The following was written by one of our staff members who has been visiting family in Israel.

August 13, 2006

Dear friends and colleagues:

It is two in the morning — I am restless and feeling sad.

In less than 48 hours Kevin, Shai, Noam and I will board an El Al flight taking us back to the Bay Area — the place which we have called home for the past seven years. We are tired from our adventures over the past few weeks here. We have been to Jerusalem numerous times. We have been to archeological sites, the Wall, the Herzl Museum, Rabin’s grave, the beach, Tel Aviv, Jaffa and so many more places that I can’t even remember. We have eaten the best falafel in the world (according to Noam) and shopped for the best shoes ever. We have been to festivals galore — food, circus and arts and crafts. We have had an amazing time, far beyond what I could have wished for just a few weeks ago when Kevin and I were debating if we should actually risk it and come here, or postpone our trip until better times.

So one might ask, why then am I so sad? Well the answer is that we have also witnessed a war.

We spent hours in a bomb shelter at my sister’s house, scared as can be, waiting for life to become safe again. While driving on the new Highway 6 we saw the convoy tanks making their way up north. We have sat on the beach watching the helicopters and F-16s go north and then fly south. We have watched endless hours of funerals and devastation. We have listened to mothers, fathers, brothers and sisters talk about their loved ones in the past tense. And we have cried, children and adults alike.

Last night while getting ready for bed, Shai said to me quietly and not without guilt, “Ima, I am so sad to be leaving Savta (Hebrew for “Grandmother”) but I really want to go home. I just want to hear the boring news on the radio about a stupid car chase.”

I wish and pray as I am sure you all do to that the many children in Israel and Lebanon will turn on the news tomorrow morning and only hear boring news about a stupid police car chase.

Regards from Israel as we all count down the hours and minutes to the ceasefire.

L’hitraot,

Caron