Monday, Day 3

 Noah and our upstairs neighbor went biking this morning. There is a beautiful bike path that circles Jerusalem and passes several neighborhoods, and the zoo and the aquarium. I did not think this was a good idea, but Noah is very stubborn and believes that one should continue to do normal things while the war is going on. 

My friend E came over with her 2-year-old granddaughter. Her daughter is 8 months pregnant, her husband has been called up, and they are now living with my friend. Things were calm overnight and we were sitting in our living room discussing the situation while the toddler played. E showed me pictures from a zoom she had done that morning with one of her sons who was called up and several of her grandkids. Crazy to think a soldier fighting a war can spend a few minutes on  a zoom call, and I'm sure it was reassuring to his wife and mother. 

Noah went out to deliver some toiletries to a collection point in the neighborhood, which would then be sent south to displaced families and soldiers. Then there was a siren. We raced down to the shelter, as E tried to distract the toddler from getting frightened. I could not contact Noah because there is no reception in the shelter. He was not going far. After the required 10-minute wait, we went back upstairs and Noah thankfully returned safely, having been in the local supermarket.

There were two more sirens today. During the last one, Rob had gone out to get a few things. Once again, I did not know where one of my family members was, very frightening. He did come back safely as we were leaving the shelter.

Our phones had service for a month that was expiring on the 10th, so Noah and I went to the phone store nearby to replenish them. Then we went to the supermarket to stock up on a few items. That was my only outing for the day.

I am sleeping in sweat pants and a t-shirt so if there is a siren overnight I will be in more than a flimsy nightgown. I am keeping my phone charged at all times. I downloaded the official Home Front Command app which gives detailed instructions and notices of every missile coming to our location. We then have 90 seconds to get to the shelter. We put more supplies down there since there has been advice to stock up for possible long sieges in the shelters. We left a phone charger there so now all I grab is my phone when we run downstairs. 

We learned today that 260 bodies have been recovered from the desert festival. Impossible to comprehend the type of person that would commit such an atrocity. The media is calling it a pogrom. 

The IDF has now retaken the communities held by Hamas. There are still terrorists at large, but now they are ready to begin a ground assault, which is going to be deadly.

Our flight on United for tomorrow was cancelled and we are rebooked for Oct 17. Maybe it will all be over by then...