Pittsburgers in Israel await another war and continue living
'People understand that we can't live in this heightened sense of stress and anxiety all the time'
The threat of war upon war hasn’t stopped Akiva Sunshine from training for cross country. The incoming 11th grader at Hillel Academy of Pittsburgh is 6,000 miles away from his first WPIAL race and intends on completing every scheduled outdoor training run before the starter pistol fires.
Speaking by phone from Beit Meir, a moshav in central Israel, Sunshine told the Chronicle he’s spending the summer with NCSY Kollel, studying Torah, touring Israel and training for the upcoming cross-country season.
“I’m happy that I’m here,” he said. “It’s my first time in Israel.”
Over the past week — as war with Hamas continues — there’s been constant chatter of an impending war between Israel and Hezbollah, a Lebanese political party and paramilitary group.
After Israel killed Hezbollah’s military commander, Hezbollah’s leader pledged a “strong and effective” response. Israel reportedly told the U.S. that if Hezbollah attacks citizens, Hezbollah will pay a “disproportionate price.”
Saber rattling is familiar regional behavior. This time, however, it feels like war is actually coming, explained former Pittsburgh resident Yisrael Klitsner.
“We don’t want that to happen. But it’s crazy, how much can you take of this?” he asked. “No matter how much you feel that you’re at your wits ends, I think there’s very much an understanding that we’re probably only at the beginning.”
Klitsner spoke by phone from Zermatt, Switzerland. Days earlier, he and 20 relatives — all from Israel — flew to Switzerland for a family vacation.
Dr. Lauren Wasser said she didn’t pack for the trip until the morning of their departure.
“We really didn’t think we were gonna get out. But we did,” she said.
Numerous airlines have canceled flights to Israel due to escalating regional tensions. Wasser, Klitsner and their family traveled on El Al. The Israeli airline continues operating.
“It’s a very weird time, but I also think that because it’s been such a tense 10 months, people understand that we can’t live in this heightened sense of stress and anxiety all the time,” she said. “It’s the summer. People are trying to focus on their kids, enjoy as much as they can and focus on the small stuff.”
Speaking by phone from Rehovot, former Squirrel Hill resident Raimy Rubin told the Chronicle that Hezbollah’s threats generated an “impending sense of doom.”
For months, Rubin and his family have stocked their safe room with water and food. Several days ago, they ensured supplies were replenished.
Part of the challenge, he said, is that despite a sense of the apocalypse, “you still have to go to work.”
There are moments where “you feel like you’re in the middle of two things,” he continued. “Especially since Oct. 7, you feel like you need to think about everyday life — whether work or family — and you feel guilty because you’re not thinking about the larger situation.”
Circumstances are “unnerving,” Klitsner said. “Nobody really feels like they can plan anything past tomorrow or next week.”
Wasser said she wasn’t sure their family would actually be together on vacation until the plane departed. Once it did, however, other feelings arrived.
“It was hard to leave because we were worried that something would happen, and most of our people are there,” she said.
Life proceeds but there’s obvious strain, Klitsner said.
“You can’t help but realize that it does take a toll, and where that toll is going to manifest itself is never clear. Is it going to be an outburst on your kids? Is it going to be on your general levels of anxiety and productivity? It’s just, it’s all over the place,” he said.
Klitsner has managed the period because of a “very strong nucleus that supports me, and I support them and we’re there for each other,” he said. “But I know for a fact that that’s not the case for many others. There are many that are less fortunate.”
Wasser hopes American Jews continue offering support while recognizing the larger concern.
“This is not just an Israeli thing,” she said. ISIS-inspired teens just “tried bombing a Taylor Swift concert. This feels like a war on western society and western society seems split as to how they see that.”
Rubin, an ultimate frisbee player, told the Chronicle he’s been engrossed in news this week about the banning of Israeli Youth Ultimate Frisbee teams from the multi-day European Youth Ultimate Championship.
After traveling to the championship in Belgium, the Israeli teams were scheduled to play on an alternative field, located 25 minutes from the main competition site.
The designated field, reported The Daily Signal, was vandalized with red paint reading “BOYCOTT ISRAHELL NOW!”
The Israeli teams were then told they could not play or attend the tournament.
A letter to participating teams said the decision to remove the Israeli teams was made following advice from the Ghent public authorities given “the current local and international unrest, threats and recent incidents. Decisions were based on Authorities holding concerns of high-risk disturbance of public order, a significant threat and the inability to guarantee safety at the event if all teams were to participate as planned.”
Rubin said the incident and inability to compete offer familiar pangs for many Israelis who are simply trying to enjoy everyday activities.
Two days before speaking with the Chronicle, Rubin and his wife held a half-birthday celebration for their daughter.
“She was actually 4 ½ months ago, but she was complaining that she hasn’t had a birthday,” he said. “We felt like we needed it too. We needed a celebration, a reason to bake a cake and a reason to feel good too.”
The half-birthday festivities went on with a complete cake and decorations.
“It felt weird,” Rubin said. “But it’s what you got to do.” PJC
Adam Reinherz can be reached at areinherz@pittsburghjewishchronicle.org.
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