At 3 am on Thursday night last week, we were awoken by a siren. Now, we are pretty used to it by now (Thank you Houthis), but this one sounded and felt different. We got the kids, ran to the shelter, and waited for the familiar booms and ten minutes of silence and prayer. We couldn't hear any booms, which we took as a good sign. But then we got back to our phones and saw that Israel had attacked in Iran. A surreal notification to be getting. Time went by, no one in the country went back to sleep, as we started to understand the picture. First of all, the siren was just to let everyone know we attacked, there was nothing headed our way. Second of all, there were some crazy successes on the opening strike - eliminating their chief of staff, main nuclear scientists, hitting nuclear facilities, getting the whole air force into a room and eliminating them, Mossad hitting their air defense with drones they smuggled into their 3 story base (IN IRAN!), and much more we still do not know. Anyway, obviously there was no school or football or shul that friday, as we were anxiously waiting for the retaliation.
Here is the message my mom wrote on the family Whatsapp group: "Guys, Hashem is in charge. But make sure you have water, snacks, tissues, medicines, etc in your Mamad. And stay close to the Mamad. We love you all and we are sure we are going to be ok BeH. Don’t forget to Daven a lot."
Friday night it came as they sent many missiles our way in increments. We had decided the kids will sleep on the floor in the shelter, and the good news is, we can't hear sirens from in there. So for the entire last week (writing this on Friday), they have been in there for bedtime, and for the most part, going fine. There are only two sirens they remember from this crazy week.
Shabbat was hard because we couldn't check our phones every second, but we had a Silent Wave radio on and checked prediodically to see if Pikud Haoref sent anything.
During this week, they went from sending half hour maybe warnings, to 10 minute rockets have been launched warnings. We get notification on our phone that there may be sirens in the next few minutes, and we can get out of the shower/pull over/prepare everything. On the first siren of each night, shifra and I join the kids and sleep in there.
In the room we have tefillin, Shifra's phone (without HFC App so it doesn't ring), cash, passports, etc.)
Thursday night was our first night without any sirens so hopefully that really means they are slowing down and running out.
It seems like we are kicking their butt and that it needed to happen. Now we are just waiting to see whether the US actively joins for the finish or not. Can't believe how well its going honestly so far.
Kids have a routine, they wake up with me in the mamad, then we play, then they have breakfast, I daven, they daven, we wake Shifra up, we go to the park or some other activity, they do an indoor activity with Shifra, they watch a few shows while Meital naps, and then they go to one of our parents for the afternoon/dinner. I work from home, and shifra gives her class an assignment
We explained to them on the first friday what happened, that Israel is strong because we have hashem and the best army, and that there is a bad country name Iran that is far away that likes to send rockets to us. They had a million questions. All week they are asking if we got the preliminary warning.
This coming shabbat we are supposed to have our phones on and available for the warnings. Hoping for a quiet shabbat.
The two championships I was supposed to play were hopefully postponed and not cancelled, one with Akiva, one against him.
Could have easily been us stuck abroad if this was two weeks later like Shai and Narkis who had to take a boat home after a full extra week. But we cancelled our couples trip to Larnaca for this round, can't leave the kids even if the flights are working. Praying we can fly to Budapest still though in mid/late july.
Crazy to think where this war started and where we are now. Thank you IDF, thank you Hashem!
Happy birthday to my Meitali who has lived in a war most of her life but is the absolute sweetest most wild and naughty kid all together who keeps us on our toes - we love you! Birthday party today with bubbles was very fun.
Shabbat Shalom!
