At the same time that I was writing about Christian, Druze, Jewish, and Muslim women getting together in the mixed city of Akko, Israel on November 15, 2019 for a “Fridays with Women” event, I was also writing about the dire lack of bomb shelters and protected rooms in kindergartens, nursing homes, clinics, and schools here in the Western Galilee, where I live, along the northern border of Israel and Lebanon. Two realities happening simultaneously.
The above photo is of Nafisa Shtawey, left, and Naama Burstein at the Friday Women Event in Akko.
The message for me is to hold onto the slightest glimmer of hope no matter what is going on around me. Here are the two articles, one in Lilith Magazine (see the blog post on the bottom left) and the other in the Jerusalem Post.
For more information on the exciting things that are happening in Akko, see my article about an educators’ kibbutz in the heart of the city here.
Happy Thanksgiving. Let’s count our blessings.
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About dianabletter
Diana Bletter is the author of several books, including The Invisible Thread: A Portrait of Jewish American Women (with photographs by Lori Grinker), shortlisted for a National Jewish Book Award. Her novel, A Remarkable Kindness, (HarperCollins) was published in 2015. She is the First Prize Winner of Moment Magazine's 2019 Fiction Contest. Her work has appeared in The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Commentary, tabletmag, Glamour, The Forward, The North American Review, Times of Israel, and is a reporter for Israel21C, and many other publications. She is author of Big Up Yourself: It's About Time You Like Being You and The Mom Who Took off On Her Motorcycle, a memoir of her 10,000-mile motorcycle trip to Alaska and back to New York. She lives in a small beach village in Western Galilee, Israel, with her husband and family. She is a member of the local hevra kadisha, the burial circle, and a Muslim-Jewish-Christian-Druze women's group in the nearby town of Akko. And, she likes snowboarding and climbing trees.
DIANA BLETTER 
How wonderful to see a post from you Diana!! I too have been thinking a lot about hope recently in light of all that is going on in the world. With all the publicity surrounding the release of the movie about Mr. Roger’s, I discovered something that he had said to children following the 9/11 attack. He said something to the effect that even in the middle of a horrible event, if you look closely you will always see that there are people stepping forward to offer help and comfort to the hurt and frightened. So he was telling children that there are always helpers, always those whose actions uplift everyone else and provide comfort. I have found this message the ultimate elevation of hope and an inspiration to join in being someone whose actions are one of hope.
I wish you and your whole family a Happy Thanksgiving!! All the best- Rhonda
Thank you, Rhonda. So nice to hear from you and read what you wrote. It is true that we have to look for those hopeful signs. Happy Thanksgiving to you! All the best, Diana
Diana
Thank you for sharing. I can not imagine the fear parents have when rockets are fired and their children are away at school with no safe place to protect them. Hopefully this will be rectified soon.
Prayers for all in harms way every time I hear of these terrorist attacks.
Happy Thanksgiving to you, Jonny, and your family. We do have much to be thankful for this year.
Your pal from the states,
Tom
Sent from my iPhone
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