Israel 17,

March 29, 2024,

Hi Everyone,

Today was an easy day for me. I woke up a little later than usual as the clocks were turned forward by 1 hour here for daylight saving time. The breakfast here is ‘wholesome’ with a variety of vegetables that I can not eat for breakfast. I prefer fruits, yogurt and a bagel, Israeli style, which is fatter than our St Viator style. I figured out that if I fill 2 cups separately with 1 cappuccino, I can fill the rest with 2 espressos which gives me the coffee taste that I desire.

I proceeded to the local laundromat where I washed 1 weeks worth of clothes. There is not too much as we wear army, IDF uniforms on the base. While the clothes were washing and drying, I had another cappuccino at a coffee shop around the corner that I discovered on my last trip. I walked by an exercise club where the local girls were practicing kick-boxing-shadow-boxing to music for 1 hour. It was great to watch but I don’t think that I would last 3 minutes with them.

After dropping off my washing at the hotel, I walked over to Hostage Square. Although I was there 2 weeks ago with my cousin, Rochelle, it was much more sobering to me today. Having been in Israel now for 2 weeks, I can understand the horror to realize that these people, whose only crime was to be dancing at a music festival or living on a socially minded kibbutz, have now been in Hamas’ hands for 5.5 months. How many are still alive? How many have been raped? How many are now pregnant? I took many pictures that you can see below. A music band set up in the central area and played quiet type music. Leonard Cohen’s, Hallelujah, was one of the tunes that was played making me proud to be a Canadian. This, in spite of what the Canadian government and some Canadians have done, and are continuing to do now with their on going demonstrations. The misinformation and the lies that are being spouted in Canada and all over the world goes beyond all comprehension. When people scream ‘Free Palestine’, do they really understand that that means putting Hamas back in control? If not, what are they offering as an alternative?

The weather was warm today, but for the most part cloudy with sunny periods. In any case it was good enough for a swim out to the breakwater, a distance of ‘20 minutes’ there and back. The manager of the hotel was there to congratulate me for my effort. Although there were some people in the water up to their knees, I was the only one to swim out that far.

I was invited to Shabat dinner once again by one of the executives of MDA with some of her family and another Sar-El volunteer. They were united in their dislike of Bibi but wonder if he should be replaced in the middle of a war. They blame him for the failure to prevent the Oct 7 massacre. No body knows what to do now or how it should all end. No one can predict the future or have an idea as to what an ideal situation should be as a final solution for a 75 year old conflict. 7 rockets fell near Tel Aviv and 100 in the north. 200,000 people can not return to their homes. People are going on with their lives here in Tel Aviv but there is a general sadness in the air. Is this at all reported in the western press? Don’t talk to them about the Haredis who don’t serve in the army and spend their time ‘studying’.

I still don’t understand why 1.8 million Gazans don’t revolt against 10,000 Hamas ‘fighters’. Golda Myer once said that ‘the war will end when the Arabs learn to love their children more than they hate the Jews.

Love,

Brian

The photos above, taken in Hostage Square, the ones that no one in the west sees, especially the teddy bears, are devastating. Take 2 minutes to stare at them and you will understand why I feel that I must be here now. While writing my blog, I am sitting out on a terrace, overlooking the Med, sipping a beer in the cool evening air, listening to soft music at 11:30 pm, wondering what lies ahead. the contrast is too much to imagine.

Brian

Israel 16,

March 28, 2o24,

Hi Everyone,

I was up late last night writing my blog and studying Hebrew. Everyone seems to go to bed around 9:30 leaving me alone to study Hebrew by internet in the common room until 11:30. This morning we were up as usual at 6:30 to wash up and then at 7:00 for breakfast. We had a short day of work until 10:30 to finish off the emergency packs. We then had to clean up the base, have lunch at 12:00 and then catch the bus to Tel Aviv at 12:30. We took pictures with our hosts and had a nice speech from our commander. He thanked us profusely, and invited us all to his house next week for a ‘cocktail’. He realized the time and financial sacrifices that we all have made to be in Israel now. He is very handsome and all the ‘girls’ wanted to have their pictures taken with him.

On arrival at the train station-bus station in Tel Aviv, 4 of us elected to walk for 47 minutes to our hotel. It was hot and we arrived rather sweaty as it was 28C. We have heard that it is 10C in Montreal with 32 cm of snow. I took a quick shower, had a cappuccino and headed to the beach across the street. The beach is beautiful, as I have said before. It stretches for miles with a board walk and has a beautiful sandy area stretching 200 m to the sea. The sun was shining and the sea was calm. Although there were ‘no swimming signs’ as there were no life guards present, everyone was in the water swimming. I dropped my towel on the beach and swam out to the breakwater. The water was calm and refreshing. The swim took me 20 minutes to the breakwater and back, not bad for a first swim since Sept.

I then walked along the beach for an hour. The beach was full but not backed like in the summer on the Riviera. The guys wear short type bathing suits; there are no speedos. The girls all wear bikinis varying from the French style to the Brazilian style bathing suits. There are very few blonds here; most of the Israelis on the beach appeared to be Sephardic in origin. Even with my tan, I am very light skinned here. Everyone was playing volley ball or soccer in a group without allowing the ball to touch the sand. Impossible…

At 6:00 in the hotel we have a 5-7 with wine and refreshments. Our 5-7 lasted until 8:30 with the appropriate amount of wine as I was with a French couple and a Norwegian girl. The Americans seem to drink less wine than us. Afterwards I went to a beach front restaurant-bar-cafe with a French couple. He lives in Versailles and has a secondary residence in Cassis, near Marseilles. He did not know the JB family.

I am enclosing a picture of a German-Israeli girl that won ‘picture of the year’. She is lying on an SUV with a bunch or Palestinian ‘hero’s’ celebrating with their guns in the air. In the video a Palestinian woman comes up and spits on the poor girls body. One day I would like to meet that woman and ask her why she spit on that girl. Would she like to spit now? If you ask me one reason why I am in Israel now, that is the reason.

Love,

Brian

Doris asked me challenge the big guy to an arm wrestle. He laughed…

Israel 15,

March 27, 2024,

Hi Everyone,

Today we saw the fruits of our labour. We filled the Emergency Trauma Back Packs with medical equipment to be used for major injuries at the front. We then had our last meeting with the group of volunteers. It was a wonderful group. Everyone had to give a little talk and everyone agreed that the camaraderie that we had developed together was unbeatable. I can only compare it with the camaraderie that we all have with the group of guys that I play hockey with.

The volunteers came from Canada, the USA, France, England, Norway, Argentina, Chile and South Africa. 30% of the volunteers were not Jewish and have no attachment with Israel except for their willingness to come to help. We received a pin, a tee-shirt, a hat and an IDF diploma. I will have 4 diplomas at the end of my service. Where will I hang them all?

Tomorrow we leave for Tel Aviv and I intend to be on the beach at 3:00 pm.

Love,

Brian

Israel 14,

March 26, 2024,

Hi Everyone,

’Pack up your troubles in your old kit bag and smile, smile, smile.’ That more or less sums up what we did today. We started by placing 50 medic bags on the table and opening them up. There are a dozen zippered compartments in each bag, each of which weighs about 40 lbs. The bags contain everything that a medic would require on the field: bandages of all shapes and sizes, oxygen masks, tourniquets, needles, syringes, dozens of medications, IV solutions, cleansing fluids, etc. etc.

We took out all the supplies and sorted them accordingly in different boxes. Many times supplies were missing and will have to be replaced tomorrow. Some supplies and some bags were out dated and were discarded. Tomorrow we will fill the bags. No mistakes can be made so as to insure that the medic has the appropriate equipment in case he/she has to treat a patient in an emergency.

At 10:00 am we had a 2 hour break. A bus picked us up and drove us to a designated area on the base. There we mixed with the soldiers and had a Purim party. There was music, and great refreshments including salads, sandwiches, crepes, smoothies and cappuccinos. Everyone was singing and dancing the rock and the hora in the middle of the day. The Israelis really know how to party.

I was given my assignment for next week. I will be driven through the desert on a bus and work on a naval base in Eilat. Great.

Love,

Brian

When my grandchildren ask me, ‘what did you do in the war papy’ I will be able to tell them that I was with the IDF (Israeli Army) and MDA (Israeli Ambulance Corps).

Israel 13,

March 25, 2024,

Hi Everyone,

Flag raising with Hatikva at 8:15 am.

Love,

Brian

Israel 12,

March 24, 2024,

Hi Everyone,

Today was a very productive day. We were a team of 4 packing boxes, sealing the boxes, taping a name on the box, putting the smaller boxes in bigger boxes, piling the big boxes on a pallet, and pushing the boxes to another place with a manual forklift. Each of us specialized in 1 part of the production and we had a real live assembly line. I call it ‘Boxing Day’ without the gifts.

At the same time the UN had another ‘I hate Israel day’. Ignoring the other 100 wars, border disputes, refugee camps, mass starvation problems, illegal gun running, mass rapes by one population against another, revolutions , invasions, mass incarcerations….. have I missed any? The Security Council passed a unanimous resolution against Israel with the US abstention. Once again if the Palestinians were not fighting the Jews-Jewish People-Israelis-Zionists, would anyone be able to spell Palestinian. Is it with an I or a Y?

There are 120 active border disputes in the world today. Name 3. Uh, Palestine vs Israel, ummm…? Canada has several mostly with Denmark of a few islands with snow, ice and no people. South Africa, that bastion of Democracy and the rape capital of the world, UN stats, just passed a new motion which rivals Canada in stupidity and anti-semitism. Any South African who goes to Israel and volunteers, ie what I am doing now, will be arrested and charged with the crime of aiding an enemy power. I am working with several South Africans who are appalled as well as worried about what will happen to them on their return home. The Bloc and the NDP are falling behind in their hatred of us.

On that note… I ran 6 km today before dinner.

Love,

Brian

Israel 11,

March 24, 2024,

Hi Everyone,

I packed last evening before bedtime leaving half of my belongings in a suitcase which I checked at the hotel. I brought too much clothes, not realizing that they provide full uniforms at the base which can be wear all day and in the evening. I managed to keep my army jacket which is really useful as it is chilly in the evening and in the morning.

We took a pre-arranged van to the airport and were assigned to our respective groups. Several of the volunteers are staying a 2nd week and there was of course a new contingent. On arrival to the base we were given uniforms and rooms which are shared. Apparently this base is somewhat more luxurious than other bases where people sleep in tents with 8-10 ‘guests’.

We sorted medical supplies in an open tent which is nicer than a warehouse. The work itself is tedious but we all realize that we are helping the war effort and that there is no one else to do it. The soldiers are all off at the front and foreign workers are non existent.

We had a meeting in the evening with our commanders who are once again young very enthusiastic girls . One is from the Ukraine and the other from Argentina. Each of them as well as the volunteers had to present themselves, state their reasons for coming to Israel and recite one funny thing about themselves. A few of us were missing spring skiing. The theme was quite similar among us. Each of us came because they just couldn’t stay at home when the war started.

The Israelis are very disappointed with the reaction of the world and especially about the vicious antisemitic demonstrations, cloaked as antizionism, that they see and hear about everywhere. It is as if Oct. 7, didn’t exist. If Israel does not put an end to the organization that did this to them, it will happen again. The leaders of Hamas make no secret of their intentions in the future. Cease fire means, Israel ceases and they fire! There is rocket fire from Hezbolah in the north and 150,000 people have been displaced. Where is the out cry about this in the world?

Love,

Brian

Israel 10,

March 23, 2024,

Hi Everyone,

I had a great relaxing day today even for me. I woke up at around 8:00 and had breakfast with my colleagues. I wrote my blog for the day on the roof top terrace and then went off to the beach which is as I mentioned across the street. I rented a beach chair for free as no one came along to charge me for it. It was 23C with a 10K breeze which was very comfortable. I took a suntan for a white listening to my Hebrew lessons on the internet. I then jogged along the beach for 1 hour. I went up to my knees in the water but didn’t really swim as the water was rather cold and rough. I had a light dinner in Dizengoff Square and topped it off with a gelato ice cream at a place called Golda’s. Tomorrow I will go back to the army base.

Love,

Brian

rocket fire

Purim in the tunnels . We have not forgotten them.

When we left the base, our 3 commanders, who were 18 to 20 year old girls thanked us profusely for donating time and effort to come to the aid of Israel in her time of need. They told us: ‘You are welcome to come to Israel to join us. We will always welcome you here. We are here to stay. We are not leaving here. We have no where else to go.’ Some of the volunteers had tears in their eyes!

Israel 9,

March 23, 2024,

Hi Everyone,

It’s 10:30 Saturday morning with a temperature of 23C, a bluebird ski, only the occasional wispy cloud and a slight breeze to off set the heat. It is the first day that I feel inclined to remove my shirt and bask in the morning sun. I am writing my blog ‘up on the roof’ where I have a gorgeous view both of downtown Tel Aviv and the endless beach. Tel Aviv is wonderful. It stretches for miles along the Mediterranean. I am staying at a hotel on Yarkon St which runs parallel to the beach. It is a shopping street. On the streets which run perpendicular to Yarkon are other streets with shops and restaurants galore. A 10 minute walk takes me to Dizengoff Square which is the center of the lively night life.

A street parallel to Yarkon runs along the beach. It’s a 2 lane road with cross walks every 50-100m. The Israelis are very respectful of the pedestrians and the pedestrians only cross at the designated areas and even wait for the little green light man to cross. This is quite different from Montreal where ‘J’ walkers seem to cross at will. Next to the street is a narrower 2 lane walkway which is reserved for bicycles, small scooters and motorized skate boards which you can rent by the hour. This is a major form of transportation and can take 2 people. I have not tried one yet as the traffic here can be quite daunting. Do not walk on this lane if you value your life as they will not stop for you and you can be fined accordingly.

Next to the bicycle lane is a broad boardwalk filled with people strolling along and jogging. The board walk alternates with cement, wooden lattes and cobble stone. Cafes and restaurants line the boardwalk. The beach is 25 to 50m wide in most places. The sand is beautiful. The breakers keep rolling in and swimming was prohibited so far this week probably due to an undercurrent. The wind was up yesterday and there were a lot of wind surfers and kite surfers out. Today I see a number of sailboats out. 1 or 2 blocks from the beach are high rise hotels which are placed far enough back from the beach so as not to impede the view. The Hilton and Sheraton are of course present but there are enough 3* low rise 6 story hotels around such as the one where I am staying. Gaza is situated to the south of us. It has the same beautiful beach. Over the last 75 years the Israelis chose to build up and gather the tourist dollars. Palestinians chose to (not forced to) dig down and build a useless tunnel system financed by oil rich countries who have nothing better to do with their money except to buy European football teams, golf tournaments and Ferraris. Where is the sense in that? Why did the bleeding hearts around the world allow this to happen?

Yesterday morning I went to Carmel market with a friend who showed me around. Carmel market is great. The lanes are very narrow. You can buy anything that you want. Fake jewellery, fake brand name tee-shirts and the usual local artists goods. You see this type of merchandise in all the sooks around the world. One must be careful not to buy something that looks great here and then is placed in a drawer, never to be seen again, when one returns home. The food smells were tantalizing but unfortunately I had just eaten a good breakfast. I did have a capuccino with the vice-president of Birthright who explained how the organization ran around the world.

I came back to my hotel with the help of Seri (apple) as I can easily get lost in a paper bag. I ran along the beach for 5-6k which took about 40 minutes. I am not a great runner so I run 10 minutes then walk 1 minute. I will be doing 3 triathlons this summer so I must keep up my running which is my weakest of the 3 disciplines.

I then walked around and bought a good bottle of French wine from Bourgogne. I was invited for Shabat dinner to my cousins house, and according to my rule 1, never come to dinner as a guest empty handed. I met her family including her charming daughters who showed me around the neighbourhood. They are starting a Whats App international family group that they asked me to join. I will forward the invitation to my kids as well.

Love,

Brian

Israel 8,

March 22, 2024,

Hi Everyone,

I got home rather late last night and decided not to write my usual report for the day. We had to ‘pack up your troubles in your old kit bag…’ and leave the base. We all did a massive clean up the night before and the morning of, to leave the base as clean as possible for the next group. We were taken to Tel Aviv in big buses. The 20 minute journey took 1.5 hours due to the major traffic problem in the city. There are building projects everywhere and they say that the national bird of Tel Aviv is the ‘crane’.

We went to the ANU museum which a renovated ultra modern museum of Jewish History through the ages. We had a guide for the most part of the day and were free to roam around the museum ourselves as well which I usually like to do. Several times I lost our guide and the group as I got side tracked reading and looking at a particular exhibition of my liking. We came back to the hotel and I did my washing in a laundromat. It reminded me of my student days in Reims where I went to a similar laundromat once a week. The decor in laundromats does not change from country to country and has made no progress in 50 years.

Last night I went to Dizengoff Square for dinner. The square and the adjoining streets are filled with great restaurants. I thought that there were a lot of people present but apparently since the war started, the number of people is much less and the population much more subdued. There were a lot of negative comments about the recent Canadian parliamentary decision. The tail (ie the NDP and the Bloc) is wagging the dog. We need an election soon before we lose our good friends and gain new ones that we really don’t need at all. We are aligning ourselves with countries which have no voting in their own respective countries, or if they do, the vote can always be countered by the king, emperor, dictator or president for life. The only voting that many countries do is in the UN where the major vote is against Israel.

Love,

Brian