Style & Living

In and out. In and out. My son’s army unit has endured four rounds in Gaza. The IDF has shown its appreciation for the reservists who serve with such dedication by offering gifts, ceremonies, and various benefits. The soldiers are rightfully lauded for their contributions. However, behind many reservists stands a wife who sacrifices just as much – holding the family together during long nights of worry and uncertainty. These women play the role of both mother and father, anchoring the Homefront so their husbands can defend the nation.

My husband and I just returned from a trip to New York. Initially, I had little interest in traveling due to the current situation in Israel, but my husband twisted my arm encouraged me to take a break from it all and visit family. We made sure to purchase refundable tickets, because, as anyone who has lived during uncertain times knows, one never knows what each hour may bring.

Dvir, a “regular” chayal in the IDF, shared with me his experience of the chagim in Gaza. Dvir’s unit returned to Gaza for the fourth time since the war began, on the morning after the three-day Rosh HaShanah holiday. They were stationed near the Egyptian border where it was quiet – until it wasn’t.

These are crazy times. There’s no way to know what each day will bring. Sometimes the news is good, and sometimes it’s awful. Often, it’s both. The day Nasrallah was killed felt like a great victory. Even though it happened on Shabbos, word spread quickly. My son had been eager to share the news when he arrived for Shabbos lunch with his family. A secular neighbor in his building had placed an announcement in the elevator so his religious neighbors could hear about what had happened. But we already knew—someone had announced it in shul.

As much as the IDF tries to prevent the occurrence of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), many soldiers suffer from their experiences on the battlefield. Some have flashbacks. Others are unable to sleep at night. Some are numb. Everyone in Israel cares about the physical and psychological welfare of our chayalim. Many try to help them deal with their trauma.

Back in the ICU, Karen met the family of Tzvika, a father of three who had lost both of his legs and an arm in the war. His entire family brought in Shabbos by singing Kabbalas Shabbos together. She had never seen anything like it. While she waited for Aryeh to come out of surgery, a woman in pants and cowboy boots approached her and introduced herself as the head of the urology department. She told Karen that she, too, has a 24-year-old son serving in the army and she treated Aryeh like her son when he was on the operating table. She asked Karen to tell her about Aryeh. She explained that, as they operated on him, the doctors felt a ruach chazak, a strong spirit, emanating from Aryeh. She wanted to hear about him.