Now, I have to take a step back and appreciate how well I've, thank G-d, managed to integrate here. Four years ago during Operation Cast Lead, I had gotten my Hebrew up to speed, but in that gap between wars, I picked up more vocab; now I fully understood Netanyahu and used other words which I had picked up on the news or in the newspaper to be fully abreast of what's happening. And I'll continue to soak up new words--today's news further expanded my war-time vocab:
אוֹת קָלוֹן/ot kalon
stigma, mark of disgrace (used by Ben-Gurion University Med School administration staff to describe med students who didn't stay in town for their rotations)
חָפוּז/chafuz
hasty (used to describe the preparation of the Tel Aviv bus bomb)
and
התנסות ראשונה/hitnasut rishona
first time experience (used by Ben-Gurion University President Rivka Carmi to describe those Beer Sheva residents, like me, who were not yet around the last time during Operation Cast Lead)
But after we ceased our fire per the agreement, the terrorists continue to send rockets toward Israeli civilians. I type, they continue trying to kill us...
It's always something
Two and a half years ago, I got news that Dad's cancer had come back after his first round of chemo, the night before my first exam in grad school. That ambush of exams was the hardest I had in one semester, including Pathophysiology, Budget Management and Planning, and Epidemiology (all in Hebrew, of course). I used Tom Petty's "Runnin' Down a Dream" one of my aliyah anthems, to help me survive that summer's exams.
Last night I had what I think was my first nightmare of sirens and running to shelter to avoid rocket fire. Now I can only hope and pray that Hamas and their compadres will wise up and finally stop terrorizing Israel with rockets (the ceasefire as of now clearly means zilch to them). And I will catch up on my work, keep one foot in front of the next, and make that dream happen each day despite so many useless, hateful anti-Semities who don't want me here.
More recommended reading:
Michael Oren, who revoked his US citizenship for this moment of serving Israel as Ambassador to the US, giving fantastic historical perspective to the conflict of Israel against its haters.
David Horovitz, wisely warning Israel to beware of Hamas's future attempts to outsmart the Iron Dome.
And a touching personal depiction of his son's response to rocket fire and sirens by big-time Israeli writer Etgar Keret, who also lectures at Ben-Gurion!
With that I'll wrap up my visit to the North and head back to Jerusalem tomorrow morning.
Happy trails to everyone getting back home to the South and the tens of thousands of reserve soldiers returning home. And a רפואה שלמה/refua slema - full healing to all the Israelis injured.
Huge thanks again to everyone who reached out to me or my Mom! It means the world to me.
And Happy Thanksgiving America! Love,
אריק/Eric
No comments:
Post a Comment