Rockets Red Glare

Shalom!

This is the weekend that America honors those who have paid the ultimate sacrifice to defend our Nation against "all enemies: foreign and domestic." As a "Second World War Baby" I was taught that this is a time of both solemnity and gladness...solemnity because of the multiple thousands of young men and women who gave their lives to provide Freedom to us as Citizens of this Great Nation...gladness because we are a Free Nation Under G-d due to their ultimate sacrifice. It has been the tradition and custom to mark this Memorial Day with parades, flag waving, patriotic speeches and family picnics...it has also been the custom of American Presidents to lay a Wreath at Arlington National Cemetery in honor of our War Dead. This year, that tradition ended...no American President will pay tribute and honor to the interned War Dead at our National Cemetery...a Vice President will take the place long reserved for the top office holder in our Free Nation. Coming on the heels of the massive and continual repudiation of all that we have held dear as American Citizens that this President has shown, we mourn our loss in anger that we have allowed this Great Nation to suffer the tarnishment of our values and traditions...and we wonder when we can reclaim our honor and dignity.

Ten thousand miles away, in a small Israeli Negev Town named Sderot, the Rockets Red Glare has another meaning...terrorists fire their Kassam Rockets onto this proud Desert Town in a steady drumbeat designed to reduce the strength and break the will of Sderot's Citizens to stand against "all enemies: foreign and domestic." I have been there to see this battered little town...shopped in her Grocery Store...eaten at her Restaurants...walked the hills and valleys surrounding her...watching the Gaza Border...knowing that someone "there" was watching us watch them...I have slept in my dear friend and founding partner's Bomb Shelter...and observed as much as I could of all that was going on around me while there...one day while we were there, one of these Kassam Rockets was fired and landed not far from where we were staying...thankfully, no home or business suffered a direct hit...but the shrill CODE RED alarms blared and the weary residents sought cover in whatever shelter they could...praying that they would be spared once again.

Sometimes the "all clear" doesn't produce such good results...we visited one of the Kibbutz's surrounding Sderot...the residents of this Kibbutz had planned to show us the Kindergarden that was housed within its' walls and barbed wire fence...there are 45 children at this Kindergarden today...they had all "gone North" during Operation Cast Lead in January 2009...now they were back to their Kibbutz. It was a lovely autumn day...the Kibbutz leaders welcomed us warmly...never mentioning "why" the Israel Defense Force troops were also there...one of us asked about this and we were told that a Kassam Rocket attack had occurred the night before we arrived, and they were on high alert for further terror attacks...in the Kindergarden, the beautiful Israeli Teacher showed us their classroom...it looked like a typical Kindergarden Classroom...crayon pictures lined the walls...little chairs and tables held books and more drawing paper and crayons...then it dawned on us: there were no windows in this little room...we were, literally, in a large bomb shelter...this is how these little ones could be safe during their school day...in a bomb shelter.

One of the little girls had planned to sing us a song to go along with the kool aid and cookies they wanted to serve us...but she could not sing...the trauma of the continual shelling on their Kibbutz had taken a psychological toll...she was too traumatized to sing for us...we learned that the Kindergarden has a full time Psychologist because of the terror and trauma that these little ones deal with...I have a picture of this little girl...and I think now, as I did then, of the little American girl that I am "Aunt Sue" to...and the vastly different life my little one leads...no bombs...no terror...no drills and Code Red alerts...

This weekend, when we celebrate and honor those who have given their lives to protect and defend us against "all enemies: foreign and domestic" let us think about our War Dead...let us resolve that they will not have died in vain...even though our President could not take the time to honor the tradition and respect due their memory. And let us think of the residents of a small Israeli Negev Town to whom the term "Rockets Red Glare" has such a different meaning.

May G-d Bless America! May His Face shine upon Her! May He restore Her to the Greatness She was birthed with! May His Word once again be heard and obeyed throughout every particle of our Beloved Nation! And May the Sar Shalom soon come to His Beloved Israel and Her Eternal Covenant Children! Then, may the Rockets Red Glare Announce His Honor and Glory!

Happy Memorial Day, America! Long may our Land be Free!