My Land

I wrote this the other day after the missiles began.

"I'm sitting in my cousin's living room in Kfar Adumim, just outside Jerusalem, looking out over Jordan (We really can see the Jordanian horizon from the living room window.) It seems so peaceful, but we know it's not. Yesterday we were at Latrun. Due to Sean's questions and friendliness, we ended up beyond the museum in the offices talking to the person in charge there. He told us to "Please don't go to Akko. Even if someone tells you it's okay, it's not." which was today's plan, and said to Jesse, "Someday you may be able to tell your children you were here when a war began." Jesse is now with USY. We got to hear them go over the procedures for getting to the safe rooms. They're up north now. It's such a difference from the first half of our trip.

Still, we are having a wonderful time. Sean is making plans for our aliyah in a dozen years, and the kids seem nonplussed about the matzav. We've discovered a few new places worth visiting, and the thought of leaving brings tears to my eyes. We're really not ready to leave, although we miss you all."

So we stayed around Jerusalem. On the plus side we'll be able to get through our list of things to do here. Today we went to Yad Lakashish, Lifeline for the Old. It's such a wonderful place.  We had a tour and spent lots of money. After we took the LRT to Machane Yehuda to pick up lunch- hot pitot, hummus, techina, tomatoes, celery, and pickles. Back on the LRT, we picniced in Teddy Park, a new park outside the Jaffa Gate. We sat on a grassy hill overlooking a new municipal fountain. Beautiful and modern, there was a Roman era house excavated and restored just below and the walls of the Old City above.  AMAZING! A walk through Yemim Moshe and then back to the Kfar. Before we left, we lay on the grass. Keren wanted to wait an hour for the fountain to start up again. Sean and Gavi were ready to head back. Me- I said to Sean, "I don't care. I'm here in a beautiful park in Jerusalem. I happy just to breathe the air."

Back at the Kfar, Wayne, my cousin, and I sat in the entrance to the mirpeset (porch/deck) watching his tortoise eat some of our leftover celery. We were interrupted by the azakah (sirens announcing the missiles). In the Kfar we have 2 full minutes to get to the miklat. Here, the miklat is inhabited by a tortoise and a turtle in a pond. We, Wayne, Lilach, Gavi, Keren, Sean, the tortoise, the turtle, and I listened to the news as we stood/sat among the hay. (Most don't have hay. Our miklat is special.) We heard Iron Dome deployed; waited our time, and headed back out, merely inconvenienced, for dinner and ice cream. For us this is just one small moment in time. For others this has become life. 

The kids are great. The sound of Iron Dome startled them, as did us all, but they let the experience roll off their backs. Even with all that's going on they feel safe in their nation.