This morning I was sitting, responding to blog comments, when a weird howling sound began. I wondered if it was the wind whistling through cracks, and opened the window to eliminate that possibility. As I did, it was very obvious that there was a city-wide (country-wide? – edited to add, just learned this was northern Israel and an hour later in Jerusalem) warning that was being sounded.
I know that in this situation, you’re supposed to head to the closest bomb shelter, but I wasn’t quite sure what to do – like what to take with me, or how long to stay there. Late yesterday afternoon, I had seen a fighter jet zooming very close overhead right across the street (I’ve never seen those except in pictures), and after the four missiles that were shot at northern Israel from Lebanon last week, I wasn’t sure if this siren was a sign we were entering something serious or not.
I quickly looked outside to see how other people were responding (I have a view to the nearby mall), and no one seemed worried. So I hoped that meant I don’t have to worry (I don’t really rely on other people’s reactions to be a good indicator, but it was something), but even if there was no emergency, it was a good time to find out about where the entrance to our building’s bomb shelter was. We went downstairs and found it locked – we were the only ones in the building who left their apartments – and then went up to find out about getting a key.
Then I learned from the neighbor who has the key to the bomb shelter that it was a practice warning, and that the jets flying overhead the last few days were engaged in practice drills. In the US, there were regularly announcements over the radio “This is a test of the emergency broadcast system. This is only a test.” Followed by a buzzing sound. Much less unnerving than this siren. My neighbor told me her dog was freaking out because she remembers the Second Lebanon War that took place just a few years ago, when a number of missiles were shot from Lebanon into northern Israel, including Karmiel.
When the kids came home, I asked them if they heard it. Dd15 said she always wondered how you’re supposed to get down the bomb shelter in thirty seconds, but the entire school was there by that time, with the exception of one class. The teachers also hadn’t heard about the practice warning siren, and some of the girls were sobbing – they had lived through the recent war as well, and their immediate reaction was terror.
Dd11 said in her schools some girls were crying as well (for the same reason), but ds12 said that someone in the office of his school said something was going to happen at 10:05 in the morning. Since vaccinations were scheduled to be administered today, he thought that’s what they were talking about! (He asked someone who spoke Hebrew what she had said, but they also didn’t understand what she meant – I don’t know if she herself knew what the ‘something’ would be.) But when the siren went off, everyone realized that was the ‘something’ that was going to happen.
Ds4 and ds5 said they didn’t hear anything, which isn’t suprising considering the lively music that is often playing in their classrooms! My first thought when the sirens went off was about my kids in school, and I’m glad none of them were overly frightened.
I was later told that this test of the emergency system can’t be announced too far in advance, out of fear that Arab terrorists will schedule an attack to coincide at that time. It was definitely announced on the radio around 8 am, according to my neighbor, but if you’re not listening to the news on the hour every hour, how would you hear about it?
Edited to add – since posting twenty minutes ago, I’ve learned the following – when it’s a drill, the siren will go up and down. When it’s a real alert, it will be one long blast that doesn’t change. And here’s an article I just read that shows that I wasn’t the only one who wasn’t sure what was going on – http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/150526#.TuEwmbJU43R.)
Hopefully we won’t have to experience this when it’s a real warning, but I would like to be more mentally prepared. I’m going to get a radio, and would welcome suggestions from readers in Israel of where and how to get news from – internet sites, radio stations, or whatever.
Avivah
I read the article you linked:
“Mental health professionals have estimated that up to 80 percent of Israel’s population suffer from some form of trauma — and a significant percentage of those meet criteria for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) as a result of living with the constant threat of terror attacks.”
How do you feel about this, about your children experiencing this? Were they frightened by the sirens, about not knowing, not understanding? While terrorists can strike anywhere in the world today, Israel is a place with very high odds of something happening, much more so than where you were living in the US. One could almost say it is a war zone. Does this make you question your move to Israel?
Mrs, K, you’re asking a really, really good question. I hope to write a post to respond at more length, since from an outside perspective, moving to Israel is hard to comprehend.
My kids weren’t frightened though the siren is a bit unnerving for anyone.
It makes me sad that so many children feel the angst of what they have already had to live through. Sometimes I wonder how much longer this can all go on. There must be an intimate connection to that land that keeps you there.
Naomi, there is a very, very deep connection between the Jewish people and the Land of Israel that goes back thousands of years to biblical times when G-d gave this land to our forefathers.
We have this sirens here in southern Israel and I can say to you, they are not to be taken lightly.
When you have the “real” siren you have to go to your secure room in the apartment – “heder bitahon” in Hebrew or the bomb shelter in your building our outside your apartment, it depends on the reccomendations you have in your area.
The best site for news in Israel is ynet – the Yediot Aharonot newspaper’s site, but it is in Hebrew. You have some of it translated into English as well. The adress is http://www.ynet.co.il
Thank you for the link for the news site, Ramona.
Our building was built after the relatively new guidelines so we don’t have a secure room in our apartment; we have to go to the building bomb shelter (which was locked when we got downstairs).
I would say that most adult Jews have experienced some sort of “trauma.” My father is a Holocaust survivor. I disagree with Mrs. K. My ds17 is currently living in the Negev where bombs have been dropping in the last few days. I just told my ds33 that I feel he is mamash safer in Eretz Yisroel than taking a bus across Denver. And I mean that! If you think ANY American city is not currently a “war zone” I can’t relate. There is so much violence of every kind in American cities, but we are used to it. Traffic fatalities are the biggest loss of life (cv’s) in Israel… not terrorism. I think Israel is going to look a lot more attractive to American Jews as the US continues to decline into poverty and chaos. May Hashem get us all there soon.
Michelle, I have many non-Jewish blog readers, and the idea of living in Israel can seem very crazy to them (actually, to a lot of readers who are Jewish, too!) in light of what you hear on the news. I’m going to post more about this in the next few days, if I can find the time to get my thoughts together.
I share your feeling that living here is safer than taking a bus across the inner city.
As a non-Jewish reader, Isreal is looking better and better from here. I’m in mid-west, very rural America where people are just now starting to lock their cars and houses. We don’t feel safe here anymore. Wherever we are, we need The Creator’s protection. Please know there are many Torah-keepers over here praying for Isreal and all of you.