wed - update from June Narunsky

Update letter from June Narunsky - a mother and grandmother, living in Ashkelon Dear family and friends, Its Wednesday, the twelfth day of the War on Gaza. We went to bed last night, hoping for a quiet and peaceful night. Air force jets and helicopters went over the city in waves, every twenty seven minutes of so. Its amazing what you do when you are woken up in the middle of the night. Every night since the war started we have had UMFVs (unmanned flying vehicles) buzzing about overhead which in a strange way is comforting. This morning we woke to sunshine and sirens going off every few minute in fact while this is being written to you we have a siren going off. This might sound silly to mention but the IDF declared a short pause to allow humanitarian aid to get to the regular people, the people in Gaza who are being used by the Hamas. So I am guessing the Hamas grabbed all the aid, bugger the people and here we go again. This time the rocket fell on the outskirts of Ashkelon. It is so surreal to look out of our window, Ashkelon has literally become a 'ghost town' the home front command which is a wing of the army has closed down all malls and stores and any place where a few people could congregate to minimize injuries. Only supermarkets are open and pharmacies. Every now and again soldiers from the home front command come round and knock on the doors and make sure everyone is okay. A large number of parents have to work and so drop their children off each morning at the municipal shelters of which we have 116 in Ashkelon. The chief Ashkenazi Rabbi of Chabad is also the chief Rabbi of Ashkelon and happens to be our Rabbi and a friend and he has organized that Chabad will go from shelter to shelter taking toys, books and puzzles to the children. As for our family, our grandchildren have been very good when all is said and done. They don't have a safe room in their apartment, they go to the safe area with (their mom)Anthy at once but it is of course beginning to tell on them. Little Shirazi has a sore 'tummy' and Meshi took to wetting the bed a couple of times. Ben is still too young to really know what is happening but does not like the siren and now also watches his sisters to see what they do and he goes with them. Oh heck, there goes another siren… third one, however like I was saying, Anthy's apartment block has a shelter in the basement and all the young mothers take their children there to spend the day. They can run wild, play, make a noise and generally let off steam. Mel and I go about as normal a life as possible in the circumstances and have a safe room in our apartment into which we go when there is a siren. We have our computers set up in this room so can communicate with everyone. I hate to think what our phone bills will be (not just ours but everyone's) because as soon as we hear the boom we call everyone near and dear to make sure all is okay! Daily chores like showering and going to the loo are no longer a pleasure!! I used to love a nice leisurely shower in the morning. I have now got it down to four and a half minutes, in the shower, soap, rinse and out. 6 minutes when I wash my hair!! I sure as heck don't want to be caught with my pants down and a few times I just sank down onto the 'throne' when the sirens wailed. I am seriously thinking of changing me name by deed pole to Speedy Narunsky!! In spite of all this, I have to admit life is stressful and like the whole of Am Israel we pray for a quick conclusion to this war. We pray for our soldiers and cry when they are hurt or killed. We do realize that we have to change the reality of the Hamas because they are like the Taliban, they hide behind the shirts of their women and bibs of their children, like moles they dig tunnels under the houses to hide in. They do not give a stuff what happens to the rest of their population, the women, the children, the sick, infirm and old. So why should they worry about what happens to our populations, for all these years children have been born and grown up for eight years in the little town of Sderot, a place where they know nothing but fear. A place where they run off the bus and dash home as fast as they can after school so they can be safe. Children who haven't ever played in the playgrounds and parks because they have to be ten seconds away from shelter. We have faith in our leaders and in our army and we hope that you too will support us. With lots of love,June