A New York Ex-Pat on the Frontline in Northern Israel
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- Written by Joanne Wallenstein
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This letter was sent to us by Diana Bletter, an expat who has lived in Israel since 1991.
I’m writing this from my home in Shavei Zion, a small beach village in Northern Israel, less than ten miles south of the border with Lebanon, waiting for the start of a barrage of rockets from Iranian’s proxy army, Hezbollah. It happened during the 2006 Israel-Hezbollah War—when Hezbollah fired nearly 4,000 rockets into Israel—and it seems likely that it will happen again.
Aimed in our direction are more than 150,000 rockets and missiles in Southern Lebanon that Hezbollah has stockpiled in the seventeen years since that war, under the watch of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon, UNIFIL.
Thirty communities in northern Israel and the Western Galilee have already been evacuated. One of our sons and his girlfriend fled their home, bringing a few clothes stuffed into backpacks and their dog, not knowing if they will ever be able to return to their home. Residents are moving farther south. But with Hamas and Islamic Jihad firing rockets and missiles from Gaza that can now reach Tel Aviv and other areas in the center of the country, there’s nowhere for us to go.
My husband, Jonny, works in Shavei Zion’s avocado groves with both Arab and Jewish Israelis. A Muslim co-worker lost his cousin on Sunday, when a Hezbollah missile struck and killed him in a nearby avocado grove. While Hezbollah’s reach inches closer, preparations are underway to prevent the terror group from trying to imitate the Hamas invasion from Gaza.
It would be an unbearable, frightening scenario. On October 7, missiles were first fired from Gaza, and then Hamas terrorists stormed into southern Israel, murdering more than 1,300 men, women, children and babies, wounding thousands, and abducting more than 300 people.
Here in Shavei Zion, we’re getting ready for what could be an expanded war in both the south and the north, yet everyone seems to be doing it calmly and orderly—very unusual for Israelis. A small handwritten sign in our local grocery store says, “Please buy only one six-pack of water so there’s enough for everyone,” and there are six-packs still on the shelf. Israelis, usually chaotic, boisterous and disorderly, are suddenly polite and helpful.
I search for inspiring moments to try to offset the horror stories from Southern Israel’s massacres. One of our friends, a tattoo artist in her twenties, lost four friends at the Supernova Music Festival, where 260 people were killed. Another friend’s mother was murdered, and his wife and sister are still missing, presumably held captive or killed. Still another friend lost an entire family—mother, father, and three small children.
Israelis are attempting to go about our daily business, but many stores have closed, businesses have shut down, and everyone is traumatized. Another of our sons, who was wounded as a soldier fighting against Hezbollah in the 2006 war, said, “This is a PTSDC. A Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Country.”
Despite the immense trauma—it feels like we’re all shell-shocked—Israelis are somehow mustering up resilience. Communities throughout the country have banded together, forming emergency committees to help the elderly, look after children, serve as medical volunteers, and cook meals (including vegan dishes) for Israeli soldiers and evacuees. From around the world, former Israeli soldiers who never expected to fight again have flown back to join their reserve units. A 17-year-old girl from our neighborhood rides around on her bicycle at all hours of the day and night, delivering messages and supplies like a courier during the French Resistance against the Nazis.
A few days ago, I went shopping for last-minute supplies, in case a war breaks out, in a local supermarket in the Arab village across the road. As soon as I walked in, I saw a common sight that I’ve always taken for granted, yet now it seemed to have great significance. A Muslim woman wearing a hejab and a Jewish man in a kippah were working together.
And it’s only because Israel is what it is—a liberal democracy founded on democratic principles—that something like this can exist. We are the only democratic, Jewish enclave in the world. And now we're fighting for our lives.
Diana Bletter is the author of several books, including The Loving Yourself Book for Women. Born in New York, Diana has lived in Israel since 1991 where she works as a journalist.
State Senator Mayer Hosts Conversation at Scarsdale Library
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Senator Shelley B. Mayer was joined by more than 35 Westchester residents on Thursday October 12 at Scarsdale Public Library for coffee and conversation. These meetings provide Senator Mayer with the opportunity to hear directly from her constituents about their issues of concern.
The discussion was energetic and many constituents asked thoughtful questions on issues such as affordable housing, accessibility for people with disabilities, encouraging young people to be civically engaged, and what more can be done to raise awareness and increase education relating to antisemitism, racism, and hatred of all kinds.
Senator Shelley B. Mayer said, “In order to best represent the people of Senate District 37, I need to be in the community and hear my constituents directly. By hosting these conversations I am able to speak directly with each individual, learn their concerns, and answer their questions. It was a pleasure to speak with and meet those who attended the Coffee and Conversation in Scarsdale, and I appreciate their active participation in the community. I particularly thank the Scarsdale Public Library for hosting us.”
David Sadoff, the Programming Librarian at Scarsdale Public Library, said, “I was delighted to see the enthusiastic community response to the coffee and conversation event featuring State Senator Shelley Mayer. More than 35 people stopped by to ask the Senator questions and voice their priorities. Attendees appreciated Senator Mayer's generous courtesy in answering questions for more than an hour and a half before she needed to leave to attend another event. I was particularly grateful to see various members of the community lingering afterwards, making conversation and connections over their shared goals and work.”
Senator Mayer hosts Coffee and Conversations regularly throughout SD37. To stay up to date on when the next event will take place, subscribe to her e-newsletter here and follow her on social media. You can also email any questions or concerns by reaching out to smayer@nysenate.gov.
Facebook: @ShelleyMayerSD37
Instagram: @shelleybmayer
X: @ShelleyBMayer
Threads: @shelleybmayer
Paulin Introduces Legislation Requiring Inspectors of Child Care Facilities Be Trained to Detect Controlled Substances
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Assemblymember Amy Paulin has authored legislation which would amend Section 390-a of New York State Social Services Law to require inspectors of day care centers, programs, and facilities to be trained in the detection of controlled substances. “It is critical to the safety of our most vulnerable that we start to train New York State inspectors to look for controlled substances during inspections of child care centers,” said Assemblywoman and Assembly Health Committee Chair Amy Paulin. “The law must be updated to reflect the society we live in, where these facilities and other seemingly unsuspicious places are being used to hide fentanyl and other illegal and deadly drugs.”
On September 15, 2023, a kilogram of fentanyl was found at a Bronx day care site after the owner of the day care called 911 to report that four children in her care, all under the age of three, were unresponsive. One child was pronounced dead at the hospital shortly thereafter, and the other three children were hospitalized with serious injuries and given Narcan.
Just a week prior, on September 6th, inspectors made an unannounced visit to the day care to inspect the site. The inspector found the day care center to be in full compliance with all laws and regulations and no violations were found.
A few days following this horrific tragedy, the Commissioner of New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene stated, “one of the things my childcare inspectors are not trained to do is look for fentanyl, but maybe we need to start.” Further explaining, “that has not been a part of our thinking for decades or years in doing this work.”
Sadly, this is not the first time a licensed day care center has been used as a front to traffic drugs. In 2013, more than a kilogram of cocaine, over 1,000 pills of oxycodone and 150 grams of crack-cocaine were found in a house licensed as a day care center in New York City.
“By training our inspectors to look for fentanyl, cocaine, or other controlled substances during inspections,” continued Paulin “we can protect children and prevent senseless tragedies like this from happening again in the future.”
Letters to the Editor: Cell Phone Service and Preservation
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We received the following letters to the editor this week, the first about cell service in Scarsdale and the second concerning historic preservation.
Cell Service
I am wondering what has happened to the enhanced cell service in Fox Meadow. There was supposed to be enhanced service by the end of September, but this morning I could not make any calls from my home and I missed an important one because there was no service into my home. Does anyone have an update on the tower at the Police Station? I am pretty sure that my neighbors and the elementary school are suffering the same lack of service that I am.
Elaine Yellen
914 723-4090
elaineyellenlandscapedesign.com
Historic Preservation
To the Scarsdale Board of Trustees,
I have been following this topic for a while. My thoughts on this are below.
I lived in Scarsdale for 37 years before I moved to Cincinnati, Ohio in March 2022.
I feel that we need keep as many historic homes as possible. It is what makes Scarsdale unique.
As a person who got his history major in college, architecture history is very important. Scarsdale is not unique to have homes with historic qualities. There is a district of historic Sears built houses in a town in Illinois.
One of the homes in the survey is down the street from my former house on Woods Lane in Scarsdale. Another home that was demolished was at 29 Church Lane. I knew the owner for years. They sold and moved and then the new owner decided to demolish it and build a brand new house.
I do not want our village to turn into a cookie cutter town. It is unique with its suburban homes and Tudor style downtown area that goes back over a hundred years.
Sincerely,
Nicholas K. Thompson
Cincinnati, Ohio
2023 Procedure Committee Invites Residents to Run for CNC
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To the Editor: The Procedure Committee (PC) invites Scarsdale residents to run for a position on the nonpartisan Citizens Nominating Committee (CNC). Thirty voting members on the CNC, six representing each of the five elementary school districts, will interview, evaluate, and select candidates running on the nonpartisan slate for open Village offices in the March 19, 2024 Village Election.
A candidate for membership on the CNC must be a qualified voter (18 years of age or older) and a resident of Scarsdale for at least two years. The CNC application is simple, consisting of a biographical form and a 10-signature petition signed by the applicant’s neighbors. Instructions for filing can be downloaded on the PC’s website at www.scarsdaleprocedurecommittee.org. The deadline for submitting the CNC application is Saturday, September 30, 2023. The CNC election will be held on Tuesday, November 14, 2023 from 7 am to 9 pm or by mail-in ballot.
The CNC meets 5 or 6 times on weekday evenings at 8 PM at the Scarsdale Library. CNC meeting dates for 2023-2024 are Tuesday, November 28, 2023 (Organization Meeting); Wednesday, December 13, 2023; Wednesday, December 20, 2023; Wednesday, January 10, 2024; Wednesday, January 17, 2024; and if necessary, Wednesday, January 24, 2024. By its last meeting date the CNC will nominate a nonpartisan slate of candidates for the open positions on this year on the Scarsdale Board of Trustees.
For more information contact PC Chair Peri Zelig, perizelig@gmail.com, or Vice Chair Heath Sroka, hbsroka@gmail.com. The other members of the 2023-2024 Procedure Committee are: Kay Eisenman, Dana Fisher, Carly Grossberg, Mary Pat Jones, Elena Kanner, Laurie Medvinsky, Elizabeth Lashbrook, Rachel Schwartz, Emily Shteinhauz, Jared Stern, Omer Wiczyk, Richard Wingate, and Matthew Zik.
Peri Zelig, Chair
Heath Sroka, Vice Chair
Procedure Committee
