War
Ok, I’ve been avoiding thinking about this, but now I have to deal with it (I still haven’t read the Home Front Command booklet, but both girls have). We’ve been told that the security room is NO GOOD! All that unpleasantness getting it emptied of the neighbors’ stuff – for nothing. Apparently it has to be kept open as an evacuation route and therefore cannot be sealed. So our options are: Use the communal air-raid shelter with 65 other cranky families; prepare a sealed room in the apartment (we’ve already decided Youngest’s room is most suitable) and hope the building doesn’t get a direct hit from a conventional missile; flee to Mitzpe Ramon (could be a problem because it looks like we’ll both be working as usual, but maybe we could send them with our in-laws).

It’s not clear what’s going to happen with the schools. I keep hearing on the radio that they’ll be open as usual. Bish read on Debka that the little ones up to third grade will be going to school. That means Youngest. I don’t fancy leaving Eldest alone at home in the apartment. She’s hardly the bravest child I know. I suppose they want people going to work as usual, to keep what's left of the economy going. I hope it keeps fine for them.

I’m starting to be nervous. I dislike this uncertainty about what’s going to happen with the kids.

Update: Some supplies stories here and here. Adrian can’t find any paraffin. I don’t get it. There can’t be many Israelis my age and older whose childhood memories of winter don’t include the (nasty) smell of a paraffin heater. And now he can’t find any? Weird.

Afterthought: Today they had the brand new "National Explainer", Maj Gen Amos Gilad, talking on the radio. This is the guy who comes on TV and radio in emergency times such as missile attacks and explains what is happening and what to do.

In '91 it was IDF spokesman, Nahman Shai. He was extremely popular. If he had run for PM right after the war he would have won hands down. I know of quite a few eleven-year-olds that were named after him.

In '67 it was Chaim Herzog. Before my time, but I’m told his performance was of great national importance. The whole population was completely hysterical back then and he calmed them down. He went on to become president.