Keeping Safe

I didn’t anticipate posting another blog so soon but considering the current situation in Israel I thought you might appreciate an update.

Gila had heard the sirens a few times during Monday afternoon in Efrat and most of the rocket fire that day and night were towards Jerusalem and Bet Shemesh, although Tel Aviv is usually a target. Netanya is only a few miles up the coast from Tel Aviv but a long way from the launching points of rockets, so on Tuesday night we were shocked to hear the sirens. When writing my last post and mentioning the sirens it never occurred to me that only a few days later I would be hearing them as a warning. We had heard the military helicopters flying along the coast to and from their northern bases the previous night but it still hadn’t occurred to us that we would be personally affected. The sound of the sirens was immediately followed by the sound of rockets in the distance.

Our initial response was shock and then to question our senses. Were we hearing what we thought we were hearing? We assumed that we should go to our secure room. Sitting there we realised how naive we had been and how under prepared we were. I had seen mention on WhatsApp groups of what to do in the event of an attack but never thought it would happen here. There are shelters all over the country but, for many years now, all houses and flats have been built with their own security room. The sirens give warning but not enough time to get to a public shelter even from a house never mind if you’re on a high floor in a block of flats. With the door shut these rooms are sealed in case of a gas attack but also have a heavy metal shutter to pull across the window and a solid metal door. A friend’s son is in an older building and they are instructed to take refuge in the stairwell. There is a set of instructions for those without a secure room explaining which floor to go to depending on the height of your building. I made a note make sure to stock our room with water and an iphone charger. Later someone suggested a bottle of wine too.

After coming to terms with what was happening our first thought was for our children in Israel. All was quiet for Gila and Tzvi but Alexander, who has been in Israel a month and in his flat in south Tel Aviv, near Jaffa, for a week, could see the rockets being shot down by the iron dome from his flat. He wasn’t sure what he was supposed to do on the 7th floor but I was able to confirm that he should be in his secure room. Alexander had fallen asleep after a lull only to be awoken by an explosion outside his bedroom. So close that he felt his ears pop. After that he slept in the secure room.

Our second thought was for our friends' children. Many of our friends have young adult (semi adult!) children living in Israel, without close adult family members - and some of our friends children even made it out on a gap year. So by the time we had messaged them to see if they were ok, physically and mentally, or they had messaged us, much of the evening had passed. Most were happy to message but some wanted to call and chat. They needed to talk through their experiences.

Whatsapp and facebook groups have proved exceptionally useful to everyone during covid but have long been a useful tool for Olim (Jews who go to live in Israel). They are a nice way to introduce people to each other but a great way to share information – no question is too trivial – and they are an important way to help families settle into a new life in an new country and a new area. We all know from our experiences that as helpful as these groups are, they can also be irritating, even when they are on mute. But in this situation we found that they can be very special. I immediately turned to the Ladies of Ir Yamim and Poleg, once we were in the secure room, because I knew someone would post something useful. Someone confirmed it was a siren and this was immediately followed by basic instructions on what do do. People were asking for recommendations of how to explain to their young children what was happening and suitable movies for them to watch with the kids. I felt sure that there was a joke in there somewhere but couldn’t work out anything funny to reply. At about 10 pm there was a lull in the rocket fire and one lovely lady said she was going to run a zoom session for anyone feeling anxious and she spontaneously ran a wonderful relaxation session.

This morning, an American organisation that provides social activities and volunteering opportunities, for all the local English speaking communities, announced that due to the situation all the sessions at their centre were cancelled but they would set up an open zoom, all day, for anyone who would like company or had questions. Alexander, as a recent Oleh, received a text from the government offering advice and support and messages were posted all day with updates. I think most people have become news junkies but in a situation like this you crave up to date and accurate information, particularly if you are sitting in a shelter or worrying about your family. We have an app on the phone giving real time information about each rocket launched. The governments new Home Front Command App also provides real time information and we listen to i24, Israel's English language news channel. With messages from home and so much support around us we feel surprisingly secure, despite everything.

Many Olim have adult children, young and old, in the country. Many of these youngsters came when they finished school or straight after University and have therefore done National Service. This means most of the boys and some of the girls can at any point be called up and as you can imagine this creates an extra level of tension. Our son in law Tzvi is currently half way though his national service. He was trained in a combat unit but after a year was allowed to transfer to a maintenance unit close to where they live because of Gila's health problems. We are praying that the situation doesn’t get bad enough for him to be called back to his unit, which is based by Gaza.

We received a warning that there will be more rockets tonight but so far its been quiet in Netanya. All we can do is go about our daily life hoping and praying that a peaceful resolution will be found for everyone's sake, on both sides.

Ironically the situation doesn’t make one want to rush back to our former homeland. Quite the contrary. For most of us our response is that it has given us a glimpse of what life has always been like for Israelis and as they can't run away from the danger, nor will we.