Josh's War Journal (Days 13-15)

Thursday

I decide to share my blog, my thoughts and internal feelings with my friends, family, and former fellow travelers (aka former clients, but we all know that "client" doesn't do justice to our relationship).

Tonight, Chana arranges a spiritual and uplifting Challah baking ceremony (Hafrashat Challah) for Moriya. In its merit, we hope and pray for the safety of Akiva, Yedidya and Yonatan and the rest of our soldiers and people.

About ten of Chana's friend come, and about ten of Moriya's friends. It is so nice to go to sleep to the sounds of the boundless laughter of young people.

Friday

I'm back again with Leon. I feel bad as the past couple of days I wasn't with him and he had 48 hours with dead leads. We begin our day with the Tel Aviv Museum of Art. A private civilian initiative has decided to set up a mega Shabbat table. Beautiful plates, silverware, wine glasses, challah and red wine. At each empty chair, a silhouette of one of the hostages. 203 of them.

Alongside the table they spread out a 100 ft long blank tapestry. People are invited to decorate it with their cries, demands and prayers for the release of the hostages and missing people. When it is all done they will send it to Washington where it will be displayed on the White House lawn.

As Leon edits and uploads his work, I ask one of the people in charge when the decorating will start. She says, "Right now is great." It is an honor and a privilege to be the first one to leave their mark on this tapestry. I deliberate what mark should I leave. My feeling is one of an overwhelming emotion of hope. So I write the word in Hebrew with the third letter "vav" becoming the letter "I" in the English transliteration. I fill it in with the famous blue and white.

But since this will be displayed in the USA and we are very grateful for, and dependent on America, I color the mutual letter in with the famous red white and blue. (I am happy to see later that this image was used by the BBC online edition!)

From there we go to the cemetery of Kibbutz Shfayim. A couple of hours ago the Schwartzman couple were laid to rest here. Now it is the turn for Mira Stahl. And 3:00 will be another funeral of Omer Hermesh.

These Israeli Jews are leaders of the Israeli Jewish secular movement. The funeral is accompanied by modern music and at the end of the funeral there is a resounding round of applause. The victim was a holistic healer, and this is how her friends and family maintain her legacy.

All of these people were murdered on their kibbutz of Kfar Aza. Why then, are they being buried here? And then the reason hits me. They can't bury them in their own cemetery. Hamas would surely target the attendees.

Can you imagine? These people couldn't live on their lands, and now they can't even be buried in them.

We are about to leave this cemetery but I noticed something is happening. Huge speakers and sound equipment are set up. I asked a lady on the side what was going on. Little did I know that I was speaking to Israeli rock and roll singer of fame Si Himan. (I guess her half-shaved/half blue hair style should have been a giveaway...). She gives me her phone number to send me a link to the Facebook page of Omer. Apparently only 8 hours before he was murdered he posted on Facebook that he loved her songs. This famous rock and roll singer came back home to Israel from Greece to sing at this funeral. Alongside Kobi Oz, another famous Israeli singer (from the Tipex band).

Omer was also a big fan of the Tel Aviv HaPoel team. There are hundreds of people here at the funeral. It is a sea of red. At the end of one speech, the brother asked the crowd to clap and cheer for 48 seconds. One second for every year of this man's life. I've never been at a funeral where there's a spontaneous sports cheer/anthem. Kobi Oz performs a second song. Every word is felt and penetrates the heart.

Si Himan then performs two songs. I stand by two open graves. Soon two more victims will be interned, and I don't know whether I'm at a rock concert or a cemetery.

Friday night:

I get home just at candle-lighting time.

Something urgent pops up. There is a call for tank soldiers who have experience on my old tank. Really? They are even looking for people who have been released. Old guys like me. This is what I've always asked for. Just give me my old tank and point me in the right direction. I reply to the call. Will be interesting to see how this develops... As I go to sleep I mentally review the maneuvers I've done hundreds of times. Yep. I could do it again...

Two of Moriya's friends stay with us for Shabbat. Baruch HaShem for her. Akiva L. has to hand in his phone. This is a sign that the ground incursion is imminent. "צדיקים - מלאכתם נעשית בידי אחרים". "The righteous - their work is done by others." I know the Hamas must be destroyed. But can't someone besides Akiva do the work?

Shabbat

It is strange to have another "regular" Shabbat. But even wars have lulls.

Amazing news! 18 families come on a Nefesh B'Nefesh flight. That's 18 families who decided to make Israel their home - during a war! One new couple moves in next door and comes to shul. We have a tradition in our shul. When someone makes Aliya, we sing ושבו בנים - "and the children will return"!

How amazing is it to sing and dance with these people on this Shabbat of all Shabbatot!

How incredible that this also happens to be the prayer for all captives...

Next week, we hope to sing this song over 200 times. Once for each of our captives, freed.

On Saturday night, we hear incredible news. Two women, American-Israelis, are freed!

Indeed, Your children will return!