My first war as a mom

The first time I was in a war was the Gulf War, in the early 90s.  I must have been in the third grade - I don't remember much except decorating my gas mask box in pretty red stickers, thinking I was very cool. I remember sleeping in my parents bed and them closing the room off. I remember the sirens and I remember feeling safe because my parents were right there beside me.

This time - I am the mom. I have three beautiful boys. The lights of my life, my everything. This time around when the siren went off, we were not all together. I was with my second in the hospital in jerusalem due to an infection he is fighting off. My husband josh was with our oldest and our baby with my parents in Rehovot. We were not together. The siren in Jerusalem caught me looking at the fish tank with my child in the children's ward, trying to get his mind off the IV treatment and the doctors poking him. The siren went off and I picked him up and ran to a safe room. When we got there I was crying. He was scared.

He held on to me for dear life and I did my best to calm him down - calm my self down. I couldn't know what was happening in Rehovot the entire weekend since we keep Shabbat. I knew that Josh would be stronger than me and be calm with the other two if a siren went off. I wasn't worried about them in that sense, but we weren't together.

The next time the siren goes off, I will be more prepared. I will be like my mom was and not show any fear. Next time I will be ready. The first time in a war as a mom was scary  - nothing more, nothing less.

Yael Levontin
Jewish National Fund - Friends of Israel Firefighters (JNF- FIF) Liason In Israel