"Are you sure you want to do that?"
I turn and look at my Israeli coworker, puzzled. She is concerned and caring, her eyebrows are furrowed with slight worry -- as if she's not sure I understand.
"What?" I ask, "Go to the shuk?"
She nods.
Arrrrrrrrrghh. Not her too.
Over the past two weeks, more than 200 Israelis have managed to survive an attack but with injuries of varying degree. Some are still in the hospital fighting for their lives; others are recovering from shock; others are facing life without an arm or leg or both, injuries that will vastly affect them every day of the rest of their lives. All of them will carry on their bodies the physical scars the terrorists are trying to inflict on an entire nation.
And that is why I refuse to be scared.
My concerned colleague is expressing a certain reality that we face: There are people -- a lot of them -- who are quite good at killing and maiming Jews who live in Israel. And they like to find places -- like the shuk's open-air market -- that are crowded with civilians. More blood for their bang, in essence.
Israeli security forces and plain Israelis produce miracle after miracle and stop attackers in their tracks through elaborate intelligence operations or simply snatching wires out of a bomb about to explode. But even if they thwart 90 percent of the would-be killers, it only takes one bomber to slip through.
This is what we live with.
But we also live with this knowledge: The actual deaths and maimings are merely a means to end.
Yes, the streets in Nablus and Ramallah predictably fill with dancing after each attack, and today, Hizbullah's leader, Sheik Nasrallah, called for the "rivers of blood" to continue. (Ironic, isn't it, that "hizbullah" means "party of God." God must find that really irritating.)
But I don't think they rejoice over spilling our blood nearly as much as they rejoice over the fear they put in our hearts.
With terrorism, the killing is secondary. They want us to feel fear.
Do they want us dead? Yes, undoubtedly, but they know they're not going to kill all 5 million of us. But by slaughtering a few hundred and mutilating a few thousand more (in the space of a year or two), they can traumatize an entire nation. That's why it's called "terrorism." The killing is secondary: They want us to feel fear.
They want us afraid to go to a coffeehouse, afraid to go to the mall. They want us afraid to take a walk by the beach, or to get a slice of pizza. They want to make us prisoners in our own home. (And by "home," I mean not just our houses or apartments, but Israel: our Home.)
They want our American relatives and friends afraid to come visit.
My roommate is getting married in a few months. In addition to picking out her wedding dress and the menu, she now has to consider which wedding hall has the best security. After all, they've been targeting bat mitzvahs and bachelorette parties. Do we recognize the world we live in?
The people who do this clearly misunderstand something about the Jewish people. Yes, they are traumatizing us. We feel deeply, profoundly the deaths and the maiming of our brothers and sisters. At times, I find myself feeling guilty for laughing at a friend's joke. What can possibly make me chuckle two days after five teenagers were gunned down while listening to a Torah lecture (last Thursday night, in Atzmona)?
But weeping and mourning does not make me fearful; it does not make me want to leave my home. If anything, it makes me more resolute than ever. I loathe Israel's semi-socialist infrastructure, knotted with bureaucracy and waste, and the economy is in shambles. (The terrorists did much of that, too, by knocking out the tourism industry and much of the hitech investment.) Plus, I am a proud American -- proud to come from the nation I believe to be the most free, the most efficient, and perhaps the most just country in the world. But Israel is my country.
Every time a bomb goes off, I feel more and more the pride and privilege of being here.
Every time a bomb goes off, I feel more and more the pride and privilege of being here.
I used to work in Jerusalem's Old City: My "commute" included walking alongside those famous walls through the Jaffa Gate. And, many mornings, the commute moved me to tears.
"What on earth did I do right to deserve this?" I would marvel silently to myself. For 100 generations, Jews have longed for Zion and yearned to glimpse Jerusalem. Some of the greatest Jews who ever lived only dreamed of the privilege of being buried in the Land of Israel! And me? I get to live here.
And live I will.
I grew up hearing the maxim that one does not negotiate with terrorists. It's like giving in to a spoiled child -- it only teaches them to want more. Of course, I don't hold any political power and, truth be told, I don't know what decisions I would make if I did. But I know that I feel a tremendous sense of power by refusing to allow them to control my life, by refusing to allow them to scare me away from living my life.
Today, I got an e-mail from a friend saying that he is organizing a "sit-in" of sorts -- a large group of people are going to go sit in coffee houses in the nearly abandoned restaurant districts.
In the war of terror, the cafes are the front lines.
This is the pioneering spirit re-imagined for the new millennium. Where brave souls once drained swamps and cleared fields, we now sit in cafes. And in the war of terror, that's the front lines.
Those who seek to turn our bodies into tributaries for Sheik Nasrallah's rivers of blood know us better than we sometimes know ourselves. They couldn't care less about the arbitrary distinctions and schisms to which we pay so much heed. The boys they shot during a Torah lecture were going to school in a "settlement." The mothers they blew up next to a Jerusalem synagogue were ultra-Orthodox. The people in the chic cafe were paragons of the secular left. Russian immigrants outside the Dolphinarium, Ethiopian border police, Americans ex-pats; Sephardi grandmothers. To them, we are all the same: Jews.
I realize this is nothing new.
The Haggadah tells us: In every age, they have risen against us to annihilate us. But in every generation God saved us from their hands.
"Do you really want to go to the shuk?" she asks me.
I think of a passage from Psalms: "O God, fight my adversaries, battle those who do battle with me. Take hold of shield and armor and rise up in my defense. And draw the spear, and bar the way before my pursuers; say to my soul, 'I am your salvation.'"
In the meantime, I'm going to the shuk.
(51) Rhoda Levin, June 11, 2002 12:00 AM
"WHY I AM NOT AFRAID."
I PRAY GOD BLESSES YOU AND OUR PRECIOUS LAND OF ISRAEL. OUR PEOPLE HAVE HAD MORE THAN THEIR SHARE OF HATE AND TERRORISM.GIVE US PEACE.
(50) Jesselyn Morrison, May 3, 2002 12:00 AM
Long live brave Liba and her words of inspiration!
I wish I could go to the shuk with her and stand with all the others like her who are willing to pay the price of faith in Israel's Maker and Protector. His angels are always near.
(49) Ray Saperstein, April 23, 2002 12:00 AM
In the meantime, I'm going to Israel
As an American Jew, I have written checks from the safety of my home. It's not enough. I'm going on a Volunteers for Israel trip in a few weeks. JOIN ME!!! For more information, go to www.sar-el.org or www.jafi.org.il/daily/vol.asp.
Ray Saperstein, Baltimore, MD
(48) SHIMON R, April 18, 2002 12:00 AM
GREAT ARTICLE
PLEASE CONTINUE TO BE ONE OFF THE FEW NORMAL VOICES IN THE PRESS
(47) Gloria Smith, April 10, 2002 12:00 AM
An American in Israel
Hello, I was in Israel Mar. 18th to Mar.28 it was life changing. I felt no fear in the country or from the people. Traveling from Tel Aviv, Ceserea,Haifa,Golan Heights,Megiddo,Tiberias,Jerusalem,Masada,Dead Sea, and various other places, I never looked behind my shoulder. I have been in N.Y. city ,Chicago,L.A.and other major cities and walked very carefully and on guard. Speaking to the youth I was amazed by how very matter a fact and realistic there answer when I offered the remark "There is no fear here." and their answer," You live life or you live in the house" Bravo well said. When a people have destiny and hope for a country that they know is a God given right naturally courage, confidence, vision, and focus comes. This moral can overcome any obstacle and brings testimony to their fellow man. This so much impressed me, of course I am spreading the word, that I srael is alive and have freedom from in their hearts. I brought back a good report back to the United States and 40 others. I will be sharing with all classes at the middle school(ages 12 through 16) I hope this will make an impact they will never forget and maybe this generation can make a difference in the future for Israel. We pray Peace of Jerusalem, prosperity and enlargement be your continual blessing. Please dont faint. " Not by might nor by power but by My Spirit saith the Lord"
Gloria Smith, Prescott, Arizona USA
(46) Dina, April 10, 2002 12:00 AM
Am Yisrael Chai
Wow. I read your article with an amazing sense of pride. The pride one only feels when they know they are a part of something bigger than human existance. You helped give me that pride, that pride in being a Jew. Your couragous attitude to the persecution our people are experiencing at this point in history is so admirable. If only more people shared similar views. I hope to one day walk through the gates of Jerusalem permanently, and when I do so...I pray to Hashem that I will be as brave as you. The Jews are THE chosen people, and Israel is OUR Holy Land...OUR home. We must never let anyone take our home away from us. Israel is the force harnessing the link between every member of the Jewish nation. It unites Jews from past, present and future generations, coming from every corner of the world. The Jewish people have faught against persecution in the past and made it through... and b'ezrat Hashem we will do it again. Thank you for being in Israel during these hard times...a home is not a home without people to call it a home. You should feel very priveleged to be living in the Holy Land, and we, the Jewish people of the diaspora feel very priveleged to have you there. Am Yisrael Chai.
(45) Denise Deeds, April 7, 2002 12:00 AM
Awsome courage
Thank you Liba Pearson for your example of courage. I read your article with tears in my eyes as I feel in my heart the truth of your words. I am here in Seattle, safe and secure in my little world. I have friends in the old city who I think of and pray for every day. And now I will pray that they have the strength that you have voiced. Thank you for the courage and hope that you send out. May Hashem cover you in the shadow of His wings while you're at the shuk. I will smile when I think of you there. Denise Deeds
Seattle, Wa.
Mikey, May 28, 2012 7:40 AM
I miss you Denise
I read this often. Just to hear your words. You are the best big sister!
(44) , April 7, 2002 12:00 AM
French-Palestinians same fight!
I am a French citizen and a proud Jew. My family lived in Algeria for many generations after the Spanish Inquisition. In 1962 Algeria gets its independence after heavy fights and terrorist attacks again the French government. It is then that most of the Algerian Jews decide to leave for France. Forty years later and look a little bit what’s happening in France: we are back to the same pattern. Arabs burn synagogues. Arabs commit all kind of terrorist actions against the most polite, educated French Jews. Why? How come the government there is lenient with those terrorist acts? How come Ariel Sharon is always described in the French press as a warrior? And of course ... those “poor Palestinians”!!!! Well, today I live in the US but my entire family is still in France. Everyone there wonders what will be the next step, the next move? Please allow me to say it too: “"Enough is enough!” Palestinians, French, Spanish, Germans, Italians, Russia, Poland, Algeria ... and so many more ... share the same deep feeling: Jews should not live among them. Do not ask me why but my answer to them is: YOU ARE RIGHT. JEWS DO NOT DESERVE ANYMORE TO LIVE AS IF THEY ARE THE GARBAGE OF YOUR SOCIETIES.
Jews contributed to the economic and intellectual development of most countries in the world. Would that be too much to ask for our dues: to now LEAVE IN PEACE in that little piece of land that G.d gave us (See: first lines of the Bible … by the way including the West Bank!) ". Jews should live with pride in their country. The country they sacrificed so much for during these long millennia. The land that G.d promised them. The land of Israel and as I said ... including the West Bank! And if the Arab have so much love for each other, let them make room for their dear brothers in this huge Arab world that exist today. After all is not Jordan THE country that was given to the Palestinians? And the 2 millions Palestinians in question seem to only represent 0.6% of the Moslem population (2/300). Isn’t?
(43) David Curtis, April 6, 2002 12:00 AM
Admire your spirit
Good for you! "Fear hath torment." Live your lives, don't fall victim to your enemies. I pray for the peace of Israel.
(42) Naomi Webster and George Piperis, April 6, 2002 12:00 AM
Good On You
After suffering the holocaust you have a right to the land without a people. Why won't the Palestinians just leave good people alone!?!
(41) nadia Behr, April 6, 2002 12:00 AM
encouraging thank you
I thought this was a brilliant article and very encouraging. Watching the murders in Israel taking place over the past months has been very distressing, but this has made me see a little light at the end of the tunnel, and made me feel a little hopeful
Nadia
thanks
(40) Anonymous, April 5, 2002 12:00 AM
getting back to ourselves
Glad you're so defiant, Liba. But I'd gladly give up my coffee and croissants, pizza, malls, hi-tech and hotels, in order to hang on to the view of the Galilee Hills and Mt. Hermon that I have from my home. Maybe it's time for we Jews to simplify and shed some of that Amercanism. We should learn to build our own buildings and wash our own dirty dishes in resturaunts. It's time to truly inherit the land. Maybe those "brave souls" who frequent the coffee shops should get back to the land and work the fields of Eretz Yisroel or put on uniforms and fight for every inch of it.
(39) jack bender, April 5, 2002 12:00 AM
help protect west bank motorists
it seems to me that if all put big TV tape on their cars, the palestinians might not shoot so readily, it is worth a try.
(38) Yvee, April 5, 2002 12:00 AM
God Bless You
I have a 6 month old son. Every night when I say Shema for him I pray to God that, among other attributes, he have kindness, strength, faith, integrity, and courage. In essence, I pray he grow to be a man who lives a life of conviction, not fear. I pray he knows that no one can take his soul or sense of self. I pray he be able to be like you and the other brave Jews who will not back down, who have moral clarity, and who know we will always survive. Know that we in the states are thinking of and praying for you, Israel, and all Jews daily.
(37) Jeanne Helstrom, April 5, 2002 12:00 AM
Now I understand...
I live in Idaho, USA, and my co-worker and I were discussing just this morning how we would flee Jerusalem if we lived there during all this time of terrorism. That we would be afraid to go anywhere, but Liba's article really made me understand why you can't do that. In fact, we held the same attitude on Sept. 11th, that we couldn't show "them" we were afraid and went along as usual with our living. Thank you for clarifying this belief for us. I am proud of you, and I pray daily for the peace of Jerusalem/Israel. I was there two years ago, and I still carry Israel in my heart! God bless you! Jeanne, in Idaho
(36) J. J., April 4, 2002 12:00 AM
war against the Jews
I am proud of the way you are not afraid. You are right that's exactly what the terrorist want. God has told us that he hasn't given us a spirt of fear. What can we fear when God is with us?
(35) Alex van Broek, April 4, 2002 12:00 AM
Will I march?
Last night, before I saw your website and the words of pride, I was asking myself if I would march if the violence escalates and American Jews take to the streets to march in support of Isreal(and others march to support the Palestinian cause.) Yes, I would march, because of my anger and for respect for those, including my father, who escaped from the Nazis to make it to life and freedom.
Would I let my teenage children march? I don't know. Will I let them go to Israel for a visit? I don't know.
I have to think about it.
Regards,
Alex van Broek
(34) Sharril Sherwood, April 4, 2002 12:00 AM
The Powerful Words I've Been Looking For!!!
As a Christian who loves Israel, her people, and the Jewish people worldwide, I have weepingly, prayerfully clicked between the news channels. In all the expected distorted retoric, I have longed for the clear, resolute voice of a true Zionist, with courage the rest of us can only admire and hope we could emulate were we in your shoes. I could barely read the noble words through my tears, as I recalled my three month long trips to Israel in the 90's. Never with a tour group, I went alone or with five others with the same heart, to get to know your uniquely blessed people, and walk where you walk. Thank you for not surrending to the "Esau" spirit that has threatened to destroy from within. May all your people stand on the Torah, and behold your G-d, who truly Watches over Israel and WILL give you victory. If we don't stant with you, even saying "God help us", won't help, as He must be true to His Word, as explicitly spoken in Gen. 12:3. The prayers of millions of true God fearing Christians are with you. I am calling on all in our area to attend the Yom Hashoah Service this Sunday in Palm Desert. Shalom to you and yours.
(33) Paul Reddick, April 4, 2002 12:00 AM
thats Powerfull
I really enjoyed this article and it put a sense of bravery in me and my heart... thanks and i pray God"s blessings on your country Isreal.
(32) robert fabrigar, April 4, 2002 12:00 AM
I pray for Israel Everyday
We are with you, your are always in our daily prayers...
(31) Anonymous, April 4, 2002 12:00 AM
G_D protect you
YOU ALL are the chosen nation, the light to all nations. You are the eternal caretakers of this Holy Land promised as a House of Prayer For all nations. ONLY HaShem is your friend. there are sincere friends amongst the believing gentiles/noahides, but the general safety is to put your trust in G_D.
We are daily praying for you all as salvation will come to us through you all too. Many are leaving their man made faith and coming to the orthodox jews to learn about the True G_D and as we see the prophecy in isaiah coming true, so will we see the mosiach coming and solving all issues, MAY IT BE SOON.
NO HUMAN CAN AND WILL TAKE AWAY YOUR HERITAGE. THIS IS YOUR LAND.
(30) , April 3, 2002 12:00 AM
We're praying for you
There are only two things I can do from where I am in the USA and I pledge to you to do them both to the utmost of my abilities. The first is to flood our Whitehouse with e-mail supporting Israel and condeming terrorism. The second is to be with you in spirit through prayer. If I had the finances I would fly to your country now to join you in a cafe for a cup of coffee. You are right, you cannot allow fear to creep into your soul. The World Trade Center was my building. They came once, I know they're coming back... but we will not fear these animals. They can only kill the body - our soul belongs to God alone. Peace.
(29) betsy penn, April 3, 2002 12:00 AM
I used to be a fearful person but have been noticing that I have no fear in the face of recent world developments!
I am Jewish, living in America. Wisdom, justice, fixing the world...all are an integral part of my identity. Until recently I had no idea that this had anything to do with my being Jewish! I have been learning about my Jewish Identity, studying Torah for the first time-only to find that I had already been taught Torah in my search for Truth in life. I already knew, from personal experience, what was being taught in Torah class. That was a jolt to me. I am also finding myself in the Torah, my identity is in there, was there all along.
A longing to live in Israel has come over me these past few years. Israel was a place far removed from my thoughts and concerns, and now it's more important to me than I imagined any geographical location ever could be.
Growing up in America, which I care about, deeply, I experienced the bomb drills as a child in school. It made me fearful and that dread/fear was never far from me/my mind. But, amazingly, I am not afraid now. I feel a rock-solid sense of my identity, like the way I felt upon hearing Daniel Pearl's last words. YES. I am Jewish, and my mother is Jewish. There is tremendous strength in that. unshakeable strength, thank God.
I know what the outcome of this conflict will be. I know Who is going to win. I am not afraid, no matter what might happen to me, personally, not afraid.
Thanks for the article...very GOOD.
(28) Cathy Biasella, April 3, 2002 12:00 AM
When will your pain and suffering end?!!!!!!
My heart and my prayers are with you each day
(27) HERMANETTA BRADLEY, April 2, 2002 12:00 AM
I live in America and the shock of 9/11 still has not worn off.WhatI am feeling is anger.The only fear I have is that my grandchildern will never feel safe in this world.
(26) , April 2, 2002 12:00 AM
Am Yisroel Chai!!
I am continually in grief and anguish over these terrorist activities. No-one ever desires to be a victim of terrorism, however to become prisoners at home as a result of these fanatics means that they have won a major psychological victory. Hashem's Torah made very clear as to whom the land belongs and those people opposing that undenying truth are the ones who need to be afraid. In addition the book "From Time Immemorial (the origins of the Arab-Jewish conflict over Palestine)" by Dr. Joan Peters gives an excellent analysis of this subject. Chazak, chazak v'Am Yisroel Chai!!
(25) Anonymous, April 2, 2002 12:00 AM
wonderful and inspiring! G-d Bless us all!
yashir lecha coach! I intend to make alyiah soon, and I'm also not afraid. We have the merit to do what our grandparents could only dream. Therefore, I can only have an enormous joy of having the opportunity to go to Israel! God Bless us All!
(24) Shannon, April 2, 2002 12:00 AM
moved to tears
I just finished reading this article and I am sitting here in tears. Not tears of sadness, but tears of pride and meaning. This article sums up the feelings of myself and every Jew I know. Great Job!
(23) melissa, April 2, 2002 12:00 AM
Why am i not afraid?
well done, ms. pearson. your article brought me to tears. whats hapening in your home is tearing my heart out, every day, little by little. While the world turns against her, there are those of us who still, as always, love Israel. and pray for the land and the Jews constantly. God-bless Israel!
a christian friend,
melissa
(22) Anonymous, April 2, 2002 12:00 AM
I am with you Liba
My thoughts are with you. May you be safe. May our soldiers be protected.
(21) Rebecca Witonsky, April 1, 2002 12:00 AM
We must not be afraid
I pray for Israel every day. I try not to be afraid for the future of Israel. We Jews must not give in to fear. We must stand up for our brothers and sisters in Israel. I appreciate your courage.
(20) Anonymous, April 1, 2002 12:00 AM
We are with you....
Thank you for sharing Ms. Pearsons' thoughs... They do not fall on deaf ears...we are with you!
(19) Anonymous, April 1, 2002 12:00 AM
We are with you............
Some of us Christians are going to Israel in July to express our solidarity and belief in Israel's right to the Land. We bring our love and prayers, and our spending money and hope to be an encouragement. Your stand against fear reminds me of the bravery of our American Patriots. May G-d be with you!
(18) , April 1, 2002 12:00 AM
I feel that we must all listen to the news casts and go to Israel. I am going for Succos. Not a soul should be afraid. It is our country and we will roam it freely.
(17) Krassimira Nikolova, March 31, 2002 12:00 AM
I live far away but follow the news and hope the israeli people will not be scared of what happens. I pray everyday for Israel and will as soon as I can come back to the kotel.
(16) Brachah Zimring Lyons, March 31, 2002 12:00 AM
Systematic Annhilation
I have a young American cousin in Haifa studying to be a physician. Arafat never intended to accept a peace settlement. It is his intention and that of his followers to systematically annihilate and/or cripple the Israeli population. Any retaliation is falsely entitled: Israeli aggression. The suicide bombers have been indoctrinated with 12th century ideals unable to embrace any form of democracy hence any peace settlement with Western ideals is quickly ignored. I have no solution. If the Arab League were so concerned about the plight of the Palestinians in humanitarian terms why would they not absorb some of the population of the Palestinian refugees. Instead their leaders think of the Palestinian refugees as expendable weapons of war. Why not move Arafat to an undisclosed location and set up a buffer zone at the edge of Ramallah just outside the borders of Ramallah?
(15) David Baas, March 31, 2002 12:00 AM
Go out and socialize, but be careful !
Those terrorists are animals. They are not human. I say go out and socialize, but have a volunteer or two stay OUTSIDE the cafe looking for the out of place person so they can alert people inside to get out of there, out the back door if possible to minimize injuries and deaths. In a lot of news reports, people saw something/somebody "out of place" but did'nt alert anybody untill it was too late. Hey, I'm in Ohio, USA, but if I was in Israel, I would volunteer to stand outside of cafe/pizza parlors looking for terrorists. I don't know, maybe people are doing this already. Well anyway, be careful.
(14) Lenn Carty, March 31, 2002 12:00 AM
And that's why I'm going to make aliyah!
Every day when I turn on the news and see some evil person has attempted and, Hashem forbid, succeeded in taken the lives of innocent Israelis, I mourn. My heart cries out for my fellow brothers and sisters who are living in the Land. The Palestinians say they want to annihilate all Israelis, all Jews living in Eretz Yisrael? That's nice. They won't succeed--and they've just inspiried one more young woman to leave that which she knows in America in order to help defend the only place that she can rely on to save her from a future reign of terror. Because Israel is my nation and Israelis are my people I am going to help them in any and every way I can: buying Israeli products, supporting organizations that provide relief there, actively talking about Zionism and praying for them. However, there is one more thing I can and will do: make aliyah. Watch out, Palestinians--here I come. And I'm not afraid.
(13) Daniel Mann, March 31, 2002 12:00 AM
Sincerely uplifting
After some of the most miserable days I can remember,this piece is a great tonic.
I tire though of Europe's attitute to the Jewish people.
Daniel,London
(12) Larry Melsky, March 31, 2002 12:00 AM
How to deal with animals
I know what I'm going to suggest will be repugnant to most Jews, but in my opinion it's the only way to deal with uncivilized creatures ( palestinian bombers).
They and their families have to be put on notice, that if their children continue carrying out these dastardly attacks of murdering innocent people , then their families will be made to pay the price. It could result in their being expelled, dispossessed and even as their children target innocent Israelis, these families might suffer the same fate.If these MESHUGIM are put on notice, and Israel backs up these tough measures with deeds, not words, the suicide bombings will stop. These crazies want their families to benefit from their deaths be it financially, materially or both. Don't forget their families are rewarded with $$$ for sacricing their own kids. What a culture.
As I split my time between Israel and Az., I have no fear of going back to Israel after Pesach.I to am a proud American with four children livng in the states, but as Ms. Pearson stated Israel is my country by choice, religion, and the warmth, goodness and courage of the Israeli people.If my kids were
to ever make aliyah, I'd very seldom make the trip to the USA.We cannot let these people(?) destroy our country by instilling the fear of living a normal life. If
we succumb to this we are doomed
as a people and a nation. It's easier said than done, but done, it must be.
(11) Ilbert Phillips, March 30, 2002 12:00 AM
Terrior Fails to Instill Fear
As an American father with two children who have emigrated to Israel and with six grandchildren living there, I now get angry with each terriorist attack. Liba Pearson's article was very inspiring. My 16 year old daughter is now visiting Israel. I will not be afraid. I will support my homeland. We will get through this also.
Ilbert Phillips
(10) Shalom Ilikem, March 30, 2002 12:00 AM
dummies
You don't seem to get it:
there will be a Palestine
or there will not be an
Israel; there will be an
Arafat or there will no be
safe Jew anywhere in the
world.
(9) lynn, March 30, 2002 12:00 AM
Way to go, Liba!! G-d bless all of you.
(8) augustine johnson, March 29, 2002 12:00 AM
excellent
excellent article
(7) Devora Montlake, March 25, 2002 12:00 AM
Perhaps the message is to fear sin
Frankly, I feel that you have missed the point. Does G-d really want that we will ignore the attacks and keep on patronizing cafes? Shouldn't every attack make us dig into our hearts and ask, "How can I do Tshuva?" "What change can I make in my avodas Hashem to help?" Is sitting in a cafe serving Hashem? Is the economy our main concern here?
I live at the end of Meah Shearim, right on the edge of East Jerusalem, and when I want to walk to the kotel I walk through Shaar Shechem. I agree: I cannot let them terrorize me away from what I SHOULD be doing, but maybe I can let them keep me away from what I shouldn't be doing anyway. Perhaps they are scaring me: I am becoming more afraid to sin.
And perhaps the message, that the terrorists have hit all walks of society, is a message to us all not to condem those we see as "sinners" but to realize that we ALL have to do tshuva, each in his own way and according to his own level if we want anything to really change.
(6) Noa Chlebowski, March 24, 2002 12:00 AM
how can you say you are proud?
i live here in israel too...
a few days ago a girl i knew was murdered by a gunman in kefar saba, how can you say you are proud to live here?
her mother... she was so broken... and her friends... do you think they feel proud to live here?
they said at the funeral that they won't be walking on the streets soon, they don't care about the arabs and what they think they did, they are afraid for their lives...
untill someone close to you dies you don't know how it feels...
(5) Braha Shore, March 24, 2002 12:00 AM
a lesson from these times
Wow. Liba, you've said it all. If we're going to live here, darn it, we'd better LIVE. What are we mourning the loss of and what are we afraid of losing (by death) if we are not really living? Now, more then ever, we need to trust divine providence. Now, more then ever, we need to have our priorities in mind. As a friend of mine said, death could come at any moment, from inside or out. A blood vessel could burst in your brain and you'd be gone in less then a minute. Now we're just more aware of that reality, and it makes me wonder, if I was to die in a few minutes or days, what would I want to have been doing with my life? When it's my time to go, I'll go in whatever way G-d decides. And that applies all the time. So living in fear is living an illusion. The neccesary precautions are impossible. We must LIVE. Perhaps that's one of the lessons these trying times can teach us.
(4) Anonymous, March 24, 2002 12:00 AM
Well said....beautiful!!!
As a mother, and resident (citizen) of OUR Land of Israel, I totally agree with Liba's perspective.
(3) Samuel, March 24, 2002 12:00 AM
Well said
It was hard to read, because it is true, it is a reality one does not want to face. But you are right, I just hope that others will have the strength and the courage to overcome this great evil called terrorism. May we never forget Jerusalem, may we never forget our brothers (and sisters) who bravely live on the front lines of this war. I applaud you.
(2) Francie Martinez, March 24, 2002 12:00 AM
Never give Up!
Excellent Article! My heart grieves and it breaks everytime I hear another attack against our people. Adonai is our stronghold and He will lift us up in wings of an eagle. Be strong, Be strong and streghtened others along the way. The Kaddish has become a part of my life daily-someday, I too will be in Yisrael......my home which my heart yearns for...Shalom Aleichem, Francie
(1) Hana-Bashe, March 24, 2002 12:00 AM
Be not afraid . .
Dearest Liba, and all of my sisters and brothers who have taken the initiative to make aliyah, or to stay in Artzenu HaKedosha when others have fled in fear . . . I envy your committment; I pray for your safety. Chazak v'ematz!