more. Two minutes later, Yakov walks in. I tell him in Hebrew that we need paper towels. Since I don't know how to say paper towel in Hebrew I pointed to the paper towel holder. He said we only get one of those and i said "No, not that." and made the motion of rolling up paper towel. Then he understood. He told me he will get it now. After 45 minutes had passed and no sign of paper towels, I decided to look for him. I searched in the hallways; upstairs and downstairs. No Yakov. I then checked the office. There he was, sitting with a secretary. I ask him where the paper towels are, we need them! He pulls out his keychain with ten keys, and holds it out, leaving them all hanging, except for the one that belongs to the closet. Only understanding every other word, he told me "Go get them, they are in the closet..." I tell him "- No, i can't do it. I'm with the kids now," and I return to my class. It's not my job to do these kind of things, I wanted to tell him. Thirty minutes later he comes in with the set of six large paper towel rolls. Good, I don't have to deal with him for another few weeks.

Shul emotions

During the passed few weeks, I've been telling my friends that I want to join them at shul. I haven't had the chance to go until yesterday. I went to services for the first time since I moved here eight months ago. I wore a floor-length skirt with a tank top, a button up sweater and sandals. I exaggerated the length of the skirt because I didn't know how religious the synagogue was and didn't want to offend anyone. As I entered in the woman's section with my olim friends, I felt a sense of warmth, of belonging. Growing up in the States, I had been to services plenty of times, but this was different. Here there were Israeli's and immigrants alike who wanted to be there; not there for the obligation. When I sat down, I observed two kinds of woman; the more religious woman who had their shoulders, chest and knees covered with smalls scarves hiding their hair and the more conservative ones in knee-length skirts with their hair down.
As the crowd followed the Rabbi's lead, my friend whispered to me what will happen next, "Now we are going to stand up, turn around and bow to the entrance to welcome the Sabbath." When the Rabbi hit his hand on the podium a bit harder to emphasize the beat, the crowd simultaneously sang a bit louder. I thought to myself that I had never heard such beautiful, joyous praying. It was similar to that of a professional choir; such liveliness, such emotion.
Hebrew is such a happy, musical language. This made me love Hebrew even more than I already do. I will definitely go back soon.

Shabbat Shalom everyone!!

Pesach Patience

Shalom l'culam,
Sorry I've kept you in the dark for some time. I have been quite busy with work, dealing with bureaucracy and celebrating holidays...

Last week my father came to Israel to visit me for the Passover holiday. He comes every year at this time because it is the holiday where you feel the Jewish spirit. It is one of the most significant events in Jewish history. In short, this holiday is when the ancient Israelites were freed from slavery in Egypt.

When we opened the door to our friends home in Jerusalem, we were greeted by Sheila (a Wales native, and olah for about 35 years) and her husband Zvi who was born in what was then called Palestine. Greeting the rest of the guests I noticed how diverse they were; an Israeli mother-son duo, a Russian couple with two Israeli teenagers, our guests' Israeli adult kids, and my father, the American. This is one of the many reasons why I love Israel; the diversity, the melting pot.

As my father read his part of the Haggadah, I scanned mine, noticing that I was only familiar with a few words. I was an Israeli now, so I decided to read my part like one. "Liba, go on darling," Sheila said from the other side of the table. Before I started reading I said "Savlanut vakasha" - patience please. My heart started beating fast as I struggled with the first few lines of the Shakespearian-level Hebrew. I noticed my father from the corner of my eye wiping his tears, in shock that his daughter was reading the language of the Jewish people! He is a Zionist at heart and has passed that on to me. After reading the paragraph like my four year old gan kids speak English, everyone at the table clapped for me, for they knew what that felt like. I have never smiled so big. I did it! I was so proud of myself. I could have chosen the easy route -- to read in English but I chose the struggle and I'm happy I did.

mosaic element

Yesterday on my sheirut ride back home, I realized how varied the citizens of this country are. When i got on, there were two Ashkenazi Israeli friends in the back row. To my right, on the other single seat was an Ethopian Jew. At the next stop, a Filipino mother-daughter duo walked in. And of course, me, an American-Israeli. Other places that people make Aliyah from include Canada, France, UK, Russia, and the list goes on. Singles, families with toddlers, grandparents, teens with or without their families make this huge decision. All of these diverse Jews from all different backgrounds decide to move to Israel and settle. There is an estimated 3,000+ Israeli born babies to olim (new immigrants) parents or a mix of Israeli and Oleh/ah. At the end of the day Israel isn't as bad as people complain about. People are willing to look past the bad and appreciate the good; the closeness between Israelis, the laughter, the pride.
Judging by the diverse people that Israel accepts into their country, how can people accuse Israel of being an apartheid state?