Day 1
Today I joined a coalition of Rabbis and
spiritual leaders on a three day solidarity mission to Israel. The group
included participants from the International Rabbinic Fellowship (Rabbis Joel
Tessler, Jason Herman, Aryeh Leifert, Uri Topolosky, Yair Silverman, Seth
Farber, Asher Lopatin), Yeshivat Chovevei Torah (Noah Leavitt), Machon Hadar
(Rabbi Elie Kaunfer, Avital Campbell Hochstein), and Yeshivat Maharat (Victoria
Sutton). The following are notes from the first day of the mission:
10:30AM: We embark from Ben Gurion Airport with
our holy driver Yigal.
11:30AM: We arrive in Netivot at the home of
Aviva and Eliyahu Shitrit, approximately 15 miles from Gaza. In August 2011,
The Shitrit family ran from their car during an air raid siren. The Iron Dome
succeeded in intercepting 4 out of 5 of the missiles, but a fifth Kassam fell 5
meters away from the family inflicting extensive shrapnel wounds, especially
their 21 year old daughter Adael Leah. In these attacks, we often forget about
the wounded who survive but with life-long we injuries and trauma. During the
recent war, the family was not able to stay at home due to extensive PTSD
reactions. We met Michal, who facilitates Operation Embrace as a social worker
and who helped arrange a hotel stay for the family during the attacks. As we
left their home, Eliyahu pointed out the gaping shrapnel hole in the side of
their car, which was over 150 meters away from the rocket attack.
We then
went to a ruined home at 127 Jerusalem St where a man survived a direct hit on
his home by closing himself into his bathroom.
Just a couple blocks away saw a recently paved
hole in the street where a Kassam landed, as well as the shrapnel marks
scarring the side of the neighboring apartment building and home.
From there we visited Shimon and Maayan Zaguri.
Shimon is a firefighter and was putting out a fire near Israeli troops when a
small caliber mortar shell sliced through his ear and the side of his face just
a week before. Shimon also shared with me how he was in Florida during
Hurricane Katrina. Shimon was in remarkable spirits, counting his blessings,
but also shared with us the financial stresses that are mounting due to his
recovery and the delay in receiving government aid. They also shared their
family's connection with the revered Baba Sali, who is buried in Netivot –
Shimon's father was the Baba Sali's personal driver for 5 years. We went from
there to daven at the Baba Sali's grave.
3:00PM: We arrive in Sederot at the home of the
Shadedi family, just 3 kilometers from Gaza. On November 11, a day before
Israel began its recent war, a katusha rocket came through the bedroom of their
22 year old daughter Shedef. In the ensuing weeks, they were unable to fix the
gaping hole in the roof due to the constant air raid sirens and occasional
rain. Shedef's mother said to us, "We are still in post-trauma and now new
trauma!" Shedef shared how difficult it will be to return to her bedroom.
"I will never get this image [of the hole] out of my head." She has been
sleeping with her parents in the living room for the past couple of weeks.
We also visited with Berta Ohana, a mother of
six grown children, who was in her car with her husband when they sustained a
direct hit from a rocket fired from Gaza on November 11. We noticed large
cracks all along her living room walls, but she said to us, "Rockets have
fallen all around us, but that's OK. But when it hit the car, that was
terrifying…" It took many soldiers to pry them out of their car. Berta and
her husband have been in and out of the hospital with several surgeries and
procedures to close the wounds on the heads and bodies. Their children have
constantly been by their side. I gave Berta's son Snir, who is entering the
army this week, a card written by our son Elyon wishing him luck, success and
prayers for a speedy return home.
Our final stop in Sederot was to the JNF Indoor
Playground, an large, bomb—shielded space with play equipment for all ages,
party rooms, a computer lab, and a children's counseling center.
6:00PM: We arrive in Beer Sheva at the home of
Andy and Emily Shapiro Katz for dinner with members of the recently formed
Kehillat Be'erot. We listened to a number of young couples, mostly Anglos,
talking about their decisions to move to Beer Sheva, their experiences during
the rocket attacks, and the powerful sense of community they have found at
Kehillat Be'erot. Andy half-joked with us that a rocket seems to land every
time his in-laws come for a visit, which was his way of talking about the
challenges of being so far from family and old friends during these trying
times. One of the young women left us with this thought: "Here in Beer
Sheva, we have come to realize how much we are needed. One of our goals is to
ask ourselves, 'In what ways can we serve our community?'"
9:00PM: We end a long day with hot soup and
stimulating conversation with Rabbi Ronen and Rabbanit Dr. Penina Neuwirth at
their home in Rana'ana. They are the founders of Beit Hillel, and innovative
Beit Midrash – in person and online, seeking to develop attentive male and
female spiritual leadership for the larger Israeli public.
11:00PM: We daven Maariv at a local shul and
head to the Tessler's home in Rana'ana for some much needed rest… until
tomorrow.
Day 2
Today was day two of our Rabbinic Solidarity
Mission to Israel and it was no less intense than the first. Our day began in
Rana’ana with morning minyan and then breakfast featuring a bunch of Rabbis
cooking different style omelets. Alas, this Israeli home had no Tabasco sauce…
11:00AM: We arrived at Barzilai Hospital in
Ashkelon. We first met David Rachamin and his wife Miriam. A couple of weeks
ago, a Grad rocket landed six meters away from him and he lost his right leg.
Amazingly, only a couple of us in the group realized the extent of his injuries
because he greeted us sitting up in a wheelchair, in a long hospital gown, with
a gentle grin and an incredibly optimistic spirit. Every few minutes he would
cry out, “Todah LaEl – Thanks to God!” He saw his loss only as a gift
from God that he survived. He also shared with us that this was the third
rocket God had spared him from – the first flew just over his head moments
after he had moved his tractor into a ditch he was digging; the second brought
a building down around him while he was working in its basement, but he was
left unscathed. We came to bring comfort and strength to David, but we left
uplifted ourselves. He led us in a boisterous “Am Yisrael Chai” tune, waving
his hands in the air and clapping with joy. “We are a strong nation!” he
shouted. As we left, several members of the group were shocked to learn that he
only had one leg.
We visited next with Penina Zehavi, a mother of
four small children who works multiple jobs, including as a janitor at the
central train station, to support her family. The terror of the kassam attacks
has left her severely traumatized. During one of the air raid sirens, she
panicked and pushed her way off the bus she was traveling in order to get to
one of the roadside shelters. In her haste, she tripped and broke her ankle.
She was sobbing when we walked into her room, crying out, “Who will take care
of my children now?! Everything is on me!” And yet, she managed to draw
strength and belief from a deep well within her, praising God that things were
not worse, and asked us if we would sing with her an upbeat tune to “Shir
HaMaalot!” A minute later, hospital staff came to move her to the ICU
and she asked if we would come with us. There was one extra seat in the
transport vehicle, so I hopped in with my guitar and we sang the song the whole
way with a little extra help from the driver. What a sight it was for other
hospital staff to see us flying by!
1:00PM: We stopped for a delicious shwarma lunch
at Ben Gurion University in Beer Sheva to recharge after an emotional morning
and then move on to Soroka Medical Center. We visited with the family of David
Ivgi, a 40 year old man from Kiryat Malachi who has been in a coma for two
weeks. His mother, Jaclyn, told us how he jumped from his car during an air
raid siren to take cover on the roadside – this is the proper protocol when you
are driving. However, another driver panicked and sped up hoping to outrace the
rocket. David was accidentally struck and thrown in the air. He landed on his
head, which resulted in serious brain trauma and his current comatose
condition. His wife was not there when we arrived as she was out trying to take
care of their two children – they have a 5 year old son and a 3 year old
daughter. Our group took turns entering the ICU with protective clothing,
davening at his bedside, and whispering words of support and love. As I stood
by his bed, it was clear that David was a fit, strong man, but now he and his
family are part of the untold story of the life-altering trauma and injury that
so many Israeli families have experienced during this recent war.
Our final visit at Soroka was with Yehuda Pearsi
and his father Yisrael. Yehuda is 22 years old and served in the Gavit unit.
Two weeks ago, his jeep was fired upon at close range by a bazooka while
patrolling the Gaza border. Yehuda was asleep when we arrived. He face is
entirely covered in shrapnel wounds and his eyelids have been sewn shut. He has
certainly lost one of his eyes and only time will tell if he will ever regain
partial vision in the other. He also has extensive head trauma and several
massive indentations on his skull from the blast. Yehuda will live, but his
life is forever changed. In the past few days, he has been able to rise from
bed, eat, and walk a little bit around his room. Yehuda’s has four siblings
(21, 15, 9, and 7 years old). After his first visit the 15 year old told his
father that he couldn’t bear coming back to see his big brother in this
condition. While Yehuda was still sleeping, we held a minyan for mincha and
davened by his bedside. The words of our tefillah were so alive, especially as
we said the prayer for healing and peace. Afterwards, we sat around his bed and
sang to the soft music I played on my guitar. We sang “Beshem HaShem” and “Shomer
Yisrael”, invoking the healing power of the angels and God to watch over this
young brave man who was serving our country on its front line. I asked his
father if he could share with us some stories about Yehuda as a young man
growing up at home. The last thing he said was, “Yehuda had so many friends…”
Then he stopped himself and added, “No. Not just “had.” But will continue
to have. Thank God he is alive.” We all embraced and Yehuda awoke for a few
moments to say “Shalom” to us all. I left a number of letters for Yehuda that
the children at our Community Day School had written – each began with the
words, “Chayal HaYakar – Dearest Soldier.”
Our mission on this trip was to give strength to
the many folks who have been injured and traumatized by the ongoing conflict
with Hamas. We wanted to let people know that we were thinking of them and that
they were not alone. We said it many times: “Am Yisrael Itchem – The Jewish
People are with you.” But we go to sleep tonight realizing how much more
strength each of these holy men and women have given to us. We are inspired by
their courage, optimism, faith, and strength, and by the love for their country
and people that shines from their faces.
May we all know peace,
Day 3
Today, we visited Sourasky Medical Center in Tel Aviv (formerly known as Ichilov Hospital) where we saw victims of last week's bus bombing in Tel Aviv.
Our first visit was to Eitan Feuchtwagen. Eitan is a 14 year old boy, who studies in a special Yeshiva in Tel Aviv that integrates yeshiva learning with the arts. Eitan has spent 3 years learning creative learning and dreams of a career behind the camera in film and television. Eitan was miraculously saved during the bombing by his laptop. He was wearing his laptop case over his shoulder and across the stomach. We were shown the laptop, which appears severely burned and mangled during the blast and thus served as a shield protect Eitan's most vital organs. Unfortunately, Eitan sustained serious damage to his leg and will need skin grafts and muscles to heal. Eitan also had large pieces of glass from the bus windows in his eyes, yet, doctors were able to remove all the pieces without any damage to his eyes and his eyes look like those a beautiful hopeful teenager. Despite his pain, Eitan is showing tremendous courage and bravery and like many we visited in the prior two days has shown the resilience of those living here in Israel.
We next visited Shani Schwartzman, who is a relative of Rabbi Tessler's and was also injured in the bus. Shani is a soldier working in a military office two minutes from the hospital. She had been sitting next to the bomber and thought he looked suspicious so got up as the bomber was leaving thus putting more distance between her and the explosive device. Shani nearly had her arm severed in the blast, but doctors were amazingly able to reattach it. Shani was smiling and hopeful and is another stellar example of Israel's brave and dedicated soldiers.
