Karen,

First of all, thank you for visiting Kingswood Camp.

You know that before the “Reali” class left for camp, everyone told me:

“It isn’t fair that “Reali” children, that go abroad twice a year anyway, got to go to the USA – they should have given this award to children from Sderot.”

Who would have imagined that upon their return to Israel, they themselves would turn into “Sderot” children.  

Since his return last Friday, Yonatan hasn’t left the house, spending most of his time in the “Protected Room”, going into the living room or the kitchen just to eat something.  Yesterday, it was impossible to stay at home anymore, so we went to the “Sportek” (gym - country club)  for some sports.

I haven’t been at work for two days, which makes me feel very bad – everyone at Rafael is working, by the company’s orders, but I just can’t leave the children alone in the midst of the sirens. That by itself could cause a heart attack. 

At this point, the children do not want to go to the center of Israel – we’ll see when they break down.

This evening I am supposed to meet with Tzilla and her husband at a mutual friend’s home, and I hope there will be no surprises.

Debbie Kurinsky’s son is in Israel, and she is quite concerned which I totally understand. (All the tours of the groups from abroad have been rerouted to the center and south of the country).

Yesterday I attended the funeral of one of the casualties of the Navy missile ship - Yaniv Hershkovitz. It was especially sad. In the middle of the funeral there was a siren, making it impossible to even pay proper last respects. Yona Yahav, the Meyer, was supposed to be at the funeral, but he’s been running from one place to another, and Bracha Sela, the Secretary General of the Municipality, eulogized Yaniv. A “Reali-” graduate, he was an exceptionally talented boy. The family is only left with his older sister. 

A friend of mine who lost her son in the “Helicopter Disaster” said: “another one”, as if we all agree and know that there will be more, and no one kids themselves anymore - that this is the last sacrifice –our sense of innocence is over. (It’s sad - I have three soldiers, one on active duty and two on their way).

For some reason, with all this hardship, it seems that it is easier for me to cope with this situation, than with the “piguim” (suicide bombing) - attacks on buses, in malls and restaurants – the future might prove otherwise. It seems that now you have some kind of control over the situation – there is a siren – you enter the “protected space” – you wait for the landing – you realize that nothing has happened, and you continue. There’s something in these sirens that gives a sense of “control”. 

Tomorrow I have to go to work – hoping that Elie will be able to be home for at least part of the day, or that our children will go over to friends – although I don’t believe that any mother will be willing to take this responsibility. 

To be continued...

Zehava Hering, deputy chair of the Haifa boston steering committee in Haifa