Helping hand

 We have seen many serious crises in Israel over the years but this is the most serious that we have experienced in our lifetimes. While we've tried to shelter the younger children from the horror of what happened to Israel's Gaza border communities they are aware of the rockets, the displaced people in our town, the general atmosphere of uncertainty.

It's hard being a little kid in the middle of this. Big brothers and sisters, parents, they have jobs to do, whether they are first responders, army reservists called up in the emergency draft, medical professionals, police or just ordinary grown-ups and teens who can give blood, volunteer or go to work.

If you're a kid of 8 or 9 or 10 or 12 though, what do you do? How do you feel like you are contributing or just exerting some control over this very tense and unsettled situation?

When I was growing up my mother would often quote teachings of the Piaseczno Rebbe, Kalonymus Kalman Shapira, also known as the Esh Kodesh after the posthumously published book of his teachings and writings during his time in the Warsaw Ghetto during the Holocaust. Rav Shapira did not survive the war but when it became clear that the Nazis were going to kill all the resident of the ghetto he and other Jews, such as Emanuel Ringelblum, historian of the Warsaw Ghetto, buried their writings in a metal box under the ghetto. One of my mother's treasured books was Esh Kodesh, this voice of hope, sadness and life from these Jews murdered by the Nazis who's words miraculously lived on to guide future generations of the Jewish people.

One of teachings of the Esh Kodesh that made the greatest impression on me and which I find myself passing on regularly to my children is that when you yourself are troubled, be it because you are sad, in difficulties or living through a national crisis, do not let yourself be brought down by that crisis or sadness, instead take that painful energy and find a way to help someone else.

Right now it feels like all of Israel is an embodiment of that idea, a nation in mourning galvanised en masse to bring more good, more light, in to a dark world in which evil has revealed itself in the most horrific way.

So DH and I, just like everyone around is, try to help the children to focus on doing, on helping, on extra mitzvot, actions that help to spread a little light, a little joy to the stressed, grieving, shocked people of Israel.

Whether it's baking hallot for our neighbours with family who've been drafted, delivering meals and care packages to elderly relatives or mothers home alone with kids while their husbands are at the front, drawing pictures with messages of encouragement to the many Israelis forced to flee their homes, collecting toys and games for children who lost everything in last week's attack or just bringing a smile to neighbours' faces by decorating apartment buildings with flags and positive messages. And davening and saying Tehillim for our country, for the missing, the wounded and the bereaved.

This isn't a brag or a eureka parenting moment, we aren't doing anything that our friends, neighbours and countrymen are doing all around the country. But if you're reading this in English it's really just an attempt to explain what it means to be in Israel in time of crisis, the ethos of mutual care and responsibility for one another, the strength of community and the commitment to our fellow citizens.

It's time to go to bed kids so you can do more mitzvot tomorrow.