Dear Friends

When I first started writing this journal, little did I know how this war would develop. I also did not imagine, that my letters would receive such responses, and be distributed to so many people, and eventually make its way to several web sites. I called my letter a journal of war and peace, thinking – hoping – that this would be a short war, which would bring a long peace.

I was wrong.

33 days is a long war.

3970 rockets, 117 soldiers killed, 39 civilians killed, 2 kidnapped soldiers, 5000 wounded, 12,000 ruined homes, 750,000 burnt trees, and yes - 500 dead terrorists are all the results of a long long war.

And now we grieve. Many families are still sitting Shiva on the loss of their loved ones. Families of the first victims – among them Natalie Ben Shimon from Yokneam – have commemorated the Shloshim – the traditional memorial at the grave sight 30 days after the death.

The hospitals are filled with young soldiers and older reserve soldiers maimed, crippled and hurting. So are their families…

The residents of the North are returning to their homes and neighborhoods to find ruins, damage and devastation everywhere. The business and industry sector is licking its wounds and trying to resume maximum activity.

The Northern tourism sector, including our own Megiddo region, is calling upon visitors and tourist to come back up north. To re-visit the Galilee, to swim in the Kinneret, to raft the Jordan River, to visit the wineries – including our own Morad winery, and – yes- to see where the rockets fell, and the damage that they have made.

If I may, I call upon all our brethren from all over the world, to do the same.

Is the war really over? Will we have peace? Did we achieve the war's objectives? I am sure we all have opinions on the matter, and I know that they are different opinions. So putting difference of opinions aside, I wish to bid you farewell.

Your comments and support, to this modest journal, were a source of comfort for me and mine, in these troubling times.

So ends the journal of war and peace. May the next journal be one of good tidings.

From this coming Shabbat's Haftorah: Isaiah 54:17

17. Any weapon whetted against you shall not succeed, and any tongue that contends with you in judgment, you shall condemn; this is the heritage of the servants of the Lord and their due reward from Me, says the Lord.