Hi all.
I'm back, after a week-long ban to think about my dreadful behaviour! Apparently it's not ok on here to question anti-Semitism. But I've promised to toe the line (with gritted teeth; I was tempted to just accept a ban, but I truly value this little corner of the site, and didn't want to lose the opportunity to chat with you all).
Life has been a massive rollercoaster over the past week. My husband and 3-year-old daughter were taunted on the bus by some high-school kids. My husband wears a kippah, and was subjected to chants of "JEW JEW JEW." Because he had our daughter with him, he got straight off the bus instead of confronting the kids. As he was walking past the bus to cross the road, one of them wrote JEW in the condensation on the window. The police are involved, and they've actually been pretty good about it. An officer came and spent a couple of hours with us on Monday night, taking my husband's statement. Due to it being a hate crime, our GP, DD's school, and possible social services (!!) have to be involved. Luckily it doesn't seem to have affected her, but who knows what she's internalised.
Then on Friday, there was a convoy of black cars driving around our neighbourhood (we're in the very small Jewish area in Liverpool) flying Palestinian flags and shouting slogans out of the windows with megaphones. Plus the usual Friday protest outside the library, which used to be just pensioners protesting local cuts, but is now a full-on pro-Hamas fest. Just what you want to hear while you're preparing for Shabbat!
Then, worst of all, our friend's daughter's belongings were buried on Kibbutz Revivim. She was murdered on Kibbutz Be'eri on Oct 7th along with her twin brother, whose body they found, but they couldn't find enough of her remains for a burial. The twins were raised by their aunt and grandparents; their dad - our friend - lives in the UK. He's absolutely gutted. It's unbearable. My husband went to the memorial services he did at home for Yanai, his son. Then again this week for another memorial for Liel, his daughter.
And the constant worry about the hostages, the rise in anti-semitism, the soldiers (our Rabbi's son is a lone soldier - just finished training when the war started).
But there have been some nice moments. Connecting with some great people on Instagram and Threads, strengthening ties with friends and family in Israel, getting ready for Chanukah. My daughter really understands it now for the first time; she's learning all the songs. It will be DS's first Chanukah! This time last year I was heavily pregnant with him, and I remember being at the community menorah lighting with DH and DD, imagining having an almost-toddler in a year's time. And here we are! Can't wait to see what he makes of the candlelight.
That turned into an absolute essay. Thanks, anyone who made it to the end. Hope everyone is well. It's good to be back.