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February 21, 2003/Adar1 19 5763, Vol. 55, No. 26
Satellites, children and gas masksBERNARD KAPLANThe cream of carrot soup was excellent. I even took seconds. I was happy to visit my niece and her family in Efrat and share an evening meal. Her husband tried to keep a little order at the dinner table, but mostly failed.My niece is a school psychologist in Efrat. Her husband, a son of longtime American immigrants to Israel, is a director of an adolescent day treatment center in Jerusalem. The town of Efrat has about 20,000 residents and sits over a few hilltops stretching a few miles towards the southern part of Jerusalem. If you blinked your eyes for a moment you'd think you were in an upscale American suburb. With one difference, however. We were over the Green Line, the pre-1967 border. Though many cars travel freely from Jerusalem, I had parked my rented car near the last bus stop in the Gilo neighborhood before the turnoff to Efrat and the Etzion Bloc. I then boarded an armored bus. The windows were extremely thick to stop the penetration of a bullet. As we sat at the dinner table that evening waiting for the chicken, their 6-year-old son suddenly piped in. "Abba" (Dad), he said, "did you know that a chayelet (woman soldier) came to our class today? She explained to us how to use a gas mask." Young girl soldiers were now going to each school in the country to allay children's fears so they wouldn't be terrified if and when it became necessary to use them. The little boy continued to tell us what he had learned from the chayelet. She had told them the masks were necessary because the Iraqis could send a bomb to make the air dirty and harmful. Then their 8-year-old daughter asked her father how the mask works. He took a towel from the kitchen, wet it, and put it over his face to demonstrate how a mask filters out harmful air. The little girl wanted to know why the masks were kept only at home and not in school as well. Her father explained to her that Israel's good friend, America, had stationed cameras in the sky on satellites. These would notify Israel in time so the children could get home safely in case of emergency. The children added that the chayelet said they would have to wear the masks for up to three hours without taking it off even once. The chayelet had done her job well. The children were not frightened of putting on a gas mask and going to the security room. Like all residences in Israel, their house is equipped with a special thick-walled, sealable security room. The dinner in Efrat turned out to be an eye-opener for me. It was more than an opportunity to visit relatives. I had learned firsthand what Israel was facing and how people dealt with it. The chayelet had helped the children but could not ease the fears of my niece about the safety of her children. Her choice of words was that they live with fear but not in fear. Their courage exemplifies for me why Israel will persevere. Bernard Kaplan has published articles on Israel and Jewish current events in Jewish and general newspapers and magazines. Contact him at BBKap@aol.com. He resides in Staten Island, N.Y. |
