Cliff Divers
Jumping back into the morass of everyday life
So, where do we go from here? You know, climb down from that cliff where we’ve been perched for altogether too long. I’m not foolish enough to believe there will be peace in my time or that my 16.5 year old nephews won’t have to serve in the IDF someday soon, but I’m so ready and have been for some time, for an end to this long and devastating period of war (and not just the 12 insane days of direct hostilities with Iran).
That means negotiate a way out of Gaza (we’re told it’s coming but I’ve heard that song before); bringing home the hostages (NOW); restore reserve soldiers to their family’s and their lives; remove soldiers in their compulsory service from the dangers of being sitting ducks in Gaza; cut a deal that brings stability over time to Gazans and will allow them to live without Hamas breathing down their necks; focus on rebuilding in the South as well as other places destroyed by the Houthi, Hezbollah, and Iranian ballistic missiles.
Strangely enough, for those 12 days of Iran, the path was clear, at least to the safe room and the bomb shelter. Now we’re muddled again, arguing over the same things we’ve been unsure about since October 7th, 2023. Last night, when the Houthis lobbed over a missile just to remind us they’re still around, it was shocking to receive that noisy pre-alter, especially as we crowded back into the safe room, now restored to it’s normal purposes - laundry room, linen closet, general storage facility - and furniture moved back into place.
The above image reads: “For some time, I’ve said that there are 4 seasons in Israel - summer, war, strike, elections. Seems like we’re in a season of transition right now.” Apologies for not crediting who wrote this - saw it somewhere!
Suddenly, it was life-is-now-normal again (war with Gaza and hostages notwithstanding). The country was back in business a minute later, something unique that only Israelis can do, including putting kids back into school (who cares that teachers were home in the shelters with their kids), heading to work, having those appointments that had been put on hold, and rescheduling parties, vacations and yes, airplane flights that had been canceled or postponed.
A day’s vacation to just breathe and be thankful, let alone slow down your spinning head? Fuhgeddaboudit. It’s just not in the Israeli mindset. Clearly for the faint of heart, or the weak kneed. Like me.
Wait, we had our vacation - hanging out close to home and safety - what my 3.5 year old grandson, Ilai (pronounced Eeelai) described as a holiday. Meaning, when asked by his mom, Merav, why he thought hadn’t had pre-school for more than a week, postulated, “It’s a חג, or holiday, right?” He knows that vacations are during holidays or Shabbatot. I kind of loved his reasoning, let alone the idea that this time was less scary perhaps for him, because he was with his people - mom, dad, and his little sister- with visits to our house and his other grandparent’s as well. They even managed a few trips to the park, meeting up with friends, after figuring out where there was a nearby shelter. Merav noted, “It was a nice shelter. It even had a bathroom!”
I’ve focused on the basics, flossing my teeth with better care, and enjoyed a leisurely shower with my phone nearby…in case. Booked some needed appointments; a haircut, the chiropractor, the acupuncturist. I swam in the pool - that was miraculous. I even went to work, and saw my colleagues, many of whom I hadn’t seen since right before I left for the US on a Shutaf work trip, at the end of May. It was a good trip…I think. My colleague and co-founder, Miriam, finally made it home. Another friend returned home yesterday.
Sleeping. It takes time to learn how to fall asleep without dreading the middle of the night wake-up screech of the phone telling you incoming from Iran - ie. get your sorry self out-of-bed, and await a potential siren in your area. If you silence your phone (yes, the alert comes through), you feel uptight but who wants to be woken up by random buzzing? Even when I feel pleased that I’ve slept, I’m tired. Daytime naps are so appealing but who has time, when we all have to catch up on 2-weeks of whatever we didn’t get done.
This is summertime, my busy season. Usually my happiest time of the year, as well. Thank goodness we decided months ago to take a year off from Shakespeare-in-a-Jerusalem park with Theater in the Rough. While we are planning a fun community monologue gathering and performances - if you’re local and interested in doing a monologue, sign up ASAP - it’s alot more low-key, thank goodness, and maybe by August, we’ll have a deal with Hamas. As for Shutaf Inclusion Programs, Camp Shutaf is coming soon, and we need to hire staff - know any post-army person - assuming people are ready to be interviewed and decide to work, something that was hard during this last period of time.
I felt a little wistful for our time with eldest son, Natan, and partner, Yam, even as we hugged them goodbye and cheered our emptier house and fuller refrigerator, as they headed back to their apartment (their shelter is a 5-6 minute walk away), and their cat Clementina, who missed them. As I finish up cooking Shabbat dinner (again!), I’m missing some of my regular guests, like sister
who left via Aqaba just as it all ended, on a mission with her husband, Daniel, to deliver her kids to Camp Ramah in the Poconos, or other good friends who just decided to take a break and go…somewhere, and yet, I can’t even imagine planning a vacation in September as we usually do. Am I just fearful of being stranded again?I listen to the pundits on the news crow over Israel’s successes vs Iran, in spite of her losses - 28 civilians killed, over 3,000 hospitalized, 13,000 were displaced. For me, and for this little country, fatigued after 20 months of war, that’s a lot. And now, we wait to hear will Hamas okay the upcoming hostage deal and cease fire, and what will we do when only 10 living hostages come home. Bibi is showing indications that he believes he can be re-elected. I just want to know, what will it take to bring them all home. Now.
BringThemHomeNow
Shabbat shalom