A view from Israel / First Person
While we knew there was a chance a war might break out, our nephew and niece were having a baby, and we were meeting our sister and brother in Zichron Ya’akov to celebrate. Zichron, as the Israelis call it, is an idyllic, small hill town 30 minutes south of Haifa with great ice cream.
Just before our arrival, our great nephew was born after two girls. We were to be there for the Bris. Then things started to change.
• Israeli airspace closed.
• Our sister and brother’s flight was diverted to Athens two hours outside Tel Aviv.
• We were thrown into Israeli wartime life.
War in Zichron Ya’akov
We were staying at the beautiful ELMA Luxury Art Hotel overlooking the Mediterranean Sea. The hotel has three shelters. One in the underground parking lot (-4); one in a more comfortable building but without internet; a safe room in the gym. To get to -4 was a 15-minute walk. We got it down to 6 minutes. BUT if it’s a rocket you only have 90 seconds to get there safely. So, after many trips to -4, we opted for the gym, which was under 90 seconds from our room and more comfortable, if not quite as safe, but this was Zichron.
If you look at the Home Front Command app warning map, which is new for each missile/rocket launched, Zichron is among the safest places in Israel as it is out of the range of the Hezbollah rockets and not a place of interest for Iran with few people and no strategic sites. Still, people are vigilant and take all this seriously.
Each night we had dinner at our nephew and niece’s home with their three children. Our nephew made delicious meals as we gathered around their table.
The Bris became a private event for 30 as public gatherings were not allowed. It was still marvelous with a joyous welcome to our newest family member, Noam Avraham Levin. The maternal Safta grew up in Egypt in the Karaite community, so we experienced his rich traditions for a Brit melah where the ceremony parallels a Jewish wedding…heartfelt and meaningful.
Accompanied by music, the baby was escorted in by the mother carrying him on a pillow and flanked by the maternal and paternal grandmothers. He was presented to the mother’s uncle who walked back and forth seven times. The baby was then placed on the father’s lap on the pillow.
With 35 years of experience, the most amazing mohel performed the circumcision in the blink of an eye with nary a peep from the baby.
Both grandfathers delivered beautiful tributes to the baby and family. Neill and I were honored to be stand in grandparents for our diverted sister and brother.
Since it was Purim, our nephew had arranged a chanting of the Megillah. With 13 grandchildren, parents, and grandparents, the groggers sounded loud each time Haman’s name was mentioned. Kids and some adults were in costume, many with face paint.
Midway through the Megillah reading we got an email from our hotel that they were closing the next day after breakfast. We would deal with that later. It was a gorgeous day, so we decided to walk the mile and a quarter back to our hotel.
Visitors to Zichron
Our first visitor of the afternoon was a close friend we call “Mr. Israel”. During his drive to Zichron from Tel Aviv, he had to stop under an overpass as a siren sounded. He showed us a video of the Iron Dome intercepting a missile right next to where he was. Incredible! He counseled us to move to Tel Aviv, and we set a plan to help us exit the country in time for my upcoming scans and next chemo infusion.
Our second visitor was a friend who now lives in Caesaria, 10 kilometers south of Zichron. We had a heartfelt catch up and were all grateful for the time together. He came despite his daughter’s concern. His Sabra wife understood.
The next morning our beloved driver, Moti, picked us up to drive to Tel Aviv. Thankfully, it was uneventful.
Tel Aviv – a horse of a different color
Within our first five hours in Tel Aviv, we were in the shelters more times than we were in five days in Zichron. By now, Hezbollah had entered the war. The northern Galilee towns were once again evacuated. As the Upper Galilee is the San Francisco Bay Area Federation’s sister community, we were all too familiar with what that meant. Both Neill and I served on the San Francisco Jewish Federation’s Overseas Committee (me as chair), and we have visited Israel more than 40 times.
A member of our hotel’s security team educated us on the difference between a missile from Iran which takes 9 to 10 minutes to arrive in Israel, and a rocket from Southern Lebanon fired by Hezbollah, which arrives in 90 seconds. While the Iron Dome, David’s Sling, and other interceptor systems are amazing, they are not perfect so one MUST do exactly as prescribed to remain safe.
Our new hotel in Tel Aviv had a mamad-like shelter on each floor. These are inside the building; the rooms have no windows and a special door that protects from the bombs should they hit where you are. It’s what most people have in their homes. Then there is a -4 underground parking shelter, which is the safest, but takes longer to get there, and a Safe Room at -2. We were in all of them for one siren or another. Staff was wonderful making sure everyone got into the shelter and the door was properly closed. Everyone goes into the shelter, and anyone outside who wants to come in is included. People talk to each other and exchange stories. It’s instant camaraderie.
Tel Aviv is a top place of interest for Iran so many missiles came our way, and we experienced many days of in and out of the shelters. On Shabbat they particularly wanted to disrupt our special day; seven times in the shelter from Shabbat dinner until 5 am the following morning. We were having Shabbat dinner with our cousin and her family when the first alarm sounded just as we were finishing our soup. Down we went to the shelter where the many children instantly started to play.
Like 10 million Israelis, we trusted the IDF to protect us and to let us know exactly when we needed to head to a shelter. Two apps guide you.
Life goes on.
As the U.S. and Israel weakened Iran and Hezbollah, restrictions in Israel began to loosen. Our most amazing highlight was a remarkable visit to the National Library of Israel in Jerusalem. We were privileged to have more than two hours with the chair of the board and CEO of NLI. We left with a deep understanding of this most remarkable institution by, for, and of the people of Israel and the Jewish Diaspora. If you have not been able to visit, put it at the top of your list. If you can’t visit, sign up for free and explore their website (nli.org.il) to your heart’s content. We promise it is like no other library you will have ever visited. If you think we are exaggerating, ask my childhood friend, Art Sandler, who serves on the NLI U.S.A. board.
We enjoyed a bonus visit with our family in Jerusalem before heading back to Tel Aviv. The next day we had more visits with family and friends, including another childhood friend from Norfolk, Joyce Bigio, who lives in Tel Aviv.
Tel Aviv also claims one of the most beautiful waterfront promenades, and we took advantage of getting some fresh air and watching everything from yoga to volleyball to beach paddle ball, fitness training, joggers, and dog walkers all enjoying Shabbat in their own way.
The two weeks passed so quickly and despite our unique circumstances of war, we chose to make lemonade out of lemons with every step. Although we were diligent, we were never afraid. Israelis are strong and brave and grasp life like no one else. We tried to follow in their footsteps.
Am Yisrael Chai.
A Norfolk native, Linda Snyder Brownstein and her husband, Neill, live in Deer Valley, Utah
