Shabbat is approaching here in Israel and, most fittingly, I just received this warm message of support from all you in NY. Thank you so much for your words of encouragement--they go straight to the heart.

Those of you who have been to Israel know so well that wonderful feeling of peacefulness that comes from the weekly siren that welcomes in Shabbat throughout the country. I spent a long, deeply trying day this week in the north with our JDC colleague, Gideon Herscher, and a group of leaders from New Jersey. Sirens, followed by missile attacks, were the norm that day as they have been for each of the last 30 days. And, after having endured this onslaught for a month straight, we could see first-hand the traumatic reaction to that siren that so many of our brethren in the north now experience.

I ask myself, will Shabbat ever be the same for our fellow citizens, our mishpocha, in the north? Will they ever again be able to hear that beautiful, welcome call for the Shabbat without their hearts racing with fear? After thousands of sirens and bombings, what will be the extent of the trauma experienced by these home or communal shelter-bound Israelis? What will they need to move forward with their lives, to regain their sense of security? Will children be able to play outside without fear? Will their parents be able to take them to playgrounds without gauging the distance to the nearest bomb shelter? Will an elderly woman have the courage to venture outside, to sit in the park, to enjoy her remaining days? Will a wheelchair bound individual be able to go the corner grocery store without the fear of being caught alone when the siren blares?

None of us, except those who have lived through this daily nightmare, can begin to truly understand the hidden wounds of trauma-induced stress. The brief respite from this horror that our JDC-Israel colleagues are providing now to thousands of elderly and disabled individuals, allows them to begin to relax their senses for the first time in a month. Yet, this is only the beginning.

When this war ends, the country will be busy reconstructing the damaged and destroyed buildings, renovating bomb shelters and rebuilding the devastated economy of the north. At the same time, there will be the hundreds of thousands of the walking wounded, those who are suffering the traumatic effects of this unfathomable ordeal. Our colleagues in JDC-Israel will be paying special attention to these folks--helping them to regain their sense of well-being and to go on with their lives without fear.

Shabbat is about to come in--the siren will shortly be calling. Shabbat shalom to all of you, my fellow Jointniks.

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