There’s nothing like old friends. For this reason, I look forward to the summer get-together of a group of friends of mine from seminary/college days. The core group lives here in Israel, but friends from abroad will join if they happen to be visiting at the time of the event.
In our school days, we had a lot in common. We stayed up all night studying together for midterms and finals in college. We visited the same holy sites and climbed the same mountains while traversing the length and breadth of Israel when we were in seminary. But over the years, the diverse trajectories of our lives landed us in different places. But our friendship keeps us together despite the differences in our lifestyles. Regardless of the passage of years, when we get together, we feel like we are still the young girls we were back in the day, only now, we have a bit more wisdom.
During the summer, when we usually have a more relaxed schedule, we catch up on each other’s lives and reminisce about the good old days over coffee. The atmosphere is light and fun. This year, we had fun, but the atmosphere was not light.
Even though we were happy to see each other, the war weighed heavily on our minds. We usually talk about our summer plans and vacation schedules. That conversation ended pretty quickly this time. Nobody is going too far. Security concerns limit our options. In any case, nobody is much in the mood for anything grandiose. There’s a war going on. People are fighting. Our enemies are threatening. What’s the point of taking a relaxing vacation when one is unable to relax? We are functioning and doing what we need to do. But there is a cloud hovering above our heads all the time.
As usual, we updated each other about our families. But our chit-chat about who got married, who had a baby, who lives where, and who is studying/working was hijacked by discussion about who is serving where. How do they and their families cope? How has their outlook changed since the beginning of the war? How do we, the mothers and grandmothers, help them and ourselves deal with the ongoing situation?
The threat from Iran adds a new layer of concern. The news is full of doom and gloom. The challenge is to maintain routine as much as possible while being prepared for difficult scenarios. From what I can tell, people seem to be handling the situation quite well, at least in this part of the country. People are going to work. The stores are busy. Kids are going to day camp and playing outside. Demonstrations are in full swing. But new plans are scheduled with a caveat, a touch of tentativeness. “We will get together if the situation remains the same.” “Our meeting will take place if things stay quiet. Hopefully, they will.”
The Homefront Command publicizes its recommendations and guidelines. They suggest that residents familiarize themselves with how to react if an alert is received at home, in the car, on public transportation, and in open spaces. They suggest we make sure our protected spaces are ready for use, and that we stock them with, among other things, three days’ worth of food, water, medications, and emergency lighting. They also ask that people look out for the elderly and disabled people around them.
Like everything else, personality affects how much people follow these recommendations. Being the cautious person that I am, I went out and bought a transistor radio. My husband has no problem with a transistor radio, but as hard as he tried to conceal it, I could still see the smirk on his face when I said I was planning to buy one. I will say in my defense that the first store I went to was out of radios. Apparently, I’m not the only one following the guidelines.
I also went shopping for war food and invited my husband to come along. He declined my invitation, which I guess was a good thing. Had he come, I probably would have filled a whole second wagon with comfort food. Not the best idea. But I shopped to my heart’s content. With the threat from Iran, I found myself buying things I don’t usually buy. I don’t believe I’ve bought pizza sauce since my kids were in elementary school, but I couldn’t leave the store without it. I never noticed Palmolive Hygiene Plus Antibacterial Vegan Kitchen Handwash in the supermarket before. It’s an odor-neutralizing liquid soap with lime extract. I suddenly couldn’t imagine getting through the war without it. Running out of these items is no longer a risk I’m willing to take.
The Homefront command tries to keep people calm and ready. A silent station was broadcast over the radio on Shabbos. The purpose was to broadcast nothing but alerts on Shabbos. Baruch Hashem, the station remained silent all of Shabbos.
The IDF is also launching new technology for emergencies that will send location-based public warning messages directly to mobile phones via text messages, a sound, and a warning sound icon. Having all of these things in place is reassuring. Even so, when I wake up in the morning, I look around to check if the world is still standing.
The Homefront Command states that it will notify the public if there are any changes in their recommendations. Hopefully, this will be unnecessary.
Please continue to daven for the recovery of the wounded, the release of the hostages, and the success and safe return of all chayalim and security personnel.
Suzie Steinberg, (nee Schapiro), CSW, is a native of Kew Gardens Hills and resident of Ramat Beit Shemesh who publishes articles regularly in various newspapers and magazines about life in general, and about life in Israel in particular. Her recently published children’s book titled Hashem is Always With Me can be purchased in local Judaica stores as well as online. Suzie can be reached at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. and would love to hear from you.
