DebbieWinks – Debbie’s Blog from Israel #17

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DebbieWinks — Blog #17 — May, 2024

Blog #17

On April 14th Iran sent around 300 missiles our way reminding us that we are vulnerable and invincible.
I was in Haifa that night staying at a hotel with my cousin Arlene and had an MRI booked for early morning on April 15th in Haifa. After a sleepless and harrowing night I missed arriving at 6:30 to my scheduled MRI and was sure the MRI was cancelled. My cousin told me nevertheless to give them a call. The compassionate clerk told me to hurry and to try to arrive within the next half an hour. My cousin and I quickly packed up and checked out of the hotel both feeling exhausted and unnerved by the night’s surreal yet Realtime assault. The Waze navigation system was not working, something that since the war, often happens in certain areas of the country. Alas, with the guidance of three different helpful drivers, we found our way.

That morning after, Israel was operating in full swing many praising Hashem, the Creator for saving us and others minimizing what had happened and stating that it was a planned low scale assault to scare us to what lies ahead.

Regardless of what everyone had emotionally experienced and interpreted everyone felt some degree of fear reminding us of this existential threat.
The admitting clerk Esther who was feeling grateful about the miracle of the night was so sweet and accommodating. The doctor who greeted me at the MRI station stated in a very calm and in an Israeli cavalier fashion that the night was stressful. The cheerful technician spoke with me in English enjoying having the opportunity to practice his well-spoken English.

Arlene and I drove back to Pardes Hanna alongside the ocean breathing deep and trying to process what we as second-generation children of Holocaust survivors just went through!

The holiday of Passover that occurred seven days later was celebrated in a painful bittersweet way. Many kept an empty seat at the table for the hostages. I know that the words I read this year from the Hagaddah retelling the story of Passover felt vastly different.

Today as we stood still for two minutes as the sirens blared across the country at 10 this morning, we remembered the six million Jews who perished in the Holocaust. Israel’s Remembrance Day is fast approaching, and this day will pierce our wounded hearts with deep sorrow remembering those lives that have recently been lost and how life for all of us has utterly changed since October 7th. The evening will then erupt into honoring Israel’s 76 years of independence. There will be country wide celebrations while we are fighting a war of existence with Hamas.

As we are feeling deep anguish and grave concern about the state and existence of our 123 hostages, we remain determined to continue to exist in our state of Israel.

Rachel Devorah Broitman Havusha