Style & Living

Mazal tov! Our daughter is engaged! Baruch Hashem! Everyone appreciates a simchah, especially now. The light of a simchah shines bright during these trying times. We feel very blessed. But making a simchah these days is far from simple.

Every Purim morning, after hearing the Megillah, we walk to our neighbor’s home where they set up their annual Mishloach Manos street café. Below the sign bearing the name of their “café,” while wearing their personalized aprons, they serve us (and all who pass by) a piece of cake and a hot cup of coffee made to order. Café “customers” can relax on the comfortable chairs the neighbors have placed on the street, as they socialize with their friends. This is how we start our Purim every year. We begin early, when things are quiet and serene, working our way up to the Mishloach Manos frenzy until it’s time to eat the s’udah.

Our friends Leah and Gabi Spitz were in the car with their children on their way to volunteer in the fields in the South when they received a life-altering phone call telling them that their oldest son, Ari, had been severely wounded in Zeitoun in Gaza.

Standing outside, as I approached the events hall in the Ahavat Tzion shul in Ramat Beit Shemesh this past Motza’ei Shabbos, I felt myself being pulled in by the women’s soulful singing. An evening of achdus had been arranged for the many English-speaking shuls of Ramat Beit Shemesh to unite us and strengthen us during this seemingly unending difficult time. With musical accompaniment, Abby Yudin, the wife of a reservist currently serving in the war, set the tone for the evening with her expressive and stirring voice. The hall could barely contain the steady stream of women who continued to enter the venue.

When reading the news, many of us have become familiar with various units in the Israel Defense Forces. We read about missions carried out by the Israeli Air Force and Ground Forces (i.e., Combat Engineering Corps, Armored Corps, etc.). We hear about the heroic battles of the various Brigades (Golani, Givati, Nahal, Paratroopers, Kfir, Search-and-Rescue) and Commando Brigades (Duvdevan, Maglan, and Egoz). Although there is some overlap, each unit fills its distinct role. Even if we don’t look at photos or watch videos of their fighting, we can imagine what their battles look like.  Other units contribute to the IDF in unique ways.

While still fighting with his unit deep in Gaza, David,* the commanding officer of my son’s unit, decided that he would organize an evening for the soldiers and their wives/girlfriends after they were all discharged. Two weeks ago, the soldiers and their wives were treated to a beautiful event that took place at the scenic Tel Aviv Port.