The Threat of Death

So this week I read The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho partially because I've heard that it's one of those books that everyone should read at some point in their life and also because I still have access to my friend Sophie's Kindle account (you're the best Sophie) and that's one of the books she has and I was looking for something to read. It was an incredible book, I can see how it has come to be known as a book everyone should read, but one line in particular jumped out at me:

"Usually the threat of death makes people a lot more aware of their lives"

Pretty apt timing if you ask me. Now true, I personally am not under the threat of death seeing as Tel Aviv is pretty well protected by the Iron Dome system and we barely even hear sirens in the city, but having been in Israel during a war (2006 Lebanon War) and two operations (Pillar of Defense and Protective Edge) I can see how Israel as a nation becomes incredibly aware of their life and their unity when under the threat of attack. When I was in Beer Sheva during Pillar of Defense, all of my Israeli friends and even Israelis that I didn't know super well offered me and my American friends a place to stay that was out of rocket range. Our program provided well for us, but we still had Israelis all over the country saying that we could stay with them if we didn't feel comfortable. Even now families all over Israel have opened up their homes for families in the South (where the rocket fire is most intense) to have a quiet and restful Shabbat away from the sirens.

There is a lot about Israel that I don't like, but this is by far my favorite part about this amazing country.