Katzrin

 “You’re so brave”. That’s the reaction I got over and over when I told people I’d gone to Katzrin for the holiday of Shavuot. Why did they think I was so courageous? Because Katzrin is in the Golan, not far from Israel’s northern borders with both Syria and Lebanon and they’ve been under attack. Ten days earlier a rocket landed near my children’s home igniting a fire and forcing them to flee until the blaze was under control and the smoke settled down. Thankfully, there was no extensive damage, except to the wildlife. When we arrived Tuesday, we could still smell the residue.

There were no attacks while we were in Katzrin, but there were yesterday. My son and his family spent about two hours in the bomb shelter. Two people were injured. Today there is still smoke in the air.

The obvious questions are why we visited Katzrin and what makes our children stay there. To me, the answers are just as obvious as the questions. We visited Katzrin because our son, who fought for months defending the Jewish people, invited us. They stay there because that is their home. Besides, where would they run to?

In America whole neighborhoods have been abandoned, deemed unsafe, and the residents move to greener pastures. Israel is a very small country. One can transverse its width by foot in less than 36 hours. Where is it safe to run?

The whole country is on the front lines and we’re all soldiers whether in uniform or not. We fight with guns, we fight with prayers, we fight following the ways of the Torah. The Almighty has kept us alive for thousands of years. He will not stop now. Am Yisrael Chai!