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Written by Joanne Wallenstein

Published: 22 October 2023

Created: 22 October 2023

Last Updated: 22 October 2023

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This letter was sent to us by Diana Bletter, an expat who has lived in Israel since 1991.
I’m writing this from my home in Shavei Zion, a small beach village in Northern Israel, less than ten miles south of the border with Lebanon, waiting for the start of a barrage of rockets from Iranian’s proxy army, Hezbollah. It happened during the 2006 Israel-Hezbollah War—when Hezbollah fired nearly 4,000 rockets into Israel—and it seems likely that it will happen again.

Aimed in our direction are more than 150,000 rockets and missiles in Southern Lebanon that Hezbollah has stockpiled in the seventeen years since that war, under the watch of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon, UNIFIL.

Thirty communities in northern Israel and the Western Galilee have already been evacuated. One of our sons and his girlfriend fled their home, bringing a few clothes stuffed into backpacks and their dog, not knowing if they will ever be able to return to their home. Residents are moving farther south. But with Hamas and Islamic Jihad firing rockets and missiles from Gaza that can now reach Tel Aviv and other areas in the center of the country, there’s nowhere for us to go.

My husband, Jonny, works in Shavei Zion’s avocado groves with both Arab and Jewish Israelis. A Muslim co-worker lost his cousin on Sunday, when a Hezbollah missile struck and killed him in a nearby avocado grove. While Hezbollah’s reach inches closer, preparations are underway to prevent the terror group from trying to imitate the Hamas invasion from Gaza.

It would be an unbearable, frightening scenario. On October 7, missiles were first fired from Gaza, and then Hamas terrorists stormed into southern Israel, murdering more than 1,300 men, women, children and babies, wounding thousands, and abducting more than 300 people.

Here in Shavei Zion, we’re getting ready for what could be an expanded war in both the south and the north, yet everyone seems to be doing it calmly and orderly—very unusual for Israelis. A small handwritten sign in our local grocery store says, “Please buy only one six-pack of water so there’s enough for everyone,” and there are six-packs still on the shelf. Israelis, usually chaotic, boisterous and disorderly, are suddenly polite and helpful.

I search for inspiring moments to try to offset the horror stories from Southern Israel’s massacres. One of our friends, a tattoo artist in her twenties, lost four friends at the Supernova Music Festival, where 260 people were killed. Another friend’s mother was murdered, and his wife and sister are still missing, presumably held captive or killed. Still another friend lost an entire family—mother, father, and three small children.

Israelis are attempting to go about our daily business, but many stores have closed, businesses have shut down, and everyone is traumatized. Another of our sons, who was wounded as a soldier fighting against Hezbollah in the 2006 war, said, “This is a PTSDC. A Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Country.”

Despite the immense trauma—it feels like we’re all shell-shocked—Israelis are somehow mustering up resilience. Communities throughout the country have banded together, forming emergency committees to help the elderly, look after children, serve as medical volunteers, and cook meals (including vegan dishes) for Israeli soldiers and evacuees. From around the world, former Israeli soldiers who never expected to fight again have flown back to join their reserve units. A 17-year-old girl from our neighborhood rides around on her bicycle at all hours of the day and night, delivering messages and supplies like a courier during the French Resistance against the Nazis.

A few days ago, I went shopping for last-minute supplies, in case a war breaks out, in a local supermarket in the Arab village across the road. As soon as I walked in, I saw a common sight that I’ve always taken for granted, yet now it seemed to have great significance. A Muslim woman wearing a hejab and a Jewish man in a kippah were working together.

And it’s only because Israel is what it is—a liberal democracy founded on democratic principles—that something like this can exist. We are the only democratic, Jewish enclave in the world. And now we're fighting for our lives.

Diana Bletter is the author of several books, including The Loving Yourself Book for Women. Born in New York, Diana has lived in Israel since 1991 where she works as a journalist.

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Written by Joanne Wallenstein

Published: 31 October 2023

Created: 31 October 2023

Last Updated: 31 October 2023

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Assembly Member Amy Paulin (D-Scarsdale) announces that her bill (A.150/S.2702) which raises the legal age for operating an All-Terrain Vehicle (ATV) in New York State from ten to fourteen years old has been signed into law by Governor Kathy Hochul (Ch. 539 of 2023).

Paulin’s bill also changes existing law so that children under sixteen operating an ATV will now need to be supervised by someone eighteen-years-old or older.

“ATVs are very dangerous and it’s unbelievable that until now children as young as ten years old, 4th graders, have been allowed to operate them legally in New York State,” said Assemblymember Amy Paulin. “ATVs weigh hundreds of pounds and reach speeds of 70 miles per hour or more. Machines of their weight and speed are just not suitable for young children to operate, and we’ve seen many preventable tragedies as a result, including here in Westchester County. I’m grateful that State Senator Pete Harckham spearheaded the bill in the Senate, and that Governor Hochul has signed this legislation into law so that we can help prevent ATV-related accidents and deaths.”

“Outdoor recreation should not come with a high risk of catastrophic injury,” said State Senator Pete Harckham. “Our common-sense legislation to raise the age of ATV use from 10 to 14 years old while requiring safety courses will help eliminate potential accidents caused by use of vehicles that can travel as fast as an automobile. Thank you to my legislative colleague Amy Paulin for her steadfast support of the bill and Governor Hochul for signing it into law.”

According to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), operating off-highway vehicles (OHVs), including ATVs, involve real risks of overturning, collisions and occupant ejection. The CPSC’s latest report, which tracks OHV accidents between 2016 and 2018, listed 2,211 fatalities—an annual average of more than 700 deaths and 100,000 injuries that required emergency department treatment. ATVs accounted for three-quarters of these fatalities and injuries.

New York is among the top 10 states with reported ATV accidents. According to the CPSC, there were 433 ATV-related deaths in New York between 1982 and 2012.

“Raising the age of ATV riders from 10 to 14 years old will help to ensure that both riders and natural resources are better protected from damage due to inexperienced and immature riders using ATVs in the Adirondacks,” said Claudia Braymer, Deputy Director, Protect the Adirondacks. “We’re especially thankful that Governor Kathy Hochul signed this bill, and that the bill’s sponsors, Assemblymember Amy Paulin and State Senator Pete Harckham, included a provision requiring riders who are under 16 years to be supervised by an adult when they are riding on public lands. Offroad riding of ATVs is not permitted on the State Forest Preserve lands in the Adirondacks or Catskills.”

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Written by Joanne Wallenstein

Published: 16 October 2023

Created: 16 October 2023

Last Updated: 16 October 2023

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Senator Shelley B. Mayer was joined by more than 35 Westchester residents on Thursday October 12 at Scarsdale Public Library for coffee and conversation. These meetings provide Senator Mayer with the opportunity to hear directly from her constituents about their issues of concern.

The discussion was energetic and many constituents asked thoughtful questions on issues such as affordable housing, accessibility for people with disabilities, encouraging young people to be civically engaged, and what more can be done to raise awareness and increase education relating to antisemitism, racism, and hatred of all kinds.

Senator Shelley B. Mayer said, “In order to best represent the people of Senate District 37, I need to be in the community and hear my constituents directly. By hosting these conversations I am able to speak directly with each individual, learn their concerns, and answer their questions. It was a pleasure to speak with and meet those who attended the Coffee and Conversation in Scarsdale, and I appreciate their active participation in the community. I particularly thank the Scarsdale Public Library for hosting us.”

David Sadoff, the Programming Librarian at Scarsdale Public Library, said, “I was delighted to see the enthusiastic community response to the coffee and conversation event featuring State Senator Shelley Mayer. More than 35 people stopped by to ask the Senator questions and voice their priorities. Attendees appreciated Senator Mayer's generous courtesy in answering questions for more than an hour and a half before she needed to leave to attend another event. I was particularly grateful to see various members of the community lingering afterwards, making conversation and connections over their shared goals and work.”

Senator Mayer hosts Coffee and Conversations regularly throughout SD37. To stay up to date on when the next event will take place, subscribe to her e-newsletter here and follow her on social media. You can also email any questions or concerns by reaching out to [email protected].

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