[img]96|left|||no_popup[/img] Dateline Jerusalem — Where else but in Israel? It rains upon demand, and the entire country goes on strike. The two events, however, were not connected. The weather had been beautiful, cooler, in the low 70s, and without the unbearable humidity of most of the year. Skies were blue. It seemed more like spring than November. But upon the collective prayer for rain at synagogues throughout the country, within hours a miracle occurred. Israeli skies opened up and showers of much needed rain came pouring down hard and fast. As quickly as they came, the rains abated, returning to perfect weather once again. Once the weather was back to normal, the entire country went on strike.

In Israel, the Prayer for Rain begins approximately one month earlier than it does in the rest of the countries in the Northern hemisphere. In the U.S., for example, it will not be recited until about the Dec. 4 or 5. This year, within hours of its recitation at synagogues throughout Israel, this desert country with its dangerously low water supply was blessed with the prayed-for rain. It was just another miracle Israelis experience under G-d's protection and presence.

I Remember My First Strike

Strikes are not uncommon in Israel. When I first arrived four years ago, I experienced three strikes within the first week I was here. I was sick, and I needed to go to the post office to pick up a voucher that would enable me to sign up for immediate health insurance and medical care. The post office was not on strike, just the section that issued health care vouchers! Next, I needed to go to the Ministry of the Interior because the documents initially issued to me were incorrect. What were the odds that another strike would occur during the post office strike? Well, I needed the services of the Ministry of Interior. That meant they decided to go on strike. I barely got my belongings out of customs when they went on strike. At the time, I was told that Israel always is on strike, but not always at the same time. That was then, this is now.

On Monday, the entire country of Israel went on strike. Not just one government department. Every aspect of life was affected by the general strike. Medical clinics, hospitals, banks, universities and boarding schools were closed down. Transportation, such as buses, trains all incoming and outgoing flights at the airport, were suspended. Besides government offices, museums and theaters, the Stock Exchange, Israel TV and educational TV stations, utility companies, courts, and even the national lottery were on strike. Not only were municipal and national government offices closed, but the Knesset, equivalent to Congress in the U.S., also was part of the shutdown. The entire country stopped working. However, the country was on strike for only four hours, not days, like when I first arrived in Israel. Only in Israel can an entire country shut down for four hours. Another example of G-d protecting us from what could have been a disaster had our enemies taken advantage of the situation.

L'hitraot. Shachar.