Update from June Narunsky

Good morning Dear Family and Friends

 

I have just realized that this will be our third Shabbat under fire from Gaza.  We had a peaceful night last night as far as incoming rockets although it was reassuring to hear the drone of our helicopters throughout the night with the occasion swoosh of jets always accompanied by the dull doof, doof, doof of the big guns being fired by the tanks and the navy.

 

Then waiting for the wail of the siren, and rushing to our safe room.  We have 30 seconds before an incoming to move our behinds!  15 seconds longer than the poor folk in Sderot.  The worst part really is waiting for the end of the siren, the surreal quiet and the horrible whistle before you hear the explosion.  If it is near the whole building shakes and quivers.  Then you wait for the prescribed time by the home guard unit and get back to what you were doing.

 

I have to say, which shows my ripe old age!  I am amazed at the technology.  We have a cleaning man who comes in once a week to help with the heavy stuff (well all the yukky things I hate doing, like windows, oven, etc., etc.) and Sami is totally deaf.  So how do we communicate?  Well I write him little notes to tell him what I want and in the beginning I was very worried about him because of course he does not hear the red alert siren.  However, our government devised a little gizmo which has to be worn next to the body and as soon as an alarm goes in the area it buzzes and vibrates something fierce and he knows what to do.  Isn't that amazing?  I think so.  Then we keep our radio on 24 hours a day tuned to Radio South 101 which broadcasts music, news and information all the time but the minute a red alert siren goes, it sounds on the radio and not only that, the voice will tell you exactly where it is going off.  For example if it is in Beer Sheva, or Ashdod or Ashkelon.  Amazing.  I think so.

If you are watching telly at the top right side of the screen as soon as the alarm is to sound a round red dot appears so you know to move your bones and get to the safe area.  Young people just assume that is how it should be but like  I said, I think its all amazing, so that shows my age!!!

 

 I also have to tell you how amazing the folk of this country are.  We have had phone calls and emails from total strangers inviting us to come up to the centre of the country for a few days or as long as we want to chill out and recharge our batteries.  Another thing that amazes me!

 

I guess it is hard to explain how one feels at this point.  I am lucky that Mel is such a laid back character which certainly helps one's stress level and like I said we have the computers in the safe room, so my computer skills should have improved but every now and again I prefer to do my knitting.  I tell you, I am quite a quick knitter but when the siren wails the adrenaline flows and boy do my knitting needles clack at double the speed, I was in shock to notice I have almost finished my sweater.  A pattern which normally takes me weeks, has taken about ten days!! 

 

I really just wanted to touch base with you all and say thank you to all of you who have written, called and emailed us just to let us know your thoughts and prayers are with us certainly is a wonderful boost for the morale.

 

Anthy, Effie and the children are doing okay.  Our little Ben is not too well but that is I think the effects of getting more teeth as well as the cold weather.  Meshi and Shirazi are doing as well as can be expected but won't leave their mother which is also to be expected. 

 

Meshi's dream is to grow up and invent stuff!  So at this moment is very annoyed at the war because she wanted to invent something that would harm the 'bad guys' but leave the good people alone!  And as far as she is concerned the war started without waiting for her invention and in her little mind this is totally unfair!

 

With lots of love to you all, 

June

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