candace

We loaded our luggage on to the bus in preparation to leave Tel Aviv later in the day.

We visited Ichilov hospital's rehabilitation unit. Lior, a volunteer, met us outside and cautioned us about taking photos and videos without specific permission. 

We sat in a common area and one by one, soldiers sat with us and shared their stories. We were supposed to be there for an hour but soldiers kept wanting to talk with us so we stayed much longer.

Each story was unique - some had more than one. All the young men were good-natured, funny and firm in their convictions. They all made clear how anxious they were to get back to their unit and "finish the job".

We extended our profound gratitude to each of them, including leaving them with some gifts. In turn, they were so grateful to us for coming to listen to them.

After a quick stop for lunch at the Sarona Market, we headed to the cemetery at Mount Hertzl. We visited the newest section which, sadly, is filling up quickly. Most of the soldiers buried there were under 25 years old. Heartbreaking. 

Later in the afternoon, we went to Pantry Packers. This operation has been running for more than 10 years; run by Colel Chabad.
Post the 10/7 war they have expanded operations to help more families. Their packages are geared specifically to the recipients e.g. Ashkenazi/Sephardi/Ethiopian. Groceries or prepared meals also available.  They also operate day cares, event venues and other initiatives for those affected by war and terror.

This operation was significantly more professional than the one we'd visited earlier in the week. 

We were quickly able to set up a system to pack, label and fill close to 400 bags of lentils.

Apparently, I'm good at assembly line work. Who knew?

After dinner we went to the Tower of David Light show. Barely half the seats were filled and they now run only one show per evening - there used to be several. The lack of tourists is impacting everything here, too. 

More to come tomorrow...