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August 23, 2008
The Terrorist is Still Dead
The Mystical Lights of Efrat
Shabbos in the Judean town of Efrat, Israel is a deeply moving experience. As the sun falls it gently folds itself into the surrounding hills and valleys. The same Judean hills where Jews have lived, worked and fought since Biblical times.
The unearthly light makes a final golden splash.
I look around for the SFX (special effects) crew, but no I am face to face with the hand of HaShem.
With my brother-in-law, I walk to shul. We are just two, and then a few men approach from another street, several more from another. Suddenly we are dozens converging into one road and approaching shul.
It's like that breathtaking scene in producer David O. Selznick's Duel in the Sun, 1946, where director King Vidor exquisitely choreographs over a hundred horseman, at first single and double units riding from all directions, into a seething mass, all galloping steadfastly towards one destination.
In every window I see Shabbos candles, hundreds, no thousands, glittering white, yellow, blue and red. It's an awe inspiring sight for the flames gutter in various rhythms creating a mystical dance of light welcoming Shabbos.
Glock and Daven
I count seven Glocks and two M16's. There is, undoubtedly, more firepower in shul, but these men are not vain, wild west gunslingers. Most sidearms are concealed under shirt tails, or, as in the case of my brother-in-law David—who dresses for Shabbos like he's still back in Monsey—his Glock 17 is hiding under his nicely tailored suit jacket.
It is comforting to daven in a room with armed and well-trained citizen soldiers. We know from experience that in Israel, it is armed citizens who are the first line of defense against the Arab-Muslim terrorists who have been killing Jews since time immemorial.
One of the most irrational and shameful political positions taken by Liberal American Jews is the demand for the abolition of the right to bear arms.
If Jews in Europe owned guns there would be several million dead Nazis and their collaborators—and far fewer dead Jews.
The Last of the Bensonhurst Kids
Meet Larry, my buddy from Bensonhurst. Okay, so it's not Larry. But Larry looks exactly like William Powell in The Thin Man.
Out of the corner of my eye I spot Larry, not his real name.
We're both from Bensonhurst, Brooklyn, a tough neighborhood even by Brooklyn standards. We attended Brooklyn Talmudic Academy together, a tough Yeshiva even by San Quentin standards.
We have been friends forever.
Larry's parents are Holocaust survivors and as Larry often tells me, his father obsessed over the fact that so many Jews were unprepared, mentally and physically, to fight the Nazis.
“He's written thousands of pages about this,” Larry confides.
Thus, it is only fitting and somewhat ironic that several years ago, here in an Efrat supermarket, Larry bravely confronted an Arab Muslim homicide bomber and deleted this piece of human garbage.
After shul, Larry and I embrace. We study each others' faces. Yes, we are older, middle-aged, we have children and grandchildren, but we are still our impish and dopey childhood selves.
“Nobody lives in the old neighborhood anymore,” Larry says.
“Yup, they're all gone.”
The Next Generation
We step outside where men and women gather before going home for the Shabbos meal. Friends make plans to visit each other. David and Elana's son Jeremy, is home for Shabbos, on leave from active duty somewhere quite dangerous in the land of Israel.
Jeremy, Hollywood handsome, but utterly unaware of his good looks, is exhausted, but now he's with his friends, boys and girls, making plans to meet later in the warm embrace of David and Elana's home.
These are all good religious kids, rock solid in their Zionist ideals. This is the next generation who will sweep away, by sheer force of numbers and conviction, the appeasers, the cowards, the multi-culturalists, and the EU financed Peace Now traitors.
Already, over 80% of the officers in the IDF are observant Jews. They will not allow the chimera of a decadent, defeatist post-Zionist mind-set to advance in the land of Israel.
The Killing
Again, Larry and I go over the killing of the terrorist. Details are all important in counter-terrorism.
“The Glock is a good weapon when every millisecond counts,” says Larry. There's no safety, which can take precious time away from shooting. You can keep a round in the chamber, then just draw and fire.”
Larry totes his Glock in a Fobus speed holster.
“What kind of rounds did you use?”
“I keep hollow points in the Glock, but my spare magazine has full metal jackets. The day I killed the terrorist, I put him down with the hollow points. Don't want to use full metal jackets in a crowded supermarket, they'll go right through and kill an innocent bystander.”
“The Efrat supermarket was crowded?”
“Very. Look, the terrorist was here,” Larry demonstrates using his body and mine, “and behind him were several women and children.”
“How close were you to the the terrorist?”
“About fourteen feet.”
I shiver.
Most gunfights, contrary to popular mythology, take place within seven feet. Fourteen feet can seem like a yawning chasm when the adrenalin is pumping, innocent bystanders are all around, and a determined terrorist has his finger on the detonator.
“The full metal slugs would have gone right through him and there's no telling...”
Larry's voice trails off.
My childhood buddy is a sweet man, a devoted husband, father, and grandfather. There is no bravado in Larry. He's fine with killing the terrorist, but it does not define who he is.
Me, I'd write and produce a self-glorifying movie, play hero on talk shows, try and cash in.
It's time to go home. It's time for leave taking.
There is an entire culture and religion bent on eradicating Israel and Jews.
We are so few; we are so vulnerable.
But there are, Baruch HaShem, many Larry's.
Larry and I hug.
I say: “You're my hero.”
Larry chuckles.
The town of Efrat, in Judea, in the holy Land of Israel
Posted by Robert J. Avrech at August 23, 2008 08:12 PM
Comments
Seraphic Secret is private property, that's right, it's an extension of our home, and as such, Karen and I have instituted two Seraphic Rules and we ask commentors to act respectfully.
1. No profanity.2. No Israel bashing. We debate, we discuss, we are respectful. You know what Israel bashing is. The world is full of it. Seraphic Secret is one of the few places in the world that will not tolerate this form of anti-Semitism. That's it. Break either of these rules and you will be banned.
Agree with everything in here. I'm not a gun owner, have never fired one, we didn't own any in my parents' house, and at first, in Israel, even knowing that what you wrote was true, that it is the presence of arms that keeps Israel safe, it took me a short time to get used to the firepower that was in evidence everywhere.
But Robert, I ended up feeling safer for it, as you did. Did you read about the 85 year old here in the U.S. that held at bay some punk that had broken into her home? She kept him there in her gun sight until the police came.
Gun control advocates think they want to disarm the bad guys, but all that happens is that the innocent citizens suffer the depredations of the evil folks.
The 'saving remnant' and why Judaism has lasted this long, is always the stalwarts that held on in spite of everything, just as these religious kids will do, as you describe. In the Sedra today, I came across a comment that the b'nai Yisroel were strong warriors, and it will be these young men, following in that ancient tradition of strength and spirituality, that will make "Am Yisrael Chai" a continued reality
Posted by: Maurice at August 23, 2008 11:50 PM
Larry is a hero in all sense of the word. Please tell him that from me the next time you see him.
Posted by: pdwalker at August 24, 2008 02:09 AM
A few years ago there was a terrorist attack in downtown Jerusalem. Two insurance salesman left their desks, ran downstairs & shot the terrorists. When one was interviewed afterwards, he said, "Well we should all be armed at work." No bravado or macho posturing, just ...kakhah/azoi.
Posted by: Pinchas Giller at August 24, 2008 07:16 AM
A moving story indeed.
Just one correction. I don't know where you got your numbers, but Daniel and I recently read the statistics about religious officers in the IDF. In the IDF in general, they are represented approximately in proportion to the number of religious Zionists in the population - about 9-10%. It's true that in combat units religious officers are overrepresented, but by a factor of about two - that is, about 20% of combat officers are observant.
Glad you're enjoying your stay in Israel so much.
Posted by: Sara at August 24, 2008 08:07 AM
Last year, I found this report:
Half of IDF's New Combat Officers are Religious
(IsraelNN.com) Half of the IDF's young combat officers are religious Jews, according to statistics published as the lead story Sunday in Maariv, Israel's second largest daily newspaper. The report also says that about 40% of the cadets of the most recent Officer Course in Bahad-1, the IDF's officer training school, were religious; this number refers to all officers, as opposed to just combat officers.
And my wife quoted from a Dec. 07 NYTimes story:
But in another challenge for the army, a large proportion of those volunteering for combat units — 30 percent to 40 percent — come from the “national religious” sector, Zionists who tend to wear knitted skullcaps and are frequently settlers. In the past, many fighters volunteered from Israel’s kibbutzim, or collective farms. But now, large numbers are “the new pioneers,” the children of settlers.
Posted by: Yisrael Medad at August 24, 2008 10:59 AM
Robert,
Thanks for the nice plug about Efrat. It really is a wonderful community to live in. David and I feel very blessed that we are able to raise our children in Israel and in Efrat in particular.
Posted by: Elana at August 24, 2008 01:02 PM
Well, I've been moved to tears after reading your last few Israel descriptions. Thank you for sharing your thoughts and feelings and allowing me to tag along on your trip.
Please say hi to Karen, and David and Elana, from old Brooklyn friends, Harvey and Estelle.
Posted by: Estelle Posner at August 24, 2008 04:33 PM
Great post, Robert. Gives me chills!
Posted by: DrCarol at August 24, 2008 04:35 PM
May He bless you and keep you, and all those like you.
Please offer my thanks to your friend, Larry-- his actions saved innocent lives, possibly the lives of those I love.
Please keep fighting the good fight.
Posted by: Foxfier at August 24, 2008 06:38 PM
"“Yup, they're all gone.”"
not quite everyone. but i know what you meant.
Posted by: Lion of Zion at August 24, 2008 09:25 PM
Yeah...
Posted by: Jeremiah at August 24, 2008 11:35 PM
Let's face it, in America we could all use a few Glocks in shul... just to get a decent spot at the Kiddish table. I hate getting pushed out of the way by the elderly.
Also, something tells me that pain-in-the-neck Shul presidents would keep their pre-adon olam announcements to a minimum if they knew the hungry congregation was generally well-armed.
I think guns + shul = better Jews.
Posted by: Jake at August 25, 2008 06:27 AM
I think guns + shul = better Jews.
Might cut down on the talking. ;)
Posted by: Jack at August 25, 2008 08:05 AM
Mr. Avrech. I am a former student of Ner Israel and I have been trying to get your email, as I have a few personal words I would like to share regarding your son. As to your articles, I cant get enough of them. They are yet another motivator to push forward and do whats right. There are many out there who belong in our camp and we draw strength in numbers. I particulary liked the story about the Morrocan woman in the restaurant. Being a Morrocan Jew whose father is a Rabbi of a traditional congregation, you learn to scrape away at the outer shell of people and see the neshama which lies inside screaming and crying to get out. May you continue your great work and if you have a moment please email me so I could write to you a little about Ariel, ZATSAL. Thank you
Posted by: The Morrocan Jew at August 25, 2008 08:34 AM
Jack:
Oh yeah! I forgot about the talking. Instead of the typical pounding on the table to shush people up, the Rabbi can just reveal his holster.
Posted by: Jake at August 25, 2008 09:02 AM
Dear Robert,
I know what you mean when you sing the praises of experiencing Shabbos with an armed minyan. Several years back, my son and I spent two Shabbasos in Kiryat Arba with a friend and his family. The sight of young daddies walking to shul with their kids on erev Shabbos while pushing strollers, sporting handguns and rifles strapped across their backs is simply amazing and, as I my then 16 year-old son and I agreed, "WAY COOL".
On another not thematically unrelated matter, you pointed out a simple and sad truth ... had the Jews of Europe been armed far beyond the skeletal level of our Warsaw Ghetto heroes, there would have been far more dead Nazis, fewer and less "successful" Aktions, and fewer Jews looking for "secure" jobs in the Jewish Police. Just think of that "famous" photo of the little boy, hands up, being led away by a nazi "soldier" armed with a Mauser rifle. Disarm him or arm the Jewish folks in that building and far fewer Jews end up at the Umschlagplatz (sic).
Head over to Chicago ... if the gangbangers who haunt the elevated trains and subways knew that the real passengers were "packin' heat", these "misunderstood" youngsters might think twice before launching their terror attacks on decent citizens.
End of rant.
Sincerely,
Alan D. Busch
Posted by: alan d. busch at August 25, 2008 12:45 PM
Jake, our rabbi doesn't give a "klop" on the table; he stops and stares the culprit down, whether said culprit is a woman or a man. Just as I imagine he does in his classroom with his students. It works.
Robert, your description of the mystical lights of Efrat beckon us. Sigh...maybe one day...
Posted by: Pearl at August 25, 2008 01:54 PM
Jake,
Of course it could lead to a showdown. If the rabbi's not packing real heat he might find himself at the end of a steely eyed glare from a man whose sidearm would make Dirty Harry cringe in fear.
Posted by: Jack at August 26, 2008 02:38 PM
B"H
Robert,
I'm glad you had a nice Shabbath in Efrat. I did too, a couple of times, many moons ago.
You pointed out a reason or two, why I don't live there. (Too much male-female mixing, too modern, American, etc.)
That being said, as you know, every town [moshav, city, and kibbutz] has its own style and personality. One has to find ones own niche and community.
Efrat's not my cup of tea, but I have to admit, it's a place where many N. American immigrants would be comfortable.
I still believe that if you can find a community here in Israel, then you can do almost anything, like grow and flourish in a new country.
So, when's your aliyah date?
Posted by: Ben-Yehudah at August 26, 2008 02:47 PM
As a gentile, I will never understand the full meaning of the customs you celebrate. But I am always impressed by the depth of meaning these customs hold and I deeply appreciate their beauty. Thank you for sharing them, Robert.
Posted by: GW at August 27, 2008 01:06 PM
This is my kind of blog post!
I count guns wherever I go. Keep it up Robert! It was a pleasure meeting you at the conference.
Please pass the word that I am not an action figure (as was claimed here and here).
DoubleTapper
DoubleTapper@gmail.com
Posted by: DoubleTapper at August 30, 2008 10:04 PM