Anita, one of the founding members of Netzer Hazani - a community in Gush Katif, along Israel's southern Mediterranean coast - recently wrote the following to a friend:
"... It is unbelievable how we are all so interconnected in our homeland. It's like a woven carpet mural: When you pull out one string, all the pieces around it start falling apart - but [when you tighten one string, the whole picture becomes taut]. So many of the victims of the terrorist attacks in the last two and a half years are either people we know, or relatives, or friends of people we know. The pain is so intense even in the cases in which we have no connection. We all feel as if a piece of us has been torn off, and of course even more so when it is someone close to us.
"Last night was the memorial of our acquaintances from Kfar Darom, may Hashem avenge their blood, who were killed in the bus explosion two years ago - and it was the same evening that the Deipani family of Kfar Darom had a big festive Thanksgiving Meal (Seudat Hodaya) to thank G-d for their wife and mother's recuperation from the injuries she sustained in that same explosion. The families of Kfar Darom went from one event to the next all in the same night.
"Tonight is the memorial for Itamar Yefet, may Hashem avenge his blood, of our own community, who was murdered at the age of 19. Next week is the memorial for Etti Pachima, also of Netzer Hazani, who was murdered a year ago on her way to a wedding. Four years ago, Yochanan Hilberg, a commando soldier and son of our neighbor and good friends, was blown up by a Hizbullah bomb - and that very Friday night, right after his funeral, we had a Shabbat Chatan and Sheva Brachot (wedding celebrations) of his very good friend Sufi Schneid... We ate our Friday night meal with the Hillbergs to try and comfort them and be there for them - and many other neighbors also came over afterwards. It was difficult and sad - but from there we went to celebrate the week of wedding festivities (Sheva Brachot) for our good friends the Schneids and their son, bringing them blessings from the Hilbergs - who were so concerned that his festive occasion not be ignored. Somehow Hashem gave us all the spiritual strength, and the "Wedding Sabbath" was very joyful in the most sincere and meaningful way that one can imagine.
"I can go on and on, but the point is that from all these "twin" events of joy and sorrow we have come out strengthened - with eyes and hearts that better see and understand the many mercies and miracles around us, and that better appreciate the qualities of the people who have left us, and thus the qualities of each other. It is uplifting to see the young and old, who usually can't agree on anything, sharing both the mourning and the joy as one.
"We pray together with you that, just as we celebrated our sons' devotion to the People of Israel at the Officers Training Graduation on Thursday in Latrun, on the road to Jerusalem, so too we will continue to celebrate only happy events, that the Redemption will come easily and speedily, and that our children will know only joy."
-- Anita
"... It is unbelievable how we are all so interconnected in our homeland. It's like a woven carpet mural: When you pull out one string, all the pieces around it start falling apart - but [when you tighten one string, the whole picture becomes taut]. So many of the victims of the terrorist attacks in the last two and a half years are either people we know, or relatives, or friends of people we know. The pain is so intense even in the cases in which we have no connection. We all feel as if a piece of us has been torn off, and of course even more so when it is someone close to us.
"Last night was the memorial of our acquaintances from Kfar Darom, may Hashem avenge their blood, who were killed in the bus explosion two years ago - and it was the same evening that the Deipani family of Kfar Darom had a big festive Thanksgiving Meal (Seudat Hodaya) to thank G-d for their wife and mother's recuperation from the injuries she sustained in that same explosion. The families of Kfar Darom went from one event to the next all in the same night.
"Tonight is the memorial for Itamar Yefet, may Hashem avenge his blood, of our own community, who was murdered at the age of 19. Next week is the memorial for Etti Pachima, also of Netzer Hazani, who was murdered a year ago on her way to a wedding. Four years ago, Yochanan Hilberg, a commando soldier and son of our neighbor and good friends, was blown up by a Hizbullah bomb - and that very Friday night, right after his funeral, we had a Shabbat Chatan and Sheva Brachot (wedding celebrations) of his very good friend Sufi Schneid... We ate our Friday night meal with the Hillbergs to try and comfort them and be there for them - and many other neighbors also came over afterwards. It was difficult and sad - but from there we went to celebrate the week of wedding festivities (Sheva Brachot) for our good friends the Schneids and their son, bringing them blessings from the Hilbergs - who were so concerned that his festive occasion not be ignored. Somehow Hashem gave us all the spiritual strength, and the "Wedding Sabbath" was very joyful in the most sincere and meaningful way that one can imagine.
"I can go on and on, but the point is that from all these "twin" events of joy and sorrow we have come out strengthened - with eyes and hearts that better see and understand the many mercies and miracles around us, and that better appreciate the qualities of the people who have left us, and thus the qualities of each other. It is uplifting to see the young and old, who usually can't agree on anything, sharing both the mourning and the joy as one.
"We pray together with you that, just as we celebrated our sons' devotion to the People of Israel at the Officers Training Graduation on Thursday in Latrun, on the road to Jerusalem, so too we will continue to celebrate only happy events, that the Redemption will come easily and speedily, and that our children will know only joy."
-- Anita