Things are tense. It feels like a war. I have never seen streets so empty, roads so vacant of cars. The malls are empty. Stores are simply closed. Eerie. Things will likely get (much) worse before they get better.
Israel At War – Emergency Briefing 10.10.23
We're angry, frustrated, and scared.
We were awakened on Saturday morning by an air raid siren, the first of four, sending us to our bomb shelter more than 40 miles from where the terrorists were firing the rockets. It's not the first time we've had rockets, but it's rare. We knew something was going on, but as it was Shabbat, we were offline and didn’t know WHAT was going on until much later.
We assumed that our son-in-law was being called up because of his position. We were right, but that was delayed because of reports that his base had been infiltrated by terrorists. He went back to the army late Saturday night. Of course, we're concerned for him and everyone he's with, but for our daughter, who is home alone with 3 kids under 5. For perspective, in her building, there are only two men who have not been called up. Every other apartment is currently a single-parent apartment. May the fathers and husbands come home safely soon.
At 4 p.m., our son arrived home unexpectedly. He’s been living in his wife's parents’ home in our neighborhood. This was the first sense we had of what was going on in terms of the nature of the attack but we had no idea HOW bad it was. He came in to get his uniform and equipment as he'd been called up to his combat unit. In 10 minutes, he was changed from his Shabbat clothes to his uniform, we had packed up some food, and he left, telling us, "Don't worry," and picked us up a few minutes later in front of our building. I watched the black car drive off, thinking how surreal this all was and still not comprehending.
Our son is a newlywed, married in July. Three months. He and his wife are supposed to move into their new apartment in Ariel, where both will be studying, assuming the academic year begins as scheduled next week. Who knows? Now, our new daughter-in-law is home alone at her parents’ house. Even in Deuteronomy 24:5, I believe there is a Biblical prohibition of sending a new groom to war in the first year of his marriage. So much for Biblical prohibitions. It's war. On Monday, the army took his phone as he was going to defend border communities. We have received occasional text messages that he’s OK but know nothing else.
Shabbat was clearly not a normal day. People left the synagogues at the first air raid siren, and even though it was also a festival, Simchat Torah, people stayed home, close to their families and bomb shelters. Not only were we offline and had no idea what was going on, but even our bomb shelter was dark, making sitting there while waiting for the boom of the iron dome all the more eerie.
All day we saw cars of (young) men in uniform driving out and others in uniform "tremping" (looking for rides out of our community to anywhere) from those who were also leaving. Now, it feels like a ghost town with little traffic, kids staying indoors (schools have not resumed), and close to families and bomb shelters. I can’t imagine how many men are currently away from home, leaving behind parents, siblings, spouses, and countless children. Since we don’t drive on Shabbat, seeing all the cars was unnerving, especially who was driving and where they were going.
The funeral of the first soldier from our community, a 20-year-old man, has been rescheduled a few times because of issues just getting his body home for burial. The army is overwhelmed. We even saw a post asking for volunteers to help dig graves. More than 1200 so far. By way of perspective, in the whole first week of the Yom Kippur War in 1973, also a surprise attack, there were fewer casualties.
Another daughter has a boyfriend who was also called up in the north. At any time, Hezbollah can open another front if we don’t restore deterrence soon. If that does happen, the carnage we have seen until now will look like child’s play.
Two other daughters who have their own apartments in Jerusalem have moved back home. They don’t have bomb shelters and are not going to work now or can work from home, and there's no sense in their being home alone in apartments that don’t have their own bomb shelters. One of our daughters works among many Arabs and is just uncomfortable going to work and being around them now. It’s a reality of life here – coexistence sometimes rests on very thin ice. There have been many more sirens in Jerusalem than where we are, close by.
My wife is in the tour guide course. Because it’s an English-speaking course, about a third of the group are Arabs. Her touring and classes have been canceled for security reasons this week, but it’s just as well, as the support for terrorists, even among Jerusalem Arabs, is profound and not a comfortable environment.
I am trying to work promoting my new book, “Israel the Miracle,” and plan the book launch tour for next month, but getting the reality of what's going on out as widely as possible through interviews and briefings, mostly among Christians with whom I work. I've lost count, but in two days, I have had interviews/briefings I have done with places as far away as Nepal, S. Africa, Sweden, Brazil, Nigeria, and across the US. The support and prayers from Christian friends all over the world, as well as financial donations, have been heartwarming and encouraging at this grave time.
Speaking of donations, we're collecting funds for trauma relief, supporting soldiers’ physical needs, at-risk youth (especially in the Gaza area), civilian security, and more. The response has been great. Please join us and share www.love.genesis123.co. When my son was able to call home, he confirmed that his reserve combat unit does not have bulletproof vests. Now I have a source to get and deliver them. $760 each. That’s worth not having to have someone volunteer to dig another grave, no?
Things are tense. It feels like a war. I have never seen streets so empty, roads so vacant of cars. The malls are empty. Stores are simply closed. Eerie. Things will likely get (much) worse before they get better, all complicated by the depth of our military response, which must be harsh, where we will likely send in ground troops putting them in danger in order to limit civilian casualties on the Arab side, and mindful that more than 100 Israelis including elderly and children are currently hostages in Gaza.
At some point, there will be serious and damning inquiries as to how the attack was even allowed to happen (there are so many operational elements) and the intelligence failure. It's being discussed, but right now, we need to focus on defeating our enemy.
We need lots of prayers.
Photo Courtesy: ©Getty Images/Olegda88, Getty Images/Photoman, SWN design
The views expressed in this commentary do not necessarily reflect the views of ChristianHeadlines.com.
The views expressed in this commentary do not necessarily reflect those of the Salem Web Network.
Jonathan Feldstein is president of the Genesis 123 Foundation whose mission is to build bridges between Jews and Christians. He was born and educated in the U.S. and immigrated to Israel in 2004. He is married and the father of six. He is a leader working with and among Christian supporters of Israel, and shares experiences of living as an Orthodox Jew in Israel through his work, writing, and as host of the Inspiration from Zion podcast.
Recently he published the highly acclaimed book, Israel the Miracle, which makes a great gift for Chanukah and Christmas.
He can be reached at firstpersonisrael@gmail.com.
