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Bob Fenton

Life in Israel – Rosh Hashana 5785

It will soon be a year since October 7th when 1,139 people were killed and 139 taken hostage by Hamas in Gaza. One hundred and one are still in captivity. Last night about two hundred missiles from Iran lit up the skies of Israel and too much time was spent in fallout shelters throughout the country. It was the first time the explosions caused me to jump. Earlier in the evening seven people were killed and 16 wounded in a shooting, stabbing terror attack in Tel Aviv. At 3 AM my son attended a ceremony for those completing a course in the army; five were killed in the war in Gaza before completing their training. Living with escalating war is difficult. Personally, I no longer have the energy to worry about when I will run to the shelters again and what tragedy will occur next; I will deal with it when it comes. It is however always in the back of all of our minds. Despite this, daily life in Jerusalem is relatively calm, as it is in Beer Sheva, and in Tel Aviv. When in Tel Aviv my eye is always looking for the closest shelter with a nonchalant acceptance of this being life now. Not everyone can accept the reality this easily and running to the shelter last night and seeing a barrage of missiles in the air, I felt like the shelter was a little too far away.

When in Jerusalem fighter jets often pass overhead yet they don’t bring a sense of security but a feeling of increased tension. We occasionally are reminded of the cruel death of the six hostages murdered last month. Some were our neighbors, colleagues, and part of our larger community, and we try not to forget those still being held. A month ago I found myself walking with a flow of people in the neighborhood to a memorial service for Hersh Polin-Goldberg, a 23-year-old American-Israeli from the neighborhood kidnapped at the Re’im music festival. Last month, after 11 months in captivity, Hersh and five other hostages were shot by their Hamas captors in Gaza. On Monday night the community once again gathered to mark the 30 days after one’s death meant to ease the mourners back into normal routine. Normal routine feels far away. With this, we try to block out the underlying tension of what will come next for us, those around us, and the country. We wish each other, not a happy Rosh Hashana/New Year, but a better year to come: not a difficult wish to realize.

Israel’s attacks on Hezbollah in Lebanon reflect the government’s continued approach of eliminating those who threaten us, yet there is a lack of vision beyond buying a few years of quiet. Gaza is less clear as there is still no plan for the day after. The fear of larger regional war has its place; meanwhile, in Israel, Gaza, Lebanon, and now Yemen tens of thousands of innocent people have been killed, misplaced, and live in daily fear and uncertainty.

The biggest conundrum is that there are no right answers to war except to avoid it, and war and suffering appear to be a reality of world history and our life today. Hezbollah in Lebanon and Hamas in Gaza are dedicated to destroying Israel and before October 7th, Israel’s south and north were living with weekly missiles being shot into their streets and homes.

We all hope and pray for peace; a new year that will bring resolution between us who live in the country and between all in the region – we will settle for a better year for all.

About the Author
Born in the United States I have lived in Israel for over 40 year and have been involved with NGO's working on child welfare, and Jewish-Palestinian relations. In the past I have worked at Hand in Hand Center for Jewish Arab Education developing bilingual, multinational schools, and programs where Arabs and Jews learn together, and at Neve Shalom – Wahat al Salam the community where Jews and Arabs live together. NSWAS operates a guest house, school, spiritual center, and educational seminars. Over the years I have represented and provided research and consultation to major foundations contributing to Israeli society.
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