It has been one year following October 7th. Israel has yet to calm down. There is still a war in Gaza, threats from Hezbollah and Iran, and we still need our hostages back.
This time period is filled with so much unknown. The situation here in Israel feels precarious, changing every day, much like the situation with Hezbollah and Iran.
Life feels differently with each of us. Our experiences are different and we respond in kind to moments of uncertainty. People have family members in the army, fighting in Gaza, and their absence has turned entire families upside down. Personally, I have a close friend who lost their life in Gaza while serving in the Reserves. His family, a wife and three young children, and the extended family is struggling to recuperate and process this loss. He is just one example. There are countless stories affecting families across Israel.
Many families are still experiencing displacement. As of June 2024, 143,000 people in Israel are still living as evacuees, with 68,500 from the north and 74,500 from the south per government mandate. Many of these families have been living in hotels since the start of the war. There are also many families who were not forced to evacuate, but left voluntarily because they did not feel secure.
Israeli preschools have been displaced throughout all of this turmoil, as well. Many Israeli communities have come together to create pop-up preschools in hotels and temporary communities, with the help of many volunteer workers. The upcoming weeks are expected to be hectic with volunteer organizations creating additional pop-up preschools in the north and south.
We await the moment when life is normal.
I am optimistic.
I recently met a lady from Greece that told me that, with all going on, she feels Israelis are happy, traveling, working. I know it is a generalization, but I agree. I wake up happy, with energy, and with passion to act, create, and enjoy life to its fullest.
I attached the words and music to a joyful Israeli song that is taught in preschools here at Rosh Hashanah.
“Wait and see, wait and see,
How good it will be
Next year, next year.”
By Raz Wasserstein
