The Day the Teacher Stayed Home

Imagine the following scenario:

You are a teacher in a kindergarten. Like many of your friends, a co-teacher has a son in the army who has been called up to go into Gaza.

Your co-teacher takes the day off school to run some errands, probably a good distraction, after all it must be very stressful having a son directly in harm's way. On your co-teacher's day off, an army vehicle pulls up and three officers get out and ask to speak to your co-teacher.

Fearing the worst, you explain that the co-teacher is away for the day, but ask if there is a message that you can pass on. The officers say that they need to speak to your co-teacher and cannot give any information directly to you - they need to speak to her directly as soon as possible.

They leave the kindergarten and head to her at her house, but return an hour later, having still not been able to contact her.
By now there is no question why they need to speak to her. You manage to reach her on the phone and speak to her, knowing that shortly her whole world will be shattered, and head to her home to wait for her, together with the officers carrying the news that no one wants to hear.....

This is the story of Rachel Salamah, a co-work and friend of Dalia Emmanueloff whose son Dvir was the first casualty of the current war in Gaza.

You can read the sory on the Jerusalem Post.

Paula has more information about Dvir on her blog.

May HaShem have mercy on all our brothers, fathers, and sons currently protecting their homeland, and bring the home safely to their families.

Please stop and recite a perek Tehilim for their safe return.

תהילים פרק כ א. לַמְנַצֵּחַ, מִזְמוֹר לְדָוִד ב. יַעַנְךָ ה', בְּיוֹם צָרָה; יְשַׂגֶּבְךָ, שֵׁם אֱלֹקי יַעֲקֹב ג. יִשְׁלַח-עֶזְרְךָ מִקֹּדֶשׁ; וּמִצִּיּוֹן, יִסְעָדֶךָּ ד. יִזְכֹּר כָּל-מִנְחֹתֶךָ; וְעוֹלָתְךָ יְדַשְּׁנֶה סֶלָה ה. יִתֶּן-לְךָ כִלְבָבֶךָ; וְכָל-עֲצָתְךָ יְמַלֵּא. ו. נְרַנְּנָה, בִּישׁוּעָתֶךָ - וּבְשֵׁם-אֱלֹקינוּ נִדְגֹּל; יְמַלֵּא ה', כָּל-מִשְׁאֲלוֹתֶיךָ ז. עַתָּה יָדַעְתִּי - כִּי הוֹשִׁיעַ ה', יַעֲנֵהוּ, מִשְּׁמֵי עֲנֵהוּ, מִשְּׁמֵי קָדְשׁוֹ - בִּגְבֻרוֹת, יֵשַׁע יְמִינוֹ ח. אֵלֶּה בָרֶכֶב, וְאֵלֶּה בַסּוּסִים; וַאֲנַחְנוּ, בְּשֵׁם-ה' אֱלֹקינוּ נַזְכִּיר .ט הֵמָּה, כָּרְעוּ וְנָפָלוּ; וַאֲנַחְנוּ קַּמְנוּ, וַנִּתְעוֹדָד .י ה' הוֹשִׁיעָה הַמֶּלֶךְ, יַעֲנֵנוּ בְיוֹם-קָרְאֵנוּ