Rabbi's Blog

Dear OZ family,
We’re barely here two days and it feels like we’ve been here for a few weeks. I mean that in a good way. There is always something exciting going on. When we reached Beit Elazraki there was a large group of women doing a massive hafrashat challah for the success of our soldiers. The home also has a seminary for women and I spoke to them about how the 1st ten chapters of Shmuel Bet are being replicated in our time.

I didn’t mention last week that as we were about to land, the captain got on the PA system to announce that our landing would be delayed because of terroristic activity on the ground around the airport, but there was no need to worry, as we had plenty of fuel. We circled for a half hour before a safe landing.

Beit Elazraki  was delivered 100 laptops on Friday, with the expectation of increased shelling from the North, that the children will have to attend classes by zoom. These are particularly difficult days ahead for our soldiers and the entire country is on alert.

Torrential rains over Shabbat caused “Hafsakat Chashmal” all over Netanya, and our electricity is still out. Excessive rains dampen our plans, but the kids are taught to ask the rains to come again because they are “Gishmei Bracha”, and a blessing.

Israelis yearn for “Normaliyut”, which means to be a normal country with normal concerns. This is hard to do when you are surrounded by populations many times your number, who are sworn to your destruction. Israelis have much hakarat hatov for the support, in many ways, that she receives from the United States. We are two countries, founded on similar principles, and that’s why the haters of one usually hate the other. 

Let us continue to hope for better days ahead.

Stay well and healthy.

Rabbi Allen Schwartz