Editor's Letter

jarc

Connections Matter

I

sphere Osnat said. "I'm sure there will be something in this
sraeli Jews inspire us more than we realize despite our
experience that strengthens them as people, as Jews and as
physical separation of 6,000 miles. I pondered this as I
Israelis — in that order?'
read recent electronic mail from Galileans with links to
Jewish Detroit.
• Nili Marcia, who once lived in the Grosse Pointe area, is a
• Osnat Raveh lives in the Central Galilee city of Nazareth
chiropractor in Karmiel. Describing to a friend in the States
Illit, in the Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Detroit's
Partnership 2000 region. This 11-year- why she wouldn't leave the Western Galilee for safer ground,
Nili wrote: "There are many good reasons to leave. None of
old partnership has spurred trans-
them apply to me. My parents, my daughter and I are living
Atlantic economic, educational and
in Israel because we are Zionists who put our lives where our
social ties.
mouths are?'
Osnat's husband, Dima, is a police
Hezbollah's intentions are clear: Kill or banish every Jew
officer. They have a son and a daugh-
there, then claim Israel for the Arab world. Meanwhile,
ter: Niv, 14, and Lin, 12. Imagine
Hezbollah is beholden to Iran and its nuclear buildup. I'm
Osnat's daily tension as the wife of a
leery of any ceasefire with terrorists, period.
police officer, the mother of two active
"Terrorists only succeed when people like me succumb to
kids and a resident in a war-torn, ter-
fear," said the straight-talking Nili on Aug. 7 after 15 Israeli
ror-laden region of the Middle East.
reservists died in south Lebanon fighting and a Haifa missile
Only Osnat and Lin were home
strike left one person dead and 100 Israelis wounded.
when the first Katyusha rocket fell
Life is hard but Nili will stay put, embracing her family, her
nearby about a week after Hezbollah drew Israel into combat
two cats, the cool evening breezes and other cherished sensa-
on July 12. I won't pretend to know their pain. "It's difficult to
tions born from living in the land of our biblical forebears.
describe the feeling of a complete freeze-up of body and mind
Nili exemplifies the Israeli
— and the missing of a heartbeat,"
ideal of elevating willpower Over
Osnat said. "It takes a second to get a
fear. Endanger her and she'll
grip on yourself."
toughen rather than recoil. She
Osnat wouldn't breathe easy until
won't shirk her obligation to
a series of cellular calls assured the
defend Israel, a sovereign nation
safety of family and friends.
and the ancestral homeland for
Since the first Katyusha alert in
every Jew.
July, sirens and booms have been all
"Just being here lending my
too rattling. "Have we become used to
presence,
my money and my
them by now?" Osnat asked. "No. Do
spirit
helps
to sustain this home
we go on? Yes. We must."
for the Jews:' she said. "The war
That's the Israeli mantra. And it's
we are now experiencing makes
courageous. More than ever, I appre-
it more important that I be part
ciate living in the relative security of
Tamarack campers from Israel: Noga Beeri, 13,
of the resistance."
America despite the potential of ter-
of Shimshit; Lin Raveh, 12, of Nazareth Illit;
Nili knows the risks of living
rorist attacks on U.S. lives.
Zoe Sofer, 13, of Timrat; and counselor Shaylee
within rocket range. The stakes
Osnat talks about weaving impro-
Cioban of Nazareth Illit.
are huge but her home is her
vised routine into the patchwork quilt
castle; she's not budging. "You
of reality. For example, she and neigh-
can ask a lot of things of me she said, "just don't ask me to
bors opened a club in their apartment building. They gather
be a coward?'
there when the sirens blare. "We decided to adopt the British
We rally for Israel, we raise money for Israel and we pray
custom of 4 o'clock tea," Osnat said, "as we realized there was
for Israel. Yet American Jews can't possibly understand the
usually a siren around that time?'
inner journey of Osnat Raveh, Nili Marcia or any Israeli. But
Even the notion of a quiet day takes on heightened mean-
we can — and we must — extol our common heritage, dem-
ing."On the one hand, we want and need quiet, calmness and
onstrate that we're joined at the hip and become more-vocal
peacefulness," Osnat said. "On the other hand, when it's too
Israel activists at the grassroots level. Visiting Israel and host-
quiet, we find ourselves on the edge of our seats expecting,
ing Israelis further strengthen the connection.
anticipating the next siren, the next boom?'
Without a dramatic bond, our commitment rings hollow
For an Israeli, just relaxing becomes a challenge.
and we let down the very people risking their lives to keep
Osnat's daughter, Lin, spent the last month in Michigan as
Israel a Jewish state. El
a Tamarack camper, an opportunity her brother enjoyed last
year. This year, Federation, on behalf of Detroit Jewry, hosted
40 Israeli teens at Tamarack. Israeli parents worried about
What emotions overcome you when
getting to a bomb shelter certainly welcomed not having to
0
thinking about war-weary Israelis?
I - •
worry about their campers.
Ln La
Osnat takes delight not only in the fun that her kids had at
1-
What's missing from Detroit Jewry's
Tamarack, but also the friendships they gained with diaspora
z z Israel emergency response plans?
0
youth leaders — young role models that they don't neces-
a.
sarily have in Israel. "They're connecting with brothers and
E-mail: Ietters@thejewishnews.com
sisters across the ocean, all within the camp's charming atmo-

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August 17 2006 ✓

