Hello From Jerusalem - August 14, 2014

August 14, 2014

At the time of this writing, 64 Israeli soldiers have been killed.

The translated article below, an excerpt of a blog written by a bereaved older brother, will give you a sense of the current consciousness of the nation.

My Brother, We Thank You for Your Bravery


Especially during these days of personal, familial and national pain and loss, we are proud to be part of the chain of Israel’s redemption.” 

Eulogy for Evyatar Moshe Turgeman, who fell during Operation Protective Edge

Source: Ynet, August 5, 2014

My words have been written during these days of awe.  Days of courage and heroism, of the spirit of giving, the spirit of love and brotherhood.  Days of Israeliness.

These are days during which we can actually see the things that our minds have always believed -- that we are an amazing and steadfast people, as strong as a rock.  We have roots that no wind in the world could ever destroy, not even the brutal and murderous wind blowing out of Gaza.  Ancient roots, nourished by our forefathers -- Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.  Indeed, during these days of hardship and struggle, our past -- our history -- rises up to give strength to the war of the present and to the building of the future.

During this time of pain and loss, the pain belongs to the bereaved families.  A hole has been opened in the heart and soul of each and every family which has lost a loved one.  So, too, a hole has been created in the heart of all of Israel. 

I cannot let these days pass without trying to examine them, and to understand and breathe in the special fragrance which exudes from my people of Israel at the height of its glory.  The people of Israel during the days of Operation Protective Edge.

The greatest pain of all -- a pain which pierces the heart and opens up a wound which will bleed forever -- has served to reveal the spirit, the strength and the bravery that is in each one of us.  We are a nation well-versed in pain.  We learn from our fighters, from our beloved sons who have given their lives in this war for us.  They have taught us the secret of victory -- the combination of courage and humility, of heroism and kindness.

We are no longer ashamed to declare that our lives are great, that our goals and ideals are immense.  Ours is a people which thirsts for life, which loves life with a love that is so great that it knows no bounds.  By virtue of this love, we know not fear.  Staring straight into the face of death, we sacrifice life in order to preserve life.

We, the Turgeman family of Beit She'an, mourn the loss of Evyatar Moshe, our son and brother, who fell on the 24th of Tammuz, 5774, in Khan Yunis.  We are just one of the many families of Operation Protective Edge.  A family in pain, but proud to be another link – small, but so powerful – in the chain of Israel’s redemption.  A chain of heroism and humility, a chain of fighters who gave everything for the continued existence of Am Yisrael in its land.

We grieve.  We cannot yet grasp the scale of our loss and the longing for what is no longer, for what might have been built by these heroes.  But we also understand.  We are proud.  With God’s help, we will learn to rejoice for those who will be born at this time.  For the heroism of our fighters and their victory over death.  For Israel’s unity and solidarity -- to each other and to our leaders.  We are privileged to be a part of this enterprise.

Thank you for your heroism, your kindness, your brotherhood and your love at this time.

Yinon Turgeman is the proud and loving elder brother of Evyatar Moshe Turgeman.

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