Jonathan Feldstein
Photo by AlphaLemur – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0
One of the best things in life is to have the privilege of taking one’s grandchildren out for ice cream. Even during a war. Perhaps especially during a war.
This week, my daughter and son-in-law brought my four grandsons for a visit, partly as a fun outing and partly as a respite for themselves. Since the war erupted with Iran, all school and pre-school programs have been canceled, leaving parents of young children to figure out how to juggle keeping all the kids occupied without pulling their own hair out, and keeping them safe and close to home for the eventuality of having to take cover in the bomb shelter sometimes 2-3 times a day.
My kids have taken to putting their boys to sleep in the spare room that doubles as the bomb shelter, to avoid having to move them all in 90 seconds, and risking their waking up due to being moved and the jarring sound of the siren.
Moving little children to the bomb shelter is all the more complicated in families where one of the spouses had been called up for reserves, something that’s much more common in the past week, even more so than the recent previous, major call up of reservists. Imagine being a young mother with 3-4 kids under seven home alone, not only having to move the kids into the shelter one by one, but also having to get them back to sleep after.
Or during the day when they are awake, as happened again yesterday (and at night) and having to occupy and comfort them for at least 10-15 minutes, but sometimes over an hour.
Whether one or two parents with little kids, or empty nesters like ourselves, we are all operating bleary eyed from repeated nights’ sleep being interrupted. Last night the “blessing” was that it was at 4:20. The day before it was at 2:30. Sometimes one is able to get back to sleep. Sometimes (like me in all cases), not. Good thing I am not operating heavy machinery.
With grandson #4 napping, and me more than a little envious, it was prime time to take the three older boys for ice cream, giving my daughter and son-in-law a few minutes of quiet. Bleary eyed or not, it’s always a pleasure to take the kids out and spend some time with them. Also parenting never ends and letting your own kids in their 30s have a break is meaningful and important.
On the way out, my daughter said something I not only had never heard, but never could have imagined. In my life, I never would have put these words together in the same sentence. “Make sure you know where the bomb shelter is at the ice cream shop when you’re out with the boys,” the mama-hen responsibly reminded.
Nope. I’d never have thought of it. But we’re at war. Iran is firing ballistic missiles with massive warheads directly at our towns and cities. All the casualties in Israel have been civilians. Yet while at warm there’s never a better time for ice cream, with whipped cream and sprinkles, and a bomb shelter on top.
Also, for the first time, there was abundant signage in and around the strip-mall next to our house identifying where all the bomb shelters were. Just in case. As much as I’d never thought of putting “ice cream” and “bomb shelter” in the same sentence, I never would have thought that whoever planned the architecture would put a bomb shelter right there in the ice cream shop. But there it is, behind the bright pink walls and shelves of toppings. Just in case.
On the way home, my first-grade grandson told me about all the different ice cream flavors they have at home. It’s a good parenting strategy to have ice cream to pull out even under missile attacks, maybe especially so. While I joined them with a scoop of yummy pistachio today, I’m really feeling that I need something more along the rum raisin or bourbon-caramel swirl. Maybe a double.
The grandchildren just left. I didn’t say it thought while I never want to see them go, I was silently praying that they would hurry up and leave. While they were here, reports came out that Israel had another significant and apparently successful strike against another Iranian military target. Not that the Islamic regime that has indoctrinated two generations with chants of “Death to America” and “Death to Israel” ever need an excuse, but it’s likely that again later today, their ballistic missiles will light up the sky here, sending almost all Israelis to the bomb shelters, whether at home or in an ice cream store. Again.
While I didn’t want the kids to leave, I did want them at home, in the safety, familiarity, and comfort of their own bomb shelter.
This has become their norm, and all of ours. The reality could not be more vivid: Israel issues warnings to Iranians living nearby various military sites that they should evacuate before striking in order to prevent the loss of civilian life and the Iranian Islamic regime deliberately fires dozens or hundreds of missiles at a time, targeting homes like where my grandchildren live. Iranians are given ample notice to flee in advance of a military strike, and indeed we have seen massive traffic jams with them doing just that. On our side, the evacuation is wanting my grandchildren to leave early enough that they will be in the comfort of their own bomb shelter when the jihadi missiles target us all.
The Genesis 123 Foundation is sponsoring a series of personal candid briefings including Q&A, sharing perspectives on life in Israel during this war, discussing current events but from a perspective of what’s going on behind the headlines. For a full list you can connect at www.Genesis123.co, or register here for the one scheduled for Saturday June 21.
Jonathan Feldstein is president of the Genesis 123 Foundation (www,genesis123.co) whose mission is to build bridges between Jews and Christians and Christians with Israel. He was born and educated in the U.S. and immigrated to Israel in 2004. He is married and the father of six, and grandfather of four (so far).
Two sons and a son in law are currently serving in the IDF and have been involved in combat in Gaza and Lebanon since the October 7, 2023 Hamas massacre in Israel.
Jonathan is a leader working with and among Christian supporters of Israel, and shares experiences of living as an Orthodox Jew in Israel through his work, writing, and as host of the Inspiration from Zion podcast. Since the war began, he has authored more than 150 articles, and participated in a similar number of interviews, briefings, prayer events, and more.
Jonathan is working with Christian leaders all over the world to realize a true peace in Gaza, details of which can be found at www.SolutionforPeaceinGaza.com.
In 2023 he published the highly acclaimed book, Israel the Miracle (www.israelthemiracle.com), which makes a great gift for Chanukah and Christmas, and year round.
As a grandfather, I know exactly what you mean!!