Voices From Israel: Personal Stories
July 18, 2006
Simon Wiesenthal Center joins with people of goodwill everywhere praying for the safety and well-being of innocent civilians on both sides of the Israeli/Lebanese border victimized by Hezbollah's terrorist agression.
We would like to hear from those people who are presently under attack in Israel. Please send your thoughts and photos that you would like to share to: israelstruggle@wiesenthal.net
The following are some of the stories we have received:
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I write this from the shelter at our daughter's learning disabled kibbutz near Carmiel in the Galillee - an area that has absorbed some 200 katyushas in a day. The katyushas falling around us at this moment are deafening. I am enclosing a letter [see below] from the Director of the kibbutz which presents the human face of this drama. A car on the road here took a direct hit this morning. And yet, Danny Sanderson,a well known Israeli singer came up with his band to lead a singsong of Zionist classics for our special youth, here in the shelter. I sit here watching them sing and begin to unwind and think of Isaiah's call to the People of Israel, which is also an admonition to our enemies: "Al tira avdi yaakov" "Do not fear my servant, Jacob" We are indomitable for this too shall pass Dr. Shimon Samuels SWC, Director for International Relations July 18, 2006 Dear Friends, Thank you again for your concern. Sustaining katyusha rockets isn’t part of our mission, but that has become part of our daily routine. As for the long-term consequences of this situation, we will examine this together once this war is over and we are able to do so in peace (in every sense of the word). Meanwhile, Kishorit is on very high alert but we have had to admit that it isn’t feasible to keep our entire community underground in shelters for days on end. The effect is simply too terrifying for our members, who must “come up for air.” Since we are in the line of fire we have no alternative other than to stay indoors, close to shelters. When the sound of an exploding katyusha is heard, we all know to run to the nearest one. Shabbat this week was not a day of rest at Kishorit. Twenty-five katyusha rockets rained down around us, hitting Carmiel and Majd el-Crum, both so close to us and both sustaining damage and injuries. These are not just our nearest neighbors, but where staff members live. One shining light at the end of the gloomy tunnel is the success of the impromptu call to arms of the entire staff, Jews and Arabs alike, who have left their families in places such as Carmiel and Majd el-Crum to come to the Village to care for our members. On ordinary days, the religious, cultural and political divides between all of us Galileeans, Arabs and Jews, somehow miraculously evaporate at the gates of Kishorit. At a time like this, however, these differences are more difficult to set aside. So it is an enormous source of pride to me that members of staff from the Arab sector have chosen to leave spouses and children (themselves in the firing line) to care for a community that needs them. This is no small thing. As for the members and how they fare under the strain: there have been outbursts of weeping and a few panic attacks but, on the whole, I think this population of special people is deeply aware that we have not abandoned them and that, to the extent humanly possible, we are there for them and with them. So far, periods of calm outlast moments of crisis. It has certainly helped that we have held various events designed to reduce tension. Since nightfall is the most difficult time of day, we have organized an evening of dancing (we called it a Tel Aviv disco), another evening was devoted to a sing-a-long, and last night we screened a movie marathon. In compliance with IDF Home Front directives, these events take place on the ground floor of the Clubhouse, which is the safest place in the Village for us to congregate in. Also, in accordance with the instructions of our psychiatrist, we have added carbohydrates to the regular menu, thus helping to decrease stress levels. All our industries have shut down. Apart from the dogs and the goat herd which must be fed, there is no production at all. Riding classes have been cancelled, there is no manufacturing to speak of at PastelToys and the fields are not tended. Income is at a standstill a heavy price we are going to have to pay when all this ends. At the moment, it would be foolhardy even to attempt to assess the long-term damage to our micro economy. That will be part of the aftermath with which we will have to contend. For now, we are concerned with staying alive and well which, so far, we have managed to do very successfully. Finally, you must know that your calls and emails are wonderful to receive and boost our morale no end. Sometimes Kishorit seems a long way away from Ben Gurion Airport and the world beyond but - at times like these - our friends suddenly seem very close by. Yours, Shuki Levinger and the Kishorit family To the world : We are a family with two kids, Tom 12 and Ashley 16 and we live in Haifa. Until this week we didn't feel in danger, today its the third day that also our town is under attack. We don't dare to go out to buy grocceries or to take the dog out. We organized the neighbours and threw out everything that was in the security room of the building. We have six families in the building, half of them went away to more secure areas. At every alarm we all run to the secure room and wait for the noises of the attacks and thinking where the rockets go down this time. The children are really heroes of this war. Its very easy to sit in Europe or in the States and critize the operations of the IDF in Lebanon. I don't wish this experience to anyone, but if they had only once the feeling under attack maybe they would change their minds. The worth is that both my husband and I don't have any income now, my husband is the owner of a discotheque that is closed for one week and we don't know when we will open again. I'm a tour guide and all the work this week was cancelled. Dispite all this we support our State and the IDF, this is our home and we never will have another home. Please support ISRAEL! Shalom Eva Manger Haifa-Israel Crossing the Yarden By Yarden Frankl I Want To Go Home It's two o'clock in the morning. I can't sleep. I am on vacation in the United States. I keep going to the computer in my friend's house and going online to read the news. Rockets are hitting Tsfat, Haifa, Carmiel. I stare at the little map where just last week I was plotting our August vacation in the North. All these places that I was so excited to take my family are now under attack. The hotels are closed, and the guests are in bomb shelters. My country is at war. It has been quite common to read the weekly announcements of the elected Palestinian leadership vowing the destruction of my country. No, we have never really been at peace. Now, my nation, my home, is engaged in a two front war, neither front more than a few hours drive from my house. I am still trying to figure out how I feel about this, how I am supposed to feel. I am confused, but I know one thing, I want to go home. Am I crazy? I just spent two weeks in California where the weather is warm, the people are polite, and oh yeah, no one is shooting Katyusha Rockets at you. Why on Earth would I want to leave this vacation and hurry back to a nation at war? It is simply not a rational feeling. Yet I know that I should be back and am counting down the days until our return. Shabbat Shalom from our blessed nation. I live in Haifa, and work at Migdal Haemek. I went into the shelters twice yesterday: once at work and once at home. Still, we are determined to continue life as normally as possible during this difficult period. We have had rockets falling west and south of the plant. When there is an alarm, we stop work and go into the shelters for a few minutes until the danger passes. We mean Jews and Muslims and Druze and Christians. Thank you to the Simon Wiesenthal Center for its activity and support of Israel !!!!!!!!!!!!! |
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