Powerful Message

People keep asking me what it was like to live in the eye of the storm during the Hamas terrorist attacks a few months back.

I don't know.

I went on with my life, just like everybody else did.  That's the Israeli way.

 Think about all the wars we've endured to maintain our homeland.  The Jewish people; we are Hazak.  Hazak in Hebrew translates to Strength.  It's in our blood.  We have withstood all this violence for the past thousands of years and we will continue to do so, endlessly. Do you know how much pride there is among our people?  No one could ever drive us out.  The Jewish community would rather die in their own homes, protecting their own land, than succumbing to outside evil forces.  We cannot be destroyed.

My entire life I have heard about the tension in the Middle East from 10,000 miles away, but wow- how surreal to experience this upheaval first hand.  To hear ear splitting sirens going off in the surrounding cities.  To feel and hear the big booms of the explosions.  To witness shrapnel flying off of targeted buildings.  To have bomb shelter drills in school instead of earthquake drills.  To having a minute and fifteen seconds to seek refuge into a bunker before a missile hits.

All scary stuff.  But guess what?  Israelis are desensitized to it, just like Americans are to earthquakes or fires.  Life moves forward.  The Israeli people stand strong.  We live every day like its our last.  We all have each other.  The love in our community withstands all evil.  For this we are blessed.  For this we are the children of God.