By Dorothea Shefer-Vanson
MEVASSERET ZION, Israel — My translation of a poem by Giyora Fischer:
When I bent down to pick Israel up from the mud
The driver of the bread delivery truck said
“Look at that beautiful rainbow in the sky.”
That brief poem has haunted me ever since I came across it in the literary section of the Hebrew newspaper I read. Those lines sum up in the most expressive way what has happened – and is still happening – to us here in Israel.
We have just endured a catastrophic episode in our long Jewish history, in which catastrophes have tended to materialize from time to time. But nothing on the scale of what happened on Oct. 7 has ever happened here in Israel before. The incursion into our country of thousands of armed marauders bent on murder, destruction, pillage and rape has left many of us traumatized. After all, Israel was established in order to prevent that sort of thing happening to our people ever again. As a sovereign, internationally-recognized national entity we are able to raise an army to defend our borders, and take whatever measures are required to achieve our security, provided we remain within the bounds of international law.
Even as we remain shaken by the events of a few months ago we try to continue to keep hope in our hearts, to stay positive, permit ourselves to take pleasure in the good things of life. Despite the death and destruction wreaked in our southern communities Israel is still a vibrant country with a resilient population that has rallied to the banner of defiance in the face of tragedy. We won’t allow ourselves to be trampled into the mud. We continue to demand the destruction of those who seek to inflict harm on us, taking measures that are considered ‘disproportionate’ in some quarters and have undoubtedly had unfortunate results for the civilian population of Gaza. But it can be legitimately argued that the final objective of attaining security on Israel’s borders is a cause worth fighting for. For the 180,000 Israelis evacuated from their homes on the borders that is a worthy cause, as it is for the families of the 140 hostages still held in captivity in Gaza. For them – and all residents of Israel — there can be no greater objective than attaining their release.
But we must also remember to turn our attention to that ‘rainbow in the sky.’ For those of us who are still living in our homes, are not in immediate range of the rockets, don’t have relatives who are hostages, are not directly affected by the security situation, life continues much as before, with its customary ups and downs. We have enough food to eat, a roof over our head, hot water for a shower, a kettle to provide us with a cup of coffee or tea at the appropriate time and the knowledge that our loved ones are within reach, whether by phone, car or even a brief walk.
We must allow ourselves to continue enjoying the good things of life – the warmth of the afternoon sun, the sight of the sea, the beauty of nature in our gardens, balconies or nearby open space. For me, it is the ability to hear classical music on the radio, attend a concert, cook a meal for my family or enjoy a piece of chocolate – without having to feel guilty or ashamed. Life goes on, and as a nation that has endured many tragedies, culminating in the Holocaust that is still fresh in many people’s memory, we know that that is true. I take the example of my parents’ generation as my lodestar. They have endured. My parents fled Nazi Germany as young adults and were lucky to be able to move to England as refugees. Both of them lost their parents and other relatives and friends in the Shoah, but my sisters and I grew up in a home that was full of laughter and was not overshadowed by painful memories. We must make an effort, just as my parents did, not to let the past dominate the present. We must focus our attention on the beautiful rainbow and not on the mud at our feet.
שש בבוקר – גיורא פישר
כשהתכופפתי להרים מהבוץ את ישראל
היום ליד הצרכניה במושב,
אמר לי הנהג שפרק את הלחם:
“תראה איזו קשת יפה בשמים.”
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Dorothea Shefer-Vanson is an author and freelance writer based in the Jerusalem suburb of Mevasseret Zion, Israel. She may be contacted via dorothea.shefer@sdjewishworld.com