We Are Thinking of You

I was celebrating Israel Independence Day when I heard about the terrorist attack in Boston. All I could think of was the fact that I was sad that Americans will now know what we in Israel have gone through throughout our history – and especially in the past 13 years.

For those of you in America who are in shock and wondering if there is something you can do now, a few pieces of advice:

One – know that you can always pray for the victims and their families. Pray for the injured to heal quickly and for the families of those killed to be comforted.

Two – donate blood. It is always needed but now more than ever.

Three – become more aware of your surroundings. Here in Israel every citizen is very aware of his vicinity, especially in public places. If we see a bag or box in a public place that is unattended – we immediately ask if it belongs to someone. If noone answers, we call the authorities and warn others to back away. The army will be notified and a special bomb squad will come to investigate. Nine times out of ten it is nothing, but all of the effort will be worth it to protect people when the tenth time turns out to be a real bomb.

Please know that we here in Israel are thinking of you…

Yom HaZikaron – A Day to Remember

This opinion piece in Ynetnews sums up what Yom HaZikaron (Memorial Day for fallen soldiers and terrorist victims) is all about. I always turn on the radio for awhile to hear some of the stories, and inevitably turn it off very quickly. I feel that I should hear about the families that have suffered loss, and I do – but after a bit it becomes too sad. It reminds me to be grateful – and I am.

A New Take on Ha”Tikvah”

The Fountainheads have a new video out for Yom HaAtzmaut – Israeli Independence Day:

So Far So Good

So far I am really enjoying my new job. It is a new experience for me to be working in an environment where I am the only religious woman (there are quite a few religious men for some reason, but not women). In a way I think it will “keep me on my toes” a bit. I always try to dress modestly, but now I am more careful in how I dress – since I am “the example”.

I am also the only one who lives in Yehuda and Shomron. Most of the people who heard where I live took it in stride, but one woman exclaimed (in horror? pained surprise?) “how do you get in every morning?” This is a frequent misconception about the Shomron made by people who live on the coast – that we are unbelievably far away.

I answered her honestly (and with a smile) that I take the car to the train station in Petach Tikvah and then the train – altogether it is a 50 minute commute. I had this devilish wish to pull her leg though…saying something along the lines of “well, first I round up the huskies and hook them up to the bobsled, then I …..”

New Beginnings

Tomorrow I start a new job (sorry for no details, but I still like to keep a certain amount of privacy, even when blogging). I can say that it will be the first time in almost 24 years (gulp) that I will be working full time.

I am looking forward to meeting new people, learning new skills, and, frankly, getting paid more than I was before in my old job. I do want to keep up with my blog, but realistically it will probably be a bit slow around here until I get up to speed. I am sure my readers will be patient, because I do love blogging and will be back in the swing of things as soon as I can.

I Bet He Wished He Had IDF Soldiers in France….

This is ironic. A left wing film director was in France to get an award for his anti-IDF film, and in the process he was beaten up by a group of Arabs. I am sure he would have liked a few IDF soldiers with him when that happened…..

If You Are Looking for a Great Passover Dessert….

I wanted a change from the chocolate mousse that I usually make for Passover, and I found this lemon mousse recipe on the internet. It came out really well, and it was a lot of fun making it using the lemons from our tree in the backyard.

I froze it – partly because I like the consistency better and partly because I had more room in the freezer than in the refrigerator. It came out like ice cream (not slushy like ices).  If you are looking for a great pareve (non-dairy) dessert and are willing to spend some time, this is a winner.