Living in Israel is like being thrown into a washing machine!

Yesterday at 5:30 pm started the Euroleague semi finals for basket ball, and one of our teams – Maccabi Tel Aviv, were playing.  Everyone watched with anticipation and pride.  As soon as the game was over the news switched to the Israeli Memorial Day for its fallen soldiers – such a cut from the teem spirit to the sadness of loss.  All shops and restaurants were closed, television was limited, memorial ceremonies were conducted in every town and school, the whole country stood in silence for two minutes in the evening and the next morning. And now today the next day we are celebrating our Independence.  Fireworks are going off in each city, all the big performers are on stages around the country – everyone is outside celebrating, and tomorrow, all will be with family and friends at barbeques. These switches, zig zags of emotions in this country are crazy! And its like this all the time – from great happiness to sadness and then back again. It’s like being thrown into the washing machine – you get all tumbled around, this way and that – from one cycle to the next. At the end of the wash, you feel all wrung out – yet cleansed as well – except for those stains that won’t come out no matter what.  And then what? Well, then we are thrown into the dryer of course!