Under Fire, part 31

It is Tisha b'Av and the sirens are wailing: Today is a day of fasting, prayer, and sorrow in the Jewish calendar. Many terrible disasters have befallen us on this day: the destruction of the First Temple and the Babylonian exile; the destruction of the Second Temple; the expulsion from Spain during the Inquisition; Kristalnacht; the list goes on and on. Today the sirens are wailing as, once again, an enemy seeks to destroy us.

As the last two ketushot hit close enough to rattle the house, Gill calls. He is on the main highway driving back from the direction of Akko, and he can see huge clouds of smoke rising from the hills of Karmiel. It's great to hear his voice, but I only breath easier when he returns home safely a few minutes later, reporting that one ketusha fell by our mail box (about a block away).

The dishes are piled in the sink because I can't risk standing in the kitchen long enough to wash them.

It is Tisha b'Av, and the sirens keep wailing.