Israel

Let me introduce four clients and their Jerusalem real estate goals: Ariel, an Israeli living abroad for the next 8 years, wants to move into a modern 3-bedroom apartment upon his return to Israel. Batsheva lives in Israel and her goal is to move into a 4-bedroom apartment in 15 years. Chava lives overseas and would love to move into a 3-bedroom apartment when she retires and makes aliyah in 10 years. Finally, David wants to buy an investment with strong upside potential but limited downside risk.

On Shabbos Shemini Atzeres as news set in of the horrors in Eretz Yisrael, the New York Police Department wasted no time in arranging plans locally should a need arise. Unprecedented times call for extraordinary measures. At 4 p.m. on Yom Tov, I joined over 70 New York City Jewish community leaders to learn of updates on the situation in Israel and of concerns around New York. Commissioner Caban was delighted to learn that a security plan was in place in every region of the city to hastily get a message out to the community should there be a dire situation during Yom Tov. The security personnel present knew the communities they serve inside and out and would be able to coordinate an appropriate plan if necessary.

On the ground in Eretz Yisrael and currently unable to return to Queens due to the circumstances, Yaakov Serle, on behalf of his wife Atara, shared their story with Rabbi Peretz Eichler on his weekly radio show. The following is a transcription.

This article is reprinted with permission from Times of Israel

 It is hard to fall asleep at night.

It is even harder to wake up in the morning.

Yaniv

This is Yaniv Sarudi. Eyewitness account: Yaniv picked up 9 fleeing and wounded people in his regular car along the way as they were being attacked by terrorists in southern Israel. He drove them to an IDF base, but that base was under Hamas control. He kept driving under constant fire and waited with the injured two more hours until IDF special forces arrived. He died from his injuries but saved 8 lives.

It was nearly 24 years ago to the day when the third episode of the hit television show The West Wing aired, entitled “A Proportional Response.” In the episode, the President is conferring with the Joint Chiefs on how to retaliate against a terrorist action in the Middle East. Bartlett asks the question: “What’s the virtue of the proportional response?” His military commanders have no answer except, “It’s what we do.”