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When asked to do this column, I thought of all the experiences I have had since moving to Israel last summer.
Misery definitely loves company because people were laughing at my attempts to adjust to life here. They were so amused that I could not help but laugh as well.
Therefore, another adage, laughter is the best medicine, for no matter what has happened to me here, I began to laugh at my life and felt a certain internal calm and peace.
This, in spite of the possibility of war and constant fear of suicide bombings and rockets exploding in your home, in spite of the fact that wages are about 1/5 of what I could earn in the U.S. while utilities and taxes and gasoline cost more, in spite of the fact that life in general is just so much harder here.
Growing up in the Beverlywood area of Los Angeles, graduating from UCLA, working as a deputy sheriff, and later practicing law, living a relatively secular life until about 15 years ago when I “returned” to Torah Judaism, never prepared me for living as a religious Jew in Israel when I made “aliyah” last summer.
There are goose-bumps on my arms and tears in my eyes when I stand and pray at the Kotel (Western Wall or Wailing Wall) in Jerusalem, the last remnant of The Temple, the holiest place in all of Judaism.
The feeling of G-d’s presence surrounds me everywhere. It is an indescribable experience.
What Lies Ahead?
As I write this column, something is going down, but I do not know to what extent yet.
When I heard the drone of Israeli air force jets overhead on Shabbat morning I knew something was happening because in Israel buses and trains don’t run on Shabbat, let alone jets taking off.
But tonight is a Thursday, midweek, early evening, and it is not unusual to hear an occasional jet.
The proverbial Passover seder question, “Why is this night different from all other nights?” comes to mind.
Persistent Clatter
Tonight the jets haven’t stopped taking off. One after another. It has been going on now for over 45 minutes.
I am watching the news in Hebrew, a language I have yet to learn since I came to Israel eight months ago. Although I do not understand, I figure I might be able to pick up something. Klum! Nothing!
I try another news channel on the tv, this one in Russian. Not that I understand Russian. I don’t. But since I don't understand Hebrew either, it really doesn't matter which language they are speaking.
I now call a friend who says she hasn't heard these many jets taking off at night since the Lebanon War two summers ago. Hopefully I am wrong and it has only been a training exercise for the pilots or maybe a show of force by flying low and buzzing certain areas.
It Is About Size
The problem with Israel is it is too small.
It is a sliver of land about the size of the state of New Jersey, smaller than Lake Michigan, 1/19th the size of California, and surrounded by enemies whose land mass is 640 times Israel’s size and 60 times its population.
Yet, the world tells Israel to give up more land. Pretty soon there won't be anything left. The world tells it to take no action while its civilians are bombarded daily by rockets and bombs inside Israel proper, not areas alleged to be “territories” in dispute.
The world tells it to take no action when its young unarmed students are slaughtered while praying and studying their holy bible, the Torah.
This Is Madness
The world tells it to release the prisoners in its jails who are responsible for murdering its citizens. Has the world gone mad?
Has it become so insensitive to death, violence and destruction?
Or is it because the world does not care if a Jewish life is lost? Is this like the 1930s of Europe before the Holocaust?
Are these voices of appeasement like those of Neville Chamberlain and his “peace for our time” while another Hitler, this time in Iran, professes to destroy Israel and the United States?
Until next time, l'hitraot, Shachar
