My Heart is in Jerusalem
Sima Guttman, Educational Slichah,
Australia

A few hours ago, an Israeli Arab terrorist walked into Yeshivat Merkaz Harav in Kiryat Moshe in Jerusalem and killed 8 boys and wounded many others.

This incident really hit it home for me. I grew up in Bet Hakerem, 10 minutes walk away from there. My father, my sister Hannah, her husband Ofer and their family, still live there. My nephews, Tzviki and Ariel, studied for four years in the high school yeshiva of Merkaz Harav.  Davidi Shapira, my brother in law Ofer’s brother lives across the street from the yeshiva. He is a paratrooper captain. When he heard the shots he grabbed his M16 and shot the terrorist to death.

When Zeev, my husband, first heard of a terrorist attack on a yeshiva he immediately thought of his son who is studying in another yeshiva near Jerusalem. Thankfully Motti is OK.

As I write, the names of the casualties are not out yet. I feel the tension of not knowing who is on the list, and wonder if I know any of the families.

This happens not on the outskirts of Israel, not in Sderot or Kiryat Shmona, but in the middle of Jerusalem, the capital city of the state of Israel, in a yeshiva which is the beating spiritual heart of Religious Zionism, on Rosh Hodesh Adar, in the middle of a pre- Purim celebration, in the library, which holds books of Torah and prayer.

In less than six months we are going back to Israel after spending three years on shlichut in Australia. We are leaving the peaceful calm life of Sydney to return to this hectic reality. This will be a radical change for our five year old twins. Despite all these hardships Jerusalem is our home and this is where we would like our children to grow up, with a sense of identity and belonging. Israel is home for us as Jews and Israelis.

Despite the pain and the ceaseless attempts to make us mourn even on the happiest month of the year, this is just another reminder of the things the people of Israel have to put up with, and makes Israel’s achievements in the past 60 years all the more impressive.

As shlichim, we are part of the two way multi-level bridge between Israel and the Australian Jewish community, and we know that the Australian Jewish community is always with us in difficult times.

We are proud to be part of this resilient people and while celebrating Purim, we remember that there is always hope for positive turn of events.