Shabbat is coming.
The brisket is in the oven, sourdough is baked, and banana muffins ready to rock n’ roll. Chezi is cleaning the floor downstairs while I take a few minutes to pen some words to share with you all before shabbat.
A few moments from today:
Our local security forces did a practice drill on our street today (they gave us a heads-up before they began).
I’m in the kitchen and they’re outside, running in between our houses, through our gardens, and hiding behind corners with their M16s at the ready. Yelling words and codes I don’t understand. They looked both like big boys playing soldiers and like the warriors they need to be for us, should the need arrive. These are our friends and neighbors; they’re social workers, teachers, accountants, programmers, a chef, a builder, a shepherd, a cowboy. They’re all fathers.
Surreal is the new real.
And this is the story of all reservists – all 360,000 of them that were called up since Hama’s attack on Oct 7th.
These men and women stop their work, put on their uniforms, and leave their homes.
They leave life as they know it for weeks or months at a time and serve where they are needed.
They do it with pride, with purpose, with love.
It’s the most beautiful thing.
One of those reservists is a well known Israeli singer named, Akiva Turgemon. He’s been stationed here for the past ten days or so. He played a concert for our community and his platoon today outside our community center. It was so sweet, so spot on – really lifted morale.
Shishi and I started the day with a nature walk just outside of our moshav this morning.
We spotted a small patch of bright green grass growing in the middle of the asphalt.
(Note the fresh tank tracks on the street).
It was a micro-moment with a macro message.
The will to survive is a force to be reckoned with.
Wishing you all a shabbat shalom.
xo
Sarah