A Tale of Seven Cities

A tale of Seven  cities. Jerusalem, Washington, Cairo , Damascus, Gaza , Ramallah, Tehran. It was the best of years and it was the worst of years. Well more probably it was the worst of years. Wherever there is a call for the destruction of Israel - there is civil war or instability. Tehran ( embargoes) , Cairo ( its support of Hammas) , Damascus, Gaza on one side and unstable, while Ramallah ( two state solution), Washington, Jerusalem, are stable.  Food for thought.

https://www.createspace.com/1000252310

The Israel Card- sanctions are a two edged sword

The Israel Card- Israel took chances for peace, from agreeing to " land for peace" after the six day war to the Camp David agreements, "The Oslo Agreements" then the "Road-map for peace  " then the "two state solution". All along losing a bargaining chip for peace and not getting any peace. Remember at Camp David Menachem Begin just wanted to offer autonomy to the Palestinians and this was a large appeasement at the time. Now look where Israel is. The peace lover that she is. Now what are Israeli chips not used till now. Sanctions are a double edge sword. Israel can sanction visitors from countries sanctioning Israel from entering the country and thus the holy sights. After all these are under Jewish control, and the world takes for granted that Jews were not allowed to visit their religious sites under Arab rule. It was Israels mistake to hand over Christan and Jewish religious sights to Arab Palestinian and Jordanian control . It can be taken back, easily. Then there is the point that Israel can form alliances with Eastern Europe, Russia , Canada or even China if she needs too. This is not against the USA , but opening up to others that the USA would not like Israel to be too close to. It is not that the USA is supporting Israel as much as the USA wants Israel technology  for herself. Yes , the Einsteins living in Israel are a commodity . That is, Israel can also even become a non- aligned country as Israelis come from many countries especially Russia. From Israel's point of view- big war is coming sooner or later, and the west will align with Israel in the end, she has no choice - going with the victor and all . The more control and space Israel has on her own territory which includes the west bank- the better. And if Israel is less aligned - she has a freer hand to operate as she did in the 1967 and 1948 wars. Remember , the USA put sanctions on arms to Israel during the Lebanon war and after that war became even closer friends, after Hezbullah killed so many marines for thanks for the shift in American pro Arab friendship in Lebanon. America turned around and became an even closer friend of Israel.  Israel's big mistake has been to make too many sacrifices for peace and give up too many chips for American appeasement with her Arab friends that now out number Israel as a friend . What the world is going to see in Netanyahu and Lieberman is that the Israelis and the Jews see themselves as the ones giving compromises for peace  ,because they want to for peace not because they are being forced too. If the peace comes as a forced agreement , then the world will see from Israel a shift to become a  major world player and not the Holocaust Jew, that Europe still thinks about. The Israelis are now a Spartan nation that stood up to suicide bombing- including myself and my own children. The Israelis are not afraid of sanctions. and to make up for manpower, Israel it seems is making an army of robots , drones, pilot less boats and anti missile missile systems- which means her enemies are nude to an Israeli attack.  and of course , many Israelis - not the majority though - think they have God on their side- the God of the Bible the God of the Jews. Sanctions indeed can be  a double edge sword.

Gaza vs Israel - and the winner is?

It has been six years since I returned to the USA from life in Israel. I went to work during the 8 day skirmish and no one said anything to me about Israel. No one at work even talked about what was happening there. Not only that - I wrote a memoir about my life there. What is even more surprising - or not- is that America and Israel are great allies and  the current president even says that  he " has Israel's back". Or not surprising. Soldiers died in Afghanistan and many American's did not notice that either. According to one politician on a news show- no one even knows their names. Now why am I writing all this to make a point - and that is - that the point many Israeli and Jewish efforts to gain support for their cause is pointless really pointless. Many American's are not listening and don't really care, about them and them. Well sure they care , and some do listen, but those that know the truth don't really have to be sold over and over again. So what is the point of all this , really. That Israel has to make their own decisions for their own purposes , world support or not. I can say this because my experience is that few are listening and really don't care except maybe the sensation seekers and news media whose real goal is to sell advertisement than to care.

great Gift idea for Hannukah - memoir by author Jason Alster about life in Israel

http://jasonalster.com/Resources.php

Follow you dreams- Leaving home Going Home Returning Home

Netanyahu promises tough Israel response at UN for threatening Israel on Yom Kippur

My prediction , since Netanyahu is thinking in biblical thoughts important to the Jewish people then D- Day will be Purim ( after winter)  - the holiday of Esther when the evil Hamman of Persia  was hung with his ten sons for trying to destroy the Jewish people. If there is no world response by then by the USA then Israel will go it alone because she will feel she has G-d on her side on that day. It is also a holiday in Israel so the general public can be prepared.

Aleph, Bet, Gimel – The A, B, C’s // learning Hebrew

Aleph, Bet, Gimel – The A, B, C’s
Learning another language had its trials and tribulations. I personally
did not like learning other languages when I was a young student.
Honestly, I did not have a rote memory if what I was learning
had no immediate relevance to my life. After all, America was a great
country – the foreigners on TV spoke English, and all the good
songs are in English. Aren’t they? Either way, I had a decent memory,
but only for things I wanted to remember. I could not repeat things
like a parrot. When I attended French classes in 9th grade I barely
remembered a word and had no intention of going to Paris as I had
not even been to Hollywood yet. On a family trip to the World’s
Fair in Montreal, Canada, I learned more French in a week than I
remembered from a year of French class. In college, though, I took
two semesters of Spanish thinking it would help me living in New
York. Another language was a requirement and French had already
proved to be a disaster. Little did I know that one day my first
Israeli girlfriend would be French, even though she spoke English
with a British accent. The rudimentary Hebrew I did know came
from grade school and synagogue. I could pray in biblical Hebrew –
Shakespearian Hebrew, if you will – but could not hold a conversation
in Hebrew. I did pick up some Modern Hebrew phrases from
my Israeli friends and the new Israeli songs coming out, but that
did not really prepare me for living in Israel. Nevertheless, others in
my ulpan class thought of me as lucky because I already knew more
Hebrew than they did.
One anecdote from the ulpan days happened when trying to decipher
store signs. Taking bike rides in the school’s neighborhood I
could practice my Hebrew by trying to understand the storefront
signs. My first major purchase was a ten-speed English racer. Since
Kfar Sava was situated on the coastal plane, it was mostly flat and
easy to navigate. In a Hebrew word, you need to find its shoresh (root
word), which consists of three letters. For instance, the root of S-ha-
l-o-m (peace, go in peace) is made of three Hebrew letters shin,
lamed, mem (whole). Hence, to be in peace is to be whole. You can
see already that Shalom in English is six letters while in Hebrew it
is four letters and the root word whole is only three letters. This is
an example that Hebrew is more condensed than English. With this
key to understanding Hebrew by finding root words, you can unravel
a myriad of words. A similar concept in English would be the
words immigrant and immigration coming from the root migrant.
In English the root “migrant” here is seven letters and in Hebrew
Oleh (migrant) is only four letters. Hence, we have an example of Hebrew
being a more condensed language than English. Thinking along
these lines, I came across a kiosk with an exceptionally long word for
Hebrew on the stores overhead sign; eight large letters long. Puzzled
about the meaning of the word, I could not figure out which three
of the eight letters made the root. I tried to spell it out phonetically
three letters at a time. Was it san, ndw, vic, chim?
I tried to pronounce the constellation of Hebrew letters out
loud.
San -dvi –chim.
Sandvichim?
…sandwiches? But that’s an English word!
Modern Israeli Hebrew is amusing – its hardest words don’t
originate from the Hebrew. Similar, I soon discovered that to Israelis
“soda” means club soda, not something like cola or baking soda.
“Cola” would later become synonymous with ordering a Coca-Cola
soft drink. Cultural differences in brand naming such as these are
a bit confusing at first and can make ordering food frustrating, but
eventually you learn a whole new way to communicate and find what
you’re looking for. I remember the time when I was hiking in the
Judean desert and came to a vendor in an ice cream truck. Asking
him for a cold orange soda on his shelves, he did not understand
what I was talking about. I gave up trying to figure out a way to say
“orange soda” and just pointed to the bottle. Once he could see
what I was talking about, he smiled and said, “Oh! Orangeada.” This
turned out to be a local brand name synonymous with orange soda.
Translating an expression word-for-word from one language to
another according to what a dictionary might say does not work
when trying to translate the MEANING of an idea from one culture
to another. I realized that the orange soda was a classic example of
this problem. I figured then that “orange soda” was not in this vendor’s
cultural vocabulary, but “orangeade,” like “lemonade,” was.
Another thing I learned on my bike expeditions was that Israelis
wanted to practice their English on me as much as I wanted to
practice my Hebrew on them. An even trade you expect, except that
I was supposed to be in a Hebrew speaking country. As I am trying
to converse in the language of their land, I am hearing English in
return. Therefore, we ended up with a Middle Eastern compromise.
I spoke in Hebrew and they would speak in English. It took about
five years in Israel to pass an important language landmark, when I
was able to speak in Hebrew and was finally answered in Hebrew.
Nevertheless, even after twenty years in Israel and speaking fluently
by then, there still were Israelis who wanted to practice their English
on me although I spoke Hebrew better than they spoke English. I
was happy to help.
https://www.createspace.com/1000252310

Yom Kippur

This year - Yom Kippur will come on day to quiet "The Noise" in the world. Have a safe fast, and peaceful holiday.

https://www.createspace.com/1000252310

Israel needs to amend peace treaty with Egypt

According to a news article Egypt wants to amend the peace treaty with Israel. However , it is Israel that needs to amend the peace treaty. For one, there should have been an apology in the treaty by Egypt for starting wars with Israel and trying to " throw her into the sea". Also, Israel has to ask for some Sinai back because the egyptians are not doing a great job protecting her own soldiers as well as keeping the border with Israel quiet since the exiting of Mubarak .

http://www.ynetnews.com/home/0,7340,L-3083,00.html

Book signing September 14th at Big E Agawam mass.

Will be at the New England Eastern States Exhibition Agawam Mass. - The Big E - signing books September 14th in the Connecticut pavilion.

 https://www.facebook.com/pages/Leaving-Home-Going-Home-Returning-Home-Israel-US-with-amazoncom/114389235295677

Made In Israel- natural techniques for helping ADHD , dysgraphia , and test anxiety

After working many years in Israel helping ADHD and test anxiety students naturally I developed this video- in Israel. I also wanted to show that Israel is a place of peace and tranquility and innovation, besides what is seen in the world press.  Now residing in Wethersfield , CT., I offer workshops on memory improvement, speed reading, natural relaxed concentration techniques, handwriting improvement, and test taking strategies.  www.jasonalster.com

https://www.createspace.com/1000252310

Romney yesterday on Iran, where are we today?

While the book Leaving Home... is not a political book, understanding the threat against Israel, the USA and the world is a purpose of the book.

Memories of the Gulf War - Israel and Iran today

This chapter I wrote about my experiences with my family in the Gulf War in Israel seems to repeat itself today with what is happening with Iran. ( from the book Leaving Home Going Home Returning Home : A Hebrew American's Sojourn in the Land of Israel) .

“I Am Not A Hero!” - The Gulf War
The Jews have an expression that we repeat every year while reading
the Passover Haggadah, or the story of the exodus from Egypt: “In
every generation someone arises to smite us, and we nonetheless prevail.”
During the Gulf War of 1990-1991, we heard another expression
from Nachman Shay, a radio announcer entrusted with keeping the
Israeli home front population informed about Scud missile attacks
in a relaxed and cool manner: “Na-avor gam et zeh,” which translated
means “we will get over this too.” This became a huge catchphrase of
the first Gulf War and it was repeated during many Israeli television
shows of the time. It was Saddam Hussein’s threat that he was going
to “burn half of Israel” that scared me the most. I think many Israelis
who had become accustomed to hearing these threats from Arab
nations took this one in stride or did not even pay attention at first.
Yet early on, I felt that this threat was different and ominous. I felt
that this threat was not like any other threat, for it was made by an
Arab leader that had already used chemical weapons on his people.
Saddam Hussein surely wanted vengeance for the Israeli Air Force
attack on the Iraqi nuclear plant in Baghdad in 1981.
Up until this point, living in Israel proper was relatively peaceful.
We had a resolute Prime Minister, Yitzhak Shamir, who would
protect us. In spite of this, Israel still had to be concerned with the
buffered and fenced border of Lebanon to the north, the Palestinians
in the volatile West Bank and Gaza, and the PLO exiled to Tunisia.
Syria, Jordan, and Egypt, meanwhile, fortunately kept relatively
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quiet thanks to various UN negotiations, peace treaties, agreements
made behind closed doors, and an electric fence. We felt secure inside
Israel proper except for the occasional terrorist attack. These,
when foiled, gave Tza’hal (the Israeli Army) a good name, granting
Israel confidence in that she would be able to dictate the terms of a
lasting peace. With terrorist attacks down to an all-time low at the
time after the first Lebanon War and before the first Intifada, Israel
felt it had deterred Arab attacks on the whole. During this time
period, there were fewer than two dozen casualties versus hundreds
killed in an Arab war. For comparison, in 1948, a full one percent
of the population was a casualty.
When Saddam Hussein rose to power, though, he became the
fly in the ointment. He called for Tel-Aviv to “burn,” not unlike
the big mouth from Iran today. Note that Hussein used the word
“burn.” In this context, “burn” is a code name for a chemical attack;
chemicals burn the flesh down to the bone. We knew that he had
chemical weapons and missiles; he used them in his ten-year war
with Iran. Iraq also had battle experience. Israel asserted that she
could beat Egypt, Syria, and Jordan independently or collectively
in a war because Israel has “more real time battle experience” fighting
terrorism. Here, however, was a vindictive Iraq with a motive,
with battle experience, and with dangerous unconventional weapons,
vying for leadership in the Arab world. Soon, a real fear grew in
Israel – a fear that a reckless Iraq would join forces with Syria or
Jordan to form a coalition of Arab armies poised to decimate Israel’s
largest and quietest border to the east.
By December 1990, six months passed since Iraq invaded
Kuwait. Operation Desert Shield by the UN coalition had not
begun as of yet. At this time, I had just begun working as a biofeedback
practitioner for about two months in the Tel-Aviv Mental Day
Care Clinic at Ramat Chen, a suburb outside Tel- Aviv. Living in Haifa
in an apartment I purchased overlooking the coast, I traveled two
hours every day to work in Ramat-Chen by public transportation.
I had just finished my master degree in medical sciences and neurophysiology
at the Haifa Technion Technical Institute’s medical
school. I took the job position at Ramat-Chen as an opportunity
to move from medical diagnostics (sleep wake disorders and EEG)
to something more behavioral and people oriented (biofeedback). I
was drawn to biofeedback as a profession ever since I took a course
in medical hypnosis. I always loved the study of psychology and
started out in college majoring in psychology. However, my grades
on exams did not reflect the effort I put in as well as I had hoped.
In my opinion, the questions were too theoretical in nature; I needed
more substance, so I switched my major to combined physiological
psychology. In this more concrete and practical branch of
psychology, the exam questions were more clear-cut and scientific
rather than being open to interpretation. In retrospect, if I had
known what I wanted out of life at the time that I was in college,
I should have majored in clinical or research psychology. Instead,
the change I made then ended up leading me astray, deeper into the
medical diagnostics field instead of the behavioral field. Biofeedback
would later lend me a chance to come full circle and work in what
I initially wanted.
Coming February 1991, all that stood between me and the completion
of a thesis was the oral exam. Of course, living in Israel
meant that you knew a war with an Arab state could happen at any
time, without warning. Even as far back as my very first weeks of
working at the Technion in December 1984, I overheard a staff secretary
talking about the 1982 Lebanon War. Still fresh in her mind,
she lamented aloud: “all the Technion students that had died…so
many students.” Now that I was a student in Israel too and at the
Technion, any new war that might arise would naturally be the last
thing I could possibly want for obvious reasons, yet I could not hope
to control the events to be. Iraq started a war and she invaded…
Kuwait, at first. Six months later, Israel was next in Iraq’s sights.
The Gulf War was on, and Iraq threatened to use Israel as a hostage.
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If anyone attacked Iraq, she would burn Tel Aviv or Saudi Arabia–
again, not bomb, but “burn.”
Everyone, especially those in the pan-Arab society wondered why
Iraq invaded Kuwait instead of attacking Israel. “Oh Saddam”, they
wailed amongst themselves – “was it for power? Was it for money?
Was it for leadership of the Arab world?” The attack on Kuwait was
the Joker in the deck of cards for the design of pan Arabism.
In the midst of all of this, Israel was merely a decoy. Whether
she was a decoy or target made little difference, though – she was
still between a rock and a hard place. Constant wonder and fear
raced through everyone’s minds.
Will Saddam deliver the chemicals by plane or by Scud missile?
Are the Scuds accurate weapons?
Do the Scuds have a long enough range to reach Israel without
falling on Jordan first?
How will the jets attack us?
Would the Scud war heads be of chemical mustard gas, nerve
agents, biological poisons or anthrax?
The answers the public received were not entirely comforting, yet
they offered some solace since they helped us understand the threat as
best we could. We soon learned that the Scuds can hit large cities, but
they are not accurate enough to hit smaller army targets. This meant
that they also can’t hit you if they are aiming right at you, but if the
Scuds are aiming away from you, there would still be a higher chance
that they could end up swerving in your direction. On TV and in the
newspapers, we are shown photos of Israel moving anti-aircraft missiles
out in the open to the eastern border, through a mountain rift
in the desert between Jordan and Syria, of course. You would think
we would feel secure from this display, but these are the same missiles
used in the Vietnam War. These anti-aircraft missiles may be effective
against fighter planes, but not for ballistic missiles and Scuds.
The pessimists droned on about another holocaust or just left
the country, yet everyone else worked remarkably hard together to
keep Israel’s spirit and conviction strong. Engineers became instant
media experts talking about the latest in weapons technology to the
point where you could have completed engineering school if you
paid close enough attention. Psychologists discussed mental, emotional,
and spiritual casualties of war in the average person’s mind
and the need to “talk it out” to survive it all. Medical professionals
panned over what chemical and biological weapons can do to the
body, and politicians stressed being strong in the face of adversity.
Rabbis recalled miracles of the past, happening again but Nachman
Shay talked to us, the ordinary citizens, through our radios about
getting over this bridge on stormy waters.
Army officials, meanwhile, took every chance to reassure us
about modern warfare by talking to every newspaper, news radio,
and news TV station in Israel. The Israeli Army and the Civilian
Guard worked hard to give the survivors of the Holocaust generation
a sense of security and a sense that Israel can defend herself even
against unconventional weapons. While all you could hear about was
the war and its mass destruction, the Israeli Army and the Civilian
Guard stressed that the only real defense we have if we are attacked
is retaliation. The more of the population wiped out in a first strike,
the stronger the retaliation. Israelis in the know understood this as
code for “if the Scuds are conventional, Israel will destroy the Iraqi
infrastructure”…but if the Scuds kill too many people, Israel will
attack the higher echelon and even tell us which neighborhoods they
live in so the other side understands Israel is serious. If the Scuds
are unconventional, Israel will fight fire with fire, hinting it will go
nuclear if pushed to the brink. The code word for that was
“The lesson will be very, very painful and unexpected in its intensity.”
Fortunately, Saddam waited. He flinched. Maybe Israel was just
a diversion away from his invasion of oil-rich Kuwait. Maybe Israel
did not have enough oil to bother with. Maybe he expected
a weak world response and an American weakness indicative of a
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post-Vietnam mentality. It could be that he never really cared about
the Palestinians and their cause, just supplied lip service. In the end,
Saddam did not foresee the coalition of forces that joined against
him. The war was over before it started. Israel cleverly took the
unexpected defensive, with the notion this time that a good defense
makes for a good offense. Saddam failed to anticipate this strategy
as well, and it actually foiled his plans to get other Arabs on his side
to start another Arab-Israeli war with the focus away from his invasion
of Kuwait. As part of their defensive strategy, Israel decided
to supply the whole population with gas masks – Jews, Christians,
Arabs, and even pro Hussein Intifada-prone Palestinians. This is
a little known fact, that Israel supplied her then-enemy the Palestinians,
with gas masks. Even though Yassir Arafat supported and
visited with Saddam Hussein publically, the Palestinian people were
just as scared as the rest of us. They knew that the wind could blow
from Tel-Aviv to their cities only a few miles away. What if a chemical
missile from Iraq missed and landed in the Palestinian territories,
only a few minutes away by car from the Israeli green line?
Layer’s of protection was the key to Israel’s defensive strategy. In
addition to the gas masks, everyone was instructed to have a sealed
room in the house. Plastic sheets were used to cover all the windows
and openings and these were taped down. Everyone did it. It was a
hardware store field day. Can you imagine the hottest item for sale in
Israel was duct tape?
We waited in lines to get gas masks fitted for the whole family,
children included. It was the modern day family affair, like going to
a science fair. My daughter Limor was only 3 months old at the time.
Since she was just a baby and could not put on a gas mask, so she
would have to be placed in a plastic chamber that looked like the incubators
used in the neonatal ICU. The chamber was complete with
holes for hands to enter without letting in contaminated air and had
a battery operated fan ventilation system through charcoal filters.
We then had to practice drills with air raid sirens that would go off
and give us about 10 minutes to enter our sealed rooms. During the
last couple of years people of Sderot, Israel, given their proximity to
missile launches from Gaza, found themselves in an even more difficult
situation with half that time to seek protection.
The air raid sirens were perched atop schools, and one was across
the street from us. United States Navy missile cruisers began to enter
Haifa port on their way to the gulf. As a volunteer for the American
in Israel version of the USO Navy Home Hospitality Program, I
was invited with a group of other members to board a missile boat
and visit. The captain of the ship gave a speech on how the USA was
going to the gulf to protect world peace and stand by Israel…and
that’s exactly what they did. Here I was, an American in Israel, on
an American missile ship in an Israeli port, sending her off to war.
I could never have imagined that! I understood then what it meant
for America to have Israel as an ally, a friendly port halfway around
the world from American shores.
When the war began, the allies started their bombing raids on
Iraq. I was happy that Saddam was going to get his. It was night
in Israel and we all went to sleep in the designated plastic-covered
window security room, not knowing what tomorrow would bring. I
kept the radio on and it was now announced that a code word on
the radio in addition to the outdoor sirens was Nahash Tzeffa (Viper
snake).
Lo and behold, at about 2 AM – not even the light of next day
yet – we heard multiple alarms.
Oh my G-d. It’s real!
As Nena’s song “99 Red Balloons” says, “this is it boys, this is
war!”
Hurry! Get up! Put the cloth across the doorway airspace. Shut
the shutters. Turn on the lights. Get out the boxes with the gas masks.
Have them ready. Wait for the radio announcement to open the seals
over the boxes with the gas masks. Call down to the neighbors and
make sure they got out of bed. Ten minutes passed by, and I heard
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two soft and distant thuds. It did not sound like anything I have ever
heard before. Where did the thuds happen? I could not look out the
shuttered window.
The radio crackled: Nahash Tzeffa, Nahash Tzeffa, this is not a drill, open
up your mask kits and put them on. Seven scuds just landed all over Israel including
Haifa. Special armored vehicles just donated from Germany are checking the damage
sites to determine if the missiles have chemical warheads. I open the seal on
the mask kits and made sure my family did the same. My neighbor
below was a little slow in closing the blinds. Since we lived on the
Carmel Mountain above the Haifa Bay, we had a panoramic view
all the way to the Lebanon border. He witnessed Scuds landing
on a large shopping mall on the coast that was only just built and
another two Scuds landed in the sea. He called us by phone from
his downstairs apartment to notify us it’s for real. He didn’t dare
leave his plastic security room either so we communicated by
phone. The mall, Lev Hamifratz, Heart of the Haifa Bay, was later
nicknamed “Scud Mall” and became a tourist destination with
before and after photographs proudly displayed on the walls. Talk
about the Israeli way to turn a negative into a positive! Saddam was
aiming for the large Haifa oil refinery next to the mall. He missed,
but only by a half mile or so. Not bad for an inaccurate Scud missile
coming all the way from Iraq. It’s unsettling to imagine what
damage he could have done even if the missile did hit the refinery
grounds.
On the news, the adults were told to put the gas masks on even
before the children so that we could help them. Limor was a baby
that had a very loud colicky scream, but as our first miracle of the
Gulf War, Limor became suddenly quiet in the Mamat (the neonatal
gas protection chamber). She quit crying and acted as if she liked
the closed space. I took off a sealer used to keep the charcoal in the
filters fresh then I put on the mask myself. Outside and above in the
sky, I heard what must have been dozens and dozens of jet fighters
fly overhead towards Jordan on the way to Iraq for retaliation.
Suddenly, I was hit by a strong stench of something that smelled
like ammonia. Was it coming from inside the mask, or was it coming
from the room? I was trapped, for I could not take off the mask to
hunt down the source of the stench.
Was I breathing in gas?
Since I did not shave my beard, did I have a poor gas mask seal?
Does poison gas have an ammonia smell?
How did the gas get into the sealed room so fast?
If this is real gas, I would have little time to act.
Wearing my gas mask, I checked the windows and found them
unbroken. Adrenaline pumping, I cursed the whole idea of the sealed
room. Saddam could shoot two missiles at once – one to break the
windows, and one to launch the poison gas. What a waste of time!
I glanced at Limor, safe and sound in the closed-off mamat, and
asked my wife and daughter Shanee if they smelled ammonia. You
could talk with the mask on. They did not smell anything. I was
the only one!
What was I going to do? The smell was real and I was breathing
it, and I use to have asthma. I began to worry that this would trigger
an asthma attack while I am wearing the mask. I was supposed to
be the leader of the sealed room. What if it really was poison gas?
What else could it be? I had to survive, didn’t I?
There was a syringe in the gas mask kit with epinephrine used
to accelerate the body’s immune system in case of poison. Unfortunately,
there was no attachment for testing room air. I rifled through
the kit and found instructions on how to inject yourself but the
instructions were written in Hebrew only with a few visuals. I spoke
Hebrew well, but these were not common day-to-day Hebrew words,
so I had to improvise. I looked at the syringe and it had one color on
top and another on the bottom, one side green, and the other red.
When you press on one of the sides, the needle is suppose to eject
out into your thick thigh muscle.
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It was a fifty-fifty shot, but I had to survive to help my family.
I held the syringe up high, thumb on one end and brought it down
briskly into my thigh. Fifty-fifty, green or red…and I got the wrong
fifty. A sharp and serious needle shot right through my thumb,
somehow missing the bone. Pain coursed through my hand as some
of the epinephrine blasted through my thumb muscle, kicking my
heartbeat into hyperactive mode for what would become a good few
hours.
I ripped off the mask and breathed the dreaded room air, it was
better than choking to death. Israel was at war for less than 20 minutes,
and I was already a casualty, a causality of self induced chemicals,
and a statistic. The bright red blood dripping from my thumb
was my red badge of courage.
Unfortunately, there were about 20 deaths in the Gulf War, with
only one as a result of a direct rocket hit. It was sadly from friendly
fire from an exploding Patriot Missile that crashed into a house. The
other casualties ended up being from stress and gas mask related
injuries. People did not follow the instructions to take off the new
mask sealer before wearing their masks and choked to death. Others
died from the injections due to the shock to the body. I was lucky
then that I muddled up the injection, sending a smaller dose into my
body via my thumb instead of my thigh. Finally, years later, I would
find out that the ammonia smell in the mask was a cleaning agent
for sterilizing any masks that were used and not new. There was no
warning about the smell. In my hose hold only my mask was previously
used.
The Israeli fighters were already over Jordan when they were called
back to base. The Scuds then were fitted with conventional warheads.
It turned out that Saddam did have chemical weapons with the ability
to deliver them by Scuds, but he never did use them. He still kept
us guessing the whole war, even up to the very last missile barrage.
He saved that option in case he was going to be captured. The brave
infamous Arab leader, found hiding in a rat hole after the second
Gulf War, never used his card to attack Israel, the so-called “Zionist
Enemy”. In the end, we saw that Saddam was more interested in
surviving than in “burning half of Israel”. Each Israeli family that
strapped gas masks on that first night, was braver than he was.
America eventually sent Patriot missiles to Israel so that Israel
would feel secure and not retaliate, which would threaten the cohesion
of the allied coalition. This maneuver would allow America to
build a coalition against Iraq that included other Arab nations – even
with Syria, which was technically at war with Israel. The Patriot missiles
were set up on mountain tops and by the Tel-Aviv coast. One
of these missile posts set up on the Carmel Mountain ridge outside
Haifa University was a five minute ride from my home. Manned
with joint American and Israeli crews, it was the first time Israel allowed
foreign troops, American soldiers, in defense of Israel on her
soil. I passed by a missile battery on my way to work in Tel-Aviv. By
a twist of fate, my father worked for a company called Anderson
Laboratories just outside Hartford, Connecticut that was involved in
the manufacturing of the Patriot missile. My Dad told me by phone
that the Patriot missile is a very good system that will lend us protection.
That conversation gave me a sort of peace of mind and a false
sense of security. The missiles were more effective against fighter jets
than Scuds, but thankfully Saddam did not know that. I wondered
how my father felt speaking to his son far off in a foreign land and
at war, having a conversation like this.
About 40 missiles in 19 different volleys fell only during the
nights in a period of a month. That’s because the Iraqis were afraid
the American air force would detect the missile launchers, so we
were told. During the day, I traveled from Haifa to my workplace in
Tel-Aviv. The war was still raging, and I had to take my master thesis
oral. I completed a study comparing the sleep waves in the EEG of a
comatose patient to normal sleep, which I entitled “Density Spectral
Array, Evoked Potentials, and Temperature Rhythms in the Prognosis
of The Comatose Patient.” The exam, by hospital neurosurgeons,
Leaving Home, Going Home, Returning Home
124
“I Am Not A Hero!” - The Gulf War
125
would be early in the morning at the Rambam Medical Centre in
Haifa. Driving from my house in Nesher, and out in the open, was a
very uncomfortable feeling. I had my traveling gas mask kit with me,
and wore a long sleeve shirt and jacket in case of a chemical attack.
It was 6: AM and the morning news came on. It always started with
the well-known Jewish prayer: Shema Yisrael, Hashem Eloheynu, Hashem
Ehchad. “Hear Oh Israel the Lord is our G-d, the Lord is one.” This
prayer, brought down through the ages from the Bible, is said when
awakening in the morning, before bed, and before death. I recited
the Shema that morning driving to the medical center, praying that I
would be able to complete my degree. When I arrived, I found it surreal
that inside the labs, it was business as usual for the doctors. They
did not even ask me how I was holding up; it was naturally expected
that I would put on a face of doing just fine. In the midst of that
bizarre calm, I passed the exam. The research I conducted on coma
and sleep later won the International Carskadon Award for Excellence
in Sleep Research by a technologist. I guess that good things
do come out of hard places, if they only knew.
At the biofeedback lab, we used relaxation techniques to help
people suffering from anxiety to prepare to wear their masks when
the alarms may sound. School-age children would bring in their
parents to the clinic to have them instructed on how to put on the
masks. One night, a Scud missile collided with Patriot right above
Ramat-Chen, bringing about the friendly fire casualty mentioned
earlier while damaging the biofeedback lab. A television news crew
raced to the scene and also visited the biofeedback lab to report
on the psychological terror and counter-psychology measures of the
biofeedback lab! Sometimes, fate knocks when you least expect it.
On site, the news crew filmed me using biofeedback relaxation machines
for the Ramat-Chen anxiety patients. The news story came on
late that same night. I was to be on Israeli television! Most people
were now staying home nights and watching the high-quality programs
Israeli TV was just now providing. The movie The Deep was to
follow the nightly news with the alluring, bikini-clad Jacqueline Bisset.
Needless to say, a lot of people were looking forward to that
night’s film. As fate would have it, my segment would end up having
quite a large audience since it was the last news feature introduced just
before the station screened The Deep. The Israeli anchorman boomed
about a new psychological “secret weapon” being introduced to
fight a psychological war: it was biofeedback. I was now using the
“secret weapon” in a psychological war, teaching people to control
their anxieties. The next day, every person I met, mentioned seeing
my segment on the news. Once the war concluded, a documentary
named Nahash Tzeffa (Viper Snake) was compiled of the news stories
of the war, and my news segment made the final cut.
Psychologists were considered the heroes of this psychological
warfare, and I was the TV example used for a new secret weapon,
biofeedback.

South Africa vs Israel

We all have heard how south Africa holds conventions on her soil about how Zionism is Racism and Israelis treat Palestinians. Well , Israelis never did what you see in these pictures to Palestinian rioters. The IDF always shot in the air or then at the feet , then at a single demonstrator. Never did they put a gun on automatic and just shoot unarmed men, The police here were also well armed , not alone, and fully geared. South Africa has to have a good look at herself before commenting on other peoples and nations.

SyrianGirl , a view from the other side.

SyrianGirl visits Syrian 1973 war monument in Damascus




All I can say after seeing this video is that what can you expect when you are raised under the same news from Syria that contradicts itself every day. Of course you will get a view  from a rose colored perspective.
1) SyrianGirl does not mention that the Arab nations in 1947 and Iran today with Hizbullah talk about wiping Israel off the map or throwing the Jews into the sea.
2) Syrian Girl talks about Syrian air force ( actally Russian made SAM missles) wiping out Israel Air Force in 1973 war. Well it was the other way around. In 1982 Israel shot down 40-80 syrian MIGS with no IAF loses. Looking at the performance of the Syrian Army today and their fight against the freedom fighters I now understand why they kept the peace with Israel.

An Israeli sense of humor

The following is a reading from the book Leaving Home Going Home Returning Home: A Hebrew American's Sojourn in the Land of Israel. the chapter " Ronald McDonald is an Israeli" is about an Israeli sense of humor or at least an American's sense of humor in Israel.
https://www.createspace.com/1000252310
Ronald Mcdonald was an Israeli

Review I received on Amazon.com says it all.

I confess that "Leaving Home, Going Home, Returning Home" is a book that I normally would not read. I am a web designer by trade and a techie book author as well (How to Start a Home-Based Web Design Business, 4th (Home-Based Business Series)). A book about a guy's journey to Israel didn't seem to match my normal pattern of technical tomes. But when I picked it up and thumbed through it, I found myself settling back in my easy chair starting the first chapter. By time I had read a few chapters, I felt the book warranted my full attention.

Alster taught me more about Israel, its people, culture, and history than I had ever been aware of before. I was able to view it through the eyes of someone who was willing to give a non-judgemental panoramic view of a culture that I previously only knew superficially. Through his eyes, I was able to see a part of the Jewish history that allowed me to understand more than I ever did before.

I remember in the early 1990's when I watched the televised version of Iraq shooting scud missiles during the Gulf War. It was a low-impact experience so many miles away. However, as I read about Alster protecting his daughter and family as he could hear the scud missiles just outside his own home, it became very real to me. This was not just a crazed dictator firing random artillery into the desert -- this was a real threat to real people! Seems obvious now but it took the skilled writing of Alster to bring me into the house with him and his family, feeling each painful explosion. By this time, I couldn't put the book down.

This book was written in a style in which I feel I have a better understanding of why so many of my Jewish friends talk respectfully about a desert land so far away. I understand it through a glimpse of someone with American values growing up in a Jewish household. And through someone who, forsaking all he grew up with, moved to a land of his heritage to make a new home. And then when he decided to return to the US, it made me think of it as the modern day equivalent to the 1915 book "Acre of Diamonds" (Acres of Diamonds: -1915).

If you are looking for a well-written book on a young man traveling to Israel and back, you can't go wrong with this one. It is educational, entertaining, and inspirational.

Thomas Friedman Again- let me show you why he is wrong.

Leaving Home Going Home Returning Home.
This is the article Thomas Friedman wrote for the new York Times. I will in the article show you why this is wrong- and from a respected person who has an agenda.
My commentary is in parenthesis.
OP-ED COLUMNIST
Why Not in Vegas?
By THOMAS L. FRIEDMAN
Published: July 31, 2012 417 Comments


I’ll make this quick. I have one question and one observation about Mitt Romney’s visit to Israel. The question is this: Since the whole trip was not about learning anything ( an assumption- when you assume you make an AS of YOU and ME)  but about how to satisfy the political whims of the right-wing, super pro-Bibi Netanyahu, American Jewish casino magnate Sheldon Adelson, why didn’t they just do the whole thing in Las Vegas? ( If Bibi lived in the USA he would be a conservative/ a modernist/ and not a right winger) .  I mean, it was all about money anyway (  another ASSumption) — how much Romney would abase himself by saying whatever the Israeli right wanted to hear and how big a jackpot of donations Adelson would shower on the Romney campaign in return ( Is going to Israel only about donations- PS Israel is not the safest place in the world to go for a donation) . Really, Vegas would have been so much more appropriate than Jerusalem. They could have constructed a plastic Wailing Wall and saved so much on gas ( blasphemy does not become Thomas Friedman) .



The observation is this: Much of what is wrong with the U.S.-Israel relationship today can be found in that Romney trip ( why does everything connected to Israel have to be wrong? That is negative thinking) . In recent years, the Republican Party has decided to make Israel a wedge issue ( why not - Israel I am sure loves to be center stage) . In order to garner more Jewish (and evangelical) votes and money, the G.O.P. decided to “out-pro-Israel” the Democrats by being even more unquestioning of Israel ( I would also bet that Americans in the military also vote for an Israeli USA relationship for a vast variety of reasons) . This arms race has pulled the Democratic Party to the right on the Middle East ( not Iran of course - but Israel)  and has basically forced the Obama team to shut down the peace process and drop any demands that Israel freeze settlements ( but netanyahu said in his address at the Congress that Israel already tried to freeze settlements and it did not work) . This, in turn, has created a culture in Washington where State Department officials, not to mention politicians, are reluctant to even state publicly what is U.S. policy ( as if they really knew)  — that settlements are “an obstacle to peace” — for fear of being denounced as anti-Israel. ( The settlements are not as much an obstacle to peace as the Arab nations not protesting against Hezbullah and Iran who outwardly say they will try to throw Israel into the sea).

Add on top of that, the increasing role of money in U.S. politics and the importance of single donors who can write megachecks to “super PACs” — and the fact that the main Israel lobby, Aipac, has made itself the feared arbiter of which lawmakers are “pro” and which are “anti-Israel” and, therefore, who should get donations and who should not — and you have a situation in which there are almost no brakes, no red lights, around Israel coming from America anymore (  Is because Israel has a kick ass military and is an ally of the USA that might be part of the reason too?) . No wonder settlers now boast on op-ed pages that the game is over, they’ve won, the West Bank will remain with Israel forever — and they don’t care what absorbing all of its Palestinians will mean for Israel’s future as a Jewish democracy ( Israels official policy settlers or not is a two state solution and everyone knows it, but the settlers have free speech and have a right to lobby for their cause democratically. PS. the settlements are considered illegal by the USA , but everyone forgets to mention thet not the land itself because it was captured in a defensive war. If Israel made national parks or army bases on that land there would be no ILLEGAL argument).

It is into this environment that Romney wandered to add more pandering and to declare how he will be so much nicer to Israel than big, bad Obama. ( Those are Freidmans words not Obamas - i.e. artistic license) This is a canard. On what matters to Israel’s survival — advanced weaponry and intelligence — Defense Minister Ehud Barak told CNN on Monday, “I should tell you honestly that this administration under President Obama is doing in regard to our security more than anything that I can remember in the past.”
 ( NO NO NO !!!!!!!!!!!! What matters to Israel is what it says in the Bible-  that Israel are the chosen ones and a light unto the nations. Israel wants to be a major player among nations and like prime minister Begin  told Reagan once " Israel is not a banana republic")

While Romney had time for a $50,000-a-plate breakfast with American Jewish donors in Jerusalem, with Adelson at his elbow, he did not have two hours to go to Ramallah, the seat of the Palestinian Authority, to meet with its president, Mahmoud Abbas, or to share publicly any ideas on how he would advance the peace process. ( with the major detractor to peace in the area Syria- having a civil war - now is really not the time for peace talks when Abbas could have done that before he missed the boat)  He did have time, though, to point out to his Jewish hosts that Israelis are clearly more culturally entrepreneurial than Palestinians ( obviously, Palestinians supporting suicide bombings not too long ago also affected the economy- and the Palestinian street admitted that they chose death over life????) . Israel today is an amazing beehive of innovation — thanks, in part, to an influx of Russian brainpower, massive U.S. aid and smart policies ( this is where Friedman show his true colors- he does not mention the many Anglo Saxons that moved to Israel including the tens of thousands of Americans. What really helped Israel grow is the Free Trade Act between the USA and Israel and the favored status of America trade with Israel, not to take away anything from the Russians who also brought Eastern European mentality to Israel). . It’s something Jews ( Jews or Israelis or Israeli Jews- or all of the citizens of Israel Arabs included) should be proud of. But had Romney gone to Ramallah he would have seen a Palestinian beehive of entrepreneurship, too, albeit small, but not bad for a people living under occupation( Helllllllo isn't this Shimon Peres idea to have good economic bridges with the Palestinians for peace? Did not Romney sit with Shimon Peres?????) . Palestinian business talent also built the Persian Gulf states. In short, Romney didn’t know what he was talking about.

On peace, the Palestinians’ diplomacy has been a fractured mess, and I still don’t know if they can be a partner for a secure two-state deal with even the most liberal Israeli government. But I do know this: It is in Israel’s overwhelming interest to test, test and have the U.S. keep testing creative ideas for a two-state solution. That is what a real U.S. friend would promise to do. Otherwise, Israel could be doomed to become a kind of apartheid South Africa. ( Here Friedman shows his true colors again- what if the Palestinians accepted autonomy or a federation with their Jordanian brothers- would that be so bad? I wounder what Mr. Friedman will say when the Kurds will want their own state? Will he tell Turkey to give up some of their vast territory??)

And here is what I also know: The three U.S. statesmen who have done the most to make Israel more secure and accepted in the region all told blunt truths to every Israeli or Arab leader: Jimmy Carter, who helped forge a lasting peace between Israel and Egypt; Henry Kissinger, who built the post-1973 war disengagement agreements with Syria, Israel and Egypt; and James Baker, who engineered the Madrid peace conference. All of them knew that to make progress in this region you have to get in the face of both sides. They both need the excuse at times that “the Americans made me do it,” because their own politics are too knotted to move on their own. ( America has a problem here with this because America has many territories she won in war and would have to return them if Mr. Friedmans assumptions were correct- or also exit military bases on foreign soil).

So how about all you U.S. politicians — Republicans and Democrats — stop feeding off this conflict for political gain. Stop using this conflict as a backdrop for campaign photo-ops and fund-raisers. Stop making things even worse by telling the most hard-line Israelis everything that they want to hear, just to grovel for Jewish votes and money, while blatantly ignoring the other side. There are real lives at stake out there. If you’re not going to do something constructive, stay away. They can make enough trouble for themselves on their own. ( The other side???  Wait isn't the USA in Saudi Arabia, the Gulf, Iraq, Afghanastan, Pakistan , Lebanon, Egypt, Jordan ,  maybe Syria soon etc etc etc....

Mitt Romney gets it right and has my vote!!!

For a real  good source of information about what Israel is all about- You have to get " Leaving Home Going Home Returning Home. " I think Mitt Romney used it as a source.

Relaxing Zen from Israel

Just got my sales report from CreatSpace. My videos Relaxing Zen from Israel and Zen for ADD, ADHD are BIG BIG hits.  A relaxing video of scenes from Israel by biofeedback specialist Jason Alster MSc . Let serenity surround you with harmonious elements from the natural environment. Peace of mind from simplicity let's you escape to far off places.
Directed by: RainbowCloud.

Relaxing Zen from Israel

https://www.createspace.com/1000252310

I want to puke

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8WywYnAIzu4


Notice how Syrian TV sites the CIA blaming Turkey for the assassination of the 4 top Syrian officials in Damascus. That is , the only way it could have happened was by " Foreign Intervention".

Massacre in Syria.

No one should have any doubt what would have happened to the people in Israel if Egypt, Gaza or Syria or Iraq , or Hizbullah or Iran would win any war with Israel. I remember the pictures of the first days of the 1973 October Yom Kippur War where captured Israeli soldiers from the first days of the war had their hands tied behind their backs and were stabbed in the back and found by returning Israeli forces. I knew then what type of country Syria was and because the world did not protest then we have this now.

http://edition.cnn.com/2012/07/17/world/meast/syria-douma-killings/

Enduring Friendships: Clinton and Peres, America and Israel

Gingrich on Israel, Clinton, and Obama

Syria and Al- Quaida agreement revealed, not un-expected

Syria defector ambassador reports Syria had agreements with Al Quaida . The truth is finally coming out. Israel must never return the Golan.

Middle America and an author book signing at the Torrington Fair.

 I just returned   from a book signing at the Torrington fair in Torrington, CT where the Torrington library sponsored an author each week for the summer long fair. It is in the western part of the state bordering on the Litchfield hills.  Torrington itself is an example of small town America.   Now you might ask, "How well did a book about life Israel sell in small town America , and who would buy such a book?"

Well what I found out is that there for all intent and purposes is an Christan alliance with Israel , and it is getting stronger. This is in stark contrast, I am happy to say,  to my younger days when the Jews and Christians were not the best of friends.   Who bought the book? Well it seems that there are many Christians making a pilgrimage to Israel and they were hungry to read a book about the culture of the land written by an American, in their own language. American.  I met a minister who told me he was in a joint project with a lady rabbi to do a study of the chronology of the bible. He, the old testament and she, the new testament. Now, if that isn't an alliance - what is?  
Now what I say to attract interest to the book is that it is similar to three other books. The Hobbit for its adventure; under The Tuscan Sun for it's cultural acclimation in a Mediterranean  country; and Eat Pray Love for the similar experiences about living out of America messages the book teaches. Well, small world, someone who knew the author of Eat Pray Love bought the book. I even sold a book to a Jewish couple who said , " We are Jewish , we will get the book" and I sold one copy to someone who even went to the bank to withdraw the 20$ and came back a half hour later because he wanted the knowledge in the book. He was an engineer who traveled to different lands too. I was so happy to have him have the book , I forgot to sign it, but he reminded me of that. I also prepared a video of the nature scenes in Israel I filmed and called it Meditative and Exotic Sights and Sounds of Israel. I sold one of these too.

Below is the page I prepared with the concepts the book deals with. It was a good idea to do this because people want to know what they are paying for. In this economy, I don't blame them.

                                     
Shalom!        
Looking at changes in American and Israeli cultures over the last two decades,  "Leaving Home, Going Home, Returning Home: A Hebrew American’s Sojourn in the Land of Israel" is an intelligent study of Israeli life , identity, roots and culture form a Hebrew American’s experience and offers a unique perspective on what is quirky, endearing, baffling, and infuriating about Israeli culture.  A seasoned world traveler, Jason Mark Alster M.Sc shares his adventures of moving half way around the world to Israel (Aliyah).  Readers are reminded on every page that moving to a new place, or even moving back home, is not about courage, determination; it is about anticipation and the joy of discovery, new places, new friends, and new dreams. It's a true adventure of seeking roots and  following your dreams.

 If you want a better understanding of life in Israel, this book is for you!
Twelve of the many concepts the book deals with:
1: Making a decision to move to another country.
2: Can an education in one country prepare you for living in another?
3: Health risks associated with a change in diet.
4: International marriage and dual national children.
5: Keeping in touch with roots and the Mother country.
6: What does “American” mean outside America.
7. Jewish - Israeli, or Israeli- Jewish; – What’s in a term.
8: Are all democracies alike?  A comparison of two democracies, Israel and the USA.
9: What is unique about Israeli culture?
10: Media coverage of Israel and the Middle East?
11:  American individualism vs. the  outrageous ;  Israeli consensus  vs.  bureaucracy ?
12:American fun compared to Israeli fun.
With  Amazon.com  and Kindle  jasonalster@gmail.com
 Invite Jason for a lecture about life in Israel and an author signing.

https://www.createspace.com/1000252310

What does Morsi Mean for Israel ?

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/07/04/opinion/what-does-morsi-mean-for-israel.html?ref=opinion
What does Morsi mean for Israel

What Does Morsi Mean for Israel? By Thomas Friedman
www.nytimes.com
The election of the Muslim Brotherhood candidate, Mohamed Morsi, as president of Egypt is bound to affect the peace treaty with Israel. see link.


 I always get a laugh when Mr Friedman gives a warped opinion. Maybe his know it all New York Times opinions is what is really wrong with  how the world sees America today? Listen Thomas, until you read my book - you will never understand  Israel. Understand this, it is Egypt and the other Arab nations that have to APOLOGIZE to Israel for wanting to " THROW HER INTO THE SEA". Jordan's King Hussein is the only Arab leader who apologized to Israel for this and mistakes made in the past. he was a honest man more than Mubarak.  Without this apology  there will be a COLD PEACE because Jews like me will never visit Egypt or any Arab land until they apologize. I would never feel safe there cold peace or not. A cold peace is a two way street too. In the new generation in Israel and the world the non apologetic Jew is here to stay and it is in the Arab world's interest to have peace with Israel too. Those who do not understand this point miss the point that Israel is a Spartan nation today. Her children , my own included , have been through things no one else had and survived to become like steel. Looking all around at her "brave" neighbors lately, I think you get the message.

New Magazine for Olim

A magazine helps those moving to Israel by having a support community. All power to them. Aliyah magazine.

Aliyah magazine

Israeli technology rocks

I was giving a new talk on the  Israel USA special relationship recently at the West Hartford Senior Center bagel breakfast when someone asked a question. " Did you hear about the technological advancements Israel has made that are miraculous".  Actually working on scientific projects in Israel and working with their top scientists I knew about it, but did not talk about my own contributions. That is in the book. Well , better than an author signing, I gave a talk about the topics in the book- Israel USA. I used political satirical cartoons like DRY BONES to make some of the points in the talk and get some audience participation. One satire cartoon showed father Simpson choking his son under the cation " All in the family" relating to the Israel USA family relationship. There is love in the family , but there is the father son relationship too.
Well one research work I did in Israel was to develop and propose an objective physiological of concentration in ADHD - attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. I used the GSR - galvanic skin response to show that under certain conditions the GSR is ADHD is different than in other children. I published this unfinished proposal with many techniques for using the GSR biofeedback as a protocol in helping ADHD under the title video " Guide to GSR Biofeedback Techniques for the Natural ADHD Practitioner".
Guide to GSR Biofeedback protocols

This video shows ground breaking methods that good results can be obtained in helping ADHD naturally in a less expensive format and maybe even superior in many instances than that obtained by neurofeedback or EEG biofeedback alone. I always opted for a multi modality approach.





Proposed objective physiological test for ADHD

Syria downs Israeli // that is Turkish jet

An enlightening mention of middle east propaganda where a Turkish jet is downed by Syria and is changed to a speculation that it is an Israeli jet. You can see the point. Syria has an Israel jet  kill ratio of minus 100. So when they shoot down a jet fighter from a neighboring country that is not " Jewish" they have a problem explaining it and say " It is an Israeli kill".

RT new mentioning middle east propaganda quandry  YOUtube story from RT news

https://www.createspace.com/1000252310

Tel Aviv vs Israel

A news article says Tel Aviv in Israel out. While I loved Tel Aviv, it reminded me of other big cities. That's why I moved to Zichron Yacov - like Napa Valley wine country it is. This article would be like saying New York in  New York out ( NY state ). I would hear Israels call tel Aviv the capitol ( not Jerusalem) and the rest of  the country a province, Out side of tel Aviv you still had the pioneering feeling of living in Israel, but you also get the feeling the powers to be really don't care about you. witness the rocket attacks on Sderot. Like Sinclair Babbits book title,  Main Street, I loved the fact that most small towns in Israel have that one main street down the middle with all the action on one street. Thus a chapter in my book- Main Street Israel.

Not complimentary Jokes I heard about this though -about Zichron Yacov in the early days. It is a "one donkey town" or about another semi major town - not Tel Aviv-/ afula,  " it's the armpit of the country.  Actually, Zichron Yacov  is one of the prettiest new old places in Israel donkeys included. tip for tourist. If you come on a weekend and sit at the cafe on the main street you are likely to see famous Israeli's / actors/ singers/ visiting ( if they are not out of the country)  and you can't miss them because there is only one main street.


Tel Aviv in israel out is the notion of this article.

Jan Kardys - Unicorn Writer's Conference, is Guest on Meet The Author WCTV14

Jan Kardys is a guest on Meet The Author WCTV 14

Jan give writer's "tricks of the trade" and makes the show very interesting.

https://www.createspace.com/1000252310

Great Program for Hebrew Lessons

http://www.hebrew-lessons.com/videos


https://www.createspace.com/1000252310

The QR code for this site.

The Pursuit of Happiness and "smile therapy"

One of the differences I decided that differentiate Americans from others is the fact that " The Pursuit of Happiness" is stated in our Constitution as a right. Thus making people happy or at least not standing in happiness's way is a stated government policy. In other countries, Fraternity, unity,righteousness, peace, land ownership, prosperity might be the policy, but only in America happiness is a stated goal of the countries being.

Now you might think this an understatement, but it is not. The other day at a business network meeting I was told that I do not smile enough - ipso facto - I am not happy I am sad. When I told her I am the serious type, she disagreed- I must look happy , or fake it. There is no middle ground. Well this reminded me of when I was a biofeedback therapist in Israel and developed " Smile Therapy" for people that were sad. I would place EMG electrodes on their facial muscles and ask the subject to smile, thus increasing their facial muscle tone, and watch and listen to the response on a biofeedback physiological monitor on the screen. One alcoholic depressed patient immigrant from Russia who was 50 years old commented that this was the first time he ever smiled. I asked him why? He said that if he smiled he would seem to be silly. I understood that this was cultural from eastern countries. A woman patient who originally came from Poland said something similar to me. " That if I smile , I would not seem humble". Now there is more to it. If I show photos of  famous Israelis ,even dignitaries from outside the USA , you can see that they are not smiling in the photos. Here are Ben Gurion with other founders of the State of Israel.

 

Ben-Zvi, Yaacov Zrubavel, Ben-Gurion, Brenner, Aharon Reuven

Ze'ev Jabotinsky

Golda Meir

Menachem Begin

Shimon Peres- not sad - content- but also serious, but content. 

Myself , in Israel - seriousness, but happy.

Now if we take a recent American leader , he is smiling - or he would not even get elected.

I love Bill Clinton's smile.Happy to be an American he is. 

 However, our more conservative leaders from an older generation did not smile - an example - both  Roosevelts.

George Washington, from the serious generation. 

Now, does it mean these leaders are Sad. no. They are serious. Yet, I can understand, that if you do not smile, it will effect the people around you. So today, back in the USA , keeping the pursuit of happiness in mind- I smile more, but not too much to seem silly.

Good news, the present Israeli Prime Minister who lived in the USA for many years and knows American culture well, smiles more than the previous Israeli leaders. BiBi - you make me happy. 

And Barak Obama- happy but Bibi looks happier???

For a great read on American / Israeli culture, my memoir

"Leaving Home Going Home Returning Home": A Hebrew American's Sojourn in the Land of Israel. . 

Natural Zen for ADHD ( video made in Israel)

Made In Israel A video I made of natural scenes from Israel for natural relaxation in ADHD.

Talk to Independent Publishers of New England - 4-29-2012

Jason Alster This is the transcript of a talk I gave to the Independent Book Publishers of New England 4-27-2012. It was a great conference and I learned a lot. Note, In the talk about Video Book Trailers I use my own memoir of life in Israel as an example of a book trailer and the part of the journey it let me into the book marketing business. An equation for a book trailer #1=Book, #2=Author #3=Video Trailer Movie trailers pull us in with drama, comedy, even fear, and get us longing to go to the theatre. Film producers have long understood the promotional value of "previews" or "trailers" to entice the public to a particular movie. As a promotional medium the trailer has always proved a winning formula. A crossover to the literary world has been inevitable due to the recent changes in the Internet. A book trailer is when your book becomes an entertaining mini movie that promotes the book, hoping to entice the viewer to purchase a copy. The first book trailer appeared in 2003. My own experience with book trailers began when in placing a portion of a video I made for improving handwriting on YouTube “Anyone Can Improve Their Handwriting”, obtained close to 60,000 views. That is when I began to take a closer look at the possibility of using YouTube as a marketing tool for a trailer for my own book “Leaving Home Going Home Returning Home: A Hebrew American’s Sojourn in the Land of Israel.” A book trailer is a tool to help the author establish presence by driving traffic to the author site. This can be done by placing the trailer on YouTube and then embed the trailer in emails, social networks, web-pages, blogs , other video pages and even on Amazon.com author page. You can also make a DVD or thumb drive for your computer for showings at author signings and book stores. There are now picture frame screens that a book trailer can be played on when a new book release is on display at a book store. With Smart Phones Today, you may also place a QR code with your book trailer on your bookmark and it can be scanned by a smart phone and observed. QR codes may also be placed on mail cards invitations like Send Out Cards announcing author signings and visits. A good book trailer should succeed in capturing the concept and mood of the book and as a result increase interest in the book. Using appropriate words for internet search engines and the right photos to hook the viewer immediately are critical. YouTube video sharing helps your book placement in Google search. With over 100 million videos being watched a day, it is very important to gain top ranking on YouTube for your book and author page, however there is conflicting advice around the Internet on just how to reach the top spot. I just learned a secret to placement position. When people visit a webpage or Blog and press LIKE and leave a comment, then the placement of the video goes up. Some suggest that the key to getting on the front pages is not by the number of views but by the number of people that have marked it as a favorite. For my own video on improving handwriting it was because it was the very first YouTube video on correcting handwriting. So newness of information is important for establishing presence. Making a YouTube video or book trailer right away will help in a higher Google ranking. In a trailer I made for a children’s book DuckTape where a duck teaches students about recycling; the YouTube trailer video placed the book right up there on a Google search of recycling with Disneyland. One thing is for sure: the exposure a particular video gets from YouTube is directly related to its traffic AND its ratings. High-rated and high-traffic videos are usually featured on the main pages of Youtube. As the YouTube network is flooded with content, they allow users to include a series of basic meta-information, including the title, description, tags, language and video category. This optimization is imperative. The YouTube Website gives the following advice when uploading movies: “When you upload your video, we require you to choose at least one category and enter at least one tag to describe the content in your video. Adding this information helps other YouTube members find your video, so if you want an audience, help them out! The more accurate the tags are on each video, the easier it is for everyone to find cool videos to watch. To increase web traffic to your book trailer once your video is online an optimized, you should first send an email link to friends and family and any mailing lists you may have already have set up – asking them politely to vote and leave comments on YouTube. The big question is “Do book trailers really increase sales.” Well, do advertisements lead to sales? A book trailer is an advert. The answer can be yes, if they are used as part of a package to brand the author, and if the book has content that people are interested in. A book can be used to market the author and his message and then given away as an advertisement or gift. So why just post your book video on video sharing sites? Why not post your book video on plasma screens at airport bookstores, In author press rooms, on your book’s Amazon.com author page and also in email pitches to bookstore buyers and media? Lastly, an author TV or radio show might more easily get the idea of the book through the trailer and make a decision to invite the author based on the movie. The professional that makes book trailers is a “book trailer designer”. They will usually have you answer a set of questions that will help them determine what look the trailer will include. Some sample questions may be “Who is your main audience”; “what impact will the book have on its readers”; “what can be learned from the book?” “Is the book a part of a series?” so that the other books in the series might be mentioned in the trailer too. A book trailer also allows for the human connection, as viewers may leave comments and the numbers of viewers on YouTube may be followed. Nowadays, there are also book trailer awards and a good book trailer that wins an award can bring extra exposure for the book. A suggestion for author and publisher bloggers would be to have a category for book trailers and have book trailer contests with prizes on their site. A strategy used to increase presence is to have a series of trailers and teasers for a book. One can be of the book content, another has an author reading excerpts or narrating, and another is an interview of the author discussing “The story behind the story” of the book. However, when making a trailer watch out for editing mistakes. One blog site about book trailers had a screen where about a third was cut off by the window on the blog site, and so were some of the words in the sentences. I have seen spelling mistakes and bloopers. In one instance, a person who made a trailer about a book on Aztec Gold used gold and yellow lettering over a gold Aztec mask. Needless to say, you could not read the wording, and probably will not be enticed to purchase the book. I personally do not like 30 second book trailers. They probably are cheaper to make but just do not have enough time to convey the message in the book. So this got me to thinking. Is the book trailer the same as a 30 second advertisement? I come to the conclusion – NO. An advertisement wants you to purchase a product. A book trailer wants to pique interest in the subject of the book so that you will further explore the book and then be hooked and purchase the book. Or it might be to just get to know the author a little better. That can also lead to networking. I compare this in some way to a real estate agent putting an ad for a home in the paper, gets a call, and makes an appointment because you can’t sell the home over the phone. You need to get them into the office and show the house. You need the reader to be interested in the subject enough to go to look at the reviews or read a few lines. That should be the purpose of the trailer. Thus I now offer professional book reviews in a package with the trailers I produce. Saying that,--- I noticed a video trailer with so much info per one or two second screen frame that I could not absorb what the trailer was trying to convey and was annoyed by the spectacle. This is a clear case where the theme of the book or main concept was not brought to its least common denominator because the author did not know how, and the video maker was not an author. The video concept was to use intense music and images to draw attention. This might work well for a younger teen audience, but not really for a book with a serious concept and the attention might not lead to sales. Furthermore, I noticed the videographer, loving to make films, placed her/his logo at the beginning of the video for the first 8-20 seconds. This utilizes someone else’s book as an advertisement for the video trailer company. So, like in anything, shop around, and understand something of the business and art to make a better more informed decision. I personally decided to design book trailers because it integrates my interests in authoring, publishing, art, and network marketing. My website is, Entertaining Movie Trailers for Books – https://sites.google.com/site/booktrailervideos/ booktrailervideos sites.google.com Book Trailer Videos for Authors

Memorial Day in Israel 2012- my memory of the Gulf War

http://usa-israel-usa.blogspot.com/2011/03/i-am-not-hero-gulf-war.html “I Am Not A Hero!” - The Gulf War “I Am Not A Hero!” - The Gulf War The Jews have an expression that we repeat every year while reading the Passover Haggadah, or the story of the exodus from Egypt: “In every generation someone arises to smite us, and we nonetheless prevail.” During the Gulf War of 1990-1991, we heard another expression from Nachman Shay, a radio announcer entrusted with keeping the Israeli home front population informed about Scud missile attacks in a relaxed and cool manner: “Na-avor gam et zeh,” which translated means “we will get over this too.” This became a huge catchphrase of the first Gulf War and it was repeated during many Israeli television shows of the time. It was Saddam Hussein’s threat that he was going to “burn half of Israel” that scared me the most. I think many Israelis who had become accustomed to hearing these threats from Arab nations took this one in stride or did not even pay attention at first. Yet early on, I felt that this threat was different and ominous. I felt that this threat was not like any other threat, for it was made by an Arab leader that had already used chemical weapons on his people. Saddam Hussein surely wanted vengeance for the Israeli Air Force attack on the Iraqi nuclear plant in Baghdad in 1981. Up until this point, living in Israel proper was relatively peaceful. We had a resolute Prime Minister, Yitzhak Shamir, who would protect us. In spite of this, Israel still had to be concerned with the buffered and fenced border of Lebanon to the north, the Palestinians in the volatile West Bank and Gaza, and the PLO exiled to Tunisia. Syria, Jordan, and Egypt, meanwhile, fortunately kept relatively Leaving Home, Going Home, Returning Home 114 “I Am Not A Hero!” - The Gulf War 115 quiet thanks to various UN negotiations, peace treaties, agreements made behind closed doors, and an electric fence. We felt secure inside Israel proper except for the occasional terrorist attack. These, when foiled, gave Tza’hal (the Israeli Army) a good name, granting Israel confidence in that she would be able to dictate the terms of a lasting peace. With terrorist attacks down to an all-time low at the time after the first Lebanon War and before the first Intifada, Israel felt it had deterred Arab attacks on the whole. During this time period, there were fewer than two dozen casualties versus hundreds killed in an Arab war. For comparison, in 1948, a full one percent of the population was a casualty. When Saddam Hussein rose to power, though, he became the fly in the ointment. He called for Tel-Aviv to “burn,” not unlike the big mouth from Iran today. Note that Hussein used the word “burn.” In this context, “burn” is a code name for a chemical attack; chemicals burn the flesh down to the bone. We knew that he had chemical weapons and missiles; he used them in his ten-year war with Iran. Iraq also had battle experience. Israel asserted that she could beat Egypt, Syria, and Jordan independently or collectively in a war because Israel has “more real time battle experience” fighting terrorism. Here, however, was a vindictive Iraq with a motive, with battle experience, and with dangerous unconventional weapons, vying for leadership in the Arab world. Soon, a real fear grew in Israel – a fear that a reckless Iraq would join forces with Syria or Jordan to form a coalition of Arab armies poised to decimate Israel’s largest and quietest border to the east. By December 1990, six months passed since Iraq invaded Kuwait. Operation Desert Shield by the UN coalition had not begun as of yet. At this time, I had just begun working as a biofeedback practitioner for about two months in the Tel-Aviv Mental Day Care Clinic at Ramat Chen, a suburb outside Tel- Aviv. Living in Haifa in an apartment I purchased overlooking the coast, I traveled two hours every day to work in Ramat-Chen by public transportation. I had just finished my master degree in medical sciences and neurophysiology at the Haifa Technion Technical Institute’s medical school. I took the job position at Ramat-Chen as an opportunity to move from medical diagnostics (sleep wake disorders and EEG) to something more behavioral and people oriented (biofeedback). I was drawn to biofeedback as a profession ever since I took a course in medical hypnosis. I always loved the study of psychology and started out in college majoring in psychology. However, my grades on exams did not reflect the effort I put in as well as I had hoped. In my opinion, the questions were too theoretical in nature; I needed more substance, so I switched my major to combined physiological psychology. In this more concrete and practical branch of psychology, the exam questions were more clear-cut and scientific rather than being open to interpretation. In retrospect, if I had known what I wanted out of life at the time that I was in college, I should have majored in clinical or research psychology. Instead, the change I made then ended up leading me astray, deeper into the medical diagnostics field instead of the behavioral field. Biofeedback would later lend me a chance to come full circle and work in what I initially wanted. Coming February 1991, all that stood between me and the completion of a thesis was the oral exam. Of course, living in Israel meant that you knew a war with an Arab state could happen at any time, without warning. Even as far back as my very first weeks of working at the Technion in December 1984, I overheard a staff secretary talking about the 1982 Lebanon War. Still fresh in her mind, she lamented aloud: “all the Technion students that had died…so many students.” Now that I was a student in Israel too and at the Technion, any new war that might arise would naturally be the last thing I could possibly want for obvious reasons, yet I could not hope to control the events to be. Iraq started a war and she invaded… Kuwait, at first. Six months later, Israel was next in Iraq’s sights. The Gulf War was on, and Iraq threatened to use Israel as a hostage. Leaving Home, Going Home, Returning Home 116 “I Am Not A Hero!” - The Gulf War 117 If anyone attacked Iraq, she would burn Tel Aviv or Saudi Arabia– again, not bomb, but “burn.” Everyone, especially those in the pan-Arab society wondered why Iraq invaded Kuwait instead of attacking Israel. “Oh Saddam”, they wailed amongst themselves – “was it for power? Was it for money? Was it for leadership of the Arab world?” The attack on Kuwait was the Joker in the deck of cards for the design of pan Arabism. In the midst of all of this, Israel was merely a decoy. Whether she was a decoy or target made little difference, though – she was still between a rock and a hard place. Constant wonder and fear raced through everyone’s minds. Will Saddam deliver the chemicals by plane or by Scud missile? Are the Scuds accurate weapons? Do the Scuds have a long enough range to reach Israel without falling on Jordan first? How will the jets attack us? Would the Scud war heads be of chemical mustard gas, nerve agents, biological poisons or anthrax? The answers the public received were not entirely comforting, yet they offered some solace since they helped us understand the threat as best we could. We soon learned that the Scuds can hit large cities, but they are not accurate enough to hit smaller army targets. This meant that they also can’t hit you if they are aiming right at you, but if the Scuds are aiming away from you, there would still be a higher chance that they could end up swerving in your direction. On TV and in the newspapers, we are shown photos of Israel moving anti-aircraft missiles out in the open to the eastern border, through a mountain rift in the desert between Jordan and Syria, of course. You would think we would feel secure from this display, but these are the same missiles used in the Vietnam War. These anti-aircraft missiles may be effective against fighter planes, but not for ballistic missiles and Scuds. The pessimists droned on about another holocaust or just left the country, yet everyone else worked remarkably hard together to keep Israel’s spirit and conviction strong. Engineers became instant media experts talking about the latest in weapons technology to the point where you could have completed engineering school if you paid close enough attention. Psychologists discussed mental, emotional, and spiritual casualties of war in the average person’s mind and the need to “talk it out” to survive it all. Medical professionals panned over what chemical and biological weapons can do to the body, and politicians stressed being strong in the face of adversity. Rabbis recalled miracles of the past, happening again but Nachman Shay talked to us, the ordinary citizens, through our radios about getting over this bridge on stormy waters. Army officials, meanwhile, took every chance to reassure us about modern warfare by talking to every newspaper, news radio, and news TV station in Israel. The Israeli Army and the Civilian Guard worked hard to give the survivors of the Holocaust generation a sense of security and a sense that Israel can defend herself even against unconventional weapons. While all you could hear about was the war and its mass destruction, the Israeli Army and the Civilian Guard stressed that the only real defense we have if we are attacked is retaliation. The more of the population wiped out in a first strike, the stronger the retaliation. Israelis in the know understood this as code for “if the Scuds are conventional, Israel will destroy the Iraqi infrastructure”…but if the Scuds kill too many people, Israel will attack the higher echelon and even tell us which neighborhoods they live in so the other side understands Israel is serious. If the Scuds are unconventional, Israel will fight fire with fire, hinting it will go nuclear if pushed to the brink. The code word for that was “The lesson will be very, very painful and unexpected in its intensity.” Fortunately, Saddam waited. He flinched. Maybe Israel was just a diversion away from his invasion of oil-rich Kuwait. Maybe Israel did not have enough oil to bother with. Maybe he expected a weak world response and an American weakness indicative of a Leaving Home, Going Home, Returning Home 118 “I Am Not A Hero!” - The Gulf War 119 post-Vietnam mentality. It could be that he never really cared about the Palestinians and their cause, just supplied lip service. In the end, Saddam did not foresee the coalition of forces that joined against him. The war was over before it started. Israel cleverly took the unexpected defensive, with the notion this time that a good defense makes for a good offense. Saddam failed to anticipate this strategy as well, and it actually foiled his plans to get other Arabs on his side to start another Arab-Israeli war with the focus away from his invasion of Kuwait. As part of their defensive strategy, Israel decided to supply the whole population with gas masks – Jews, Christians, Arabs, and even pro Hussein Intifada-prone Palestinians. This is a little known fact, that Israel supplied her then-enemy the Palestinians, with gas masks. Even though Yassir Arafat supported and visited with Saddam Hussein publically, the Palestinian people were just as scared as the rest of us. They knew that the wind could blow from Tel-Aviv to their cities only a few miles away. What if a chemical missile from Iraq missed and landed in the Palestinian territories, only a few minutes away by car from the Israeli green line? Layer’s of protection was the key to Israel’s defensive strategy. In addition to the gas masks, everyone was instructed to have a sealed room in the house. Plastic sheets were used to cover all the windows and openings and these were taped down. Everyone did it. It was a hardware store field day. Can you imagine the hottest item for sale in Israel was duct tape? We waited in lines to get gas masks fitted for the whole family, children included. It was the modern day family affair, like going to a science fair. My daughter Limor was only 3 months old at the time. Since she was just a baby and could not put on a gas mask, so she would have to be placed in a plastic chamber that looked like the incubators used in the neonatal ICU. The chamber was complete with holes for hands to enter without letting in contaminated air and had a battery operated fan ventilation system through charcoal filters. We then had to practice drills with air raid sirens that would go off and give us about 10 minutes to enter our sealed rooms. During the last couple of years people of Sderot, Israel, given their proximity to missile launches from Gaza, found themselves in an even more difficult situation with half that time to seek protection. The air raid sirens were perched atop schools, and one was across the street from us. United States Navy missile cruisers began to enter Haifa port on their way to the gulf. As a volunteer for the American in Israel version of the USO Navy Home Hospitality Program, I was invited with a group of other members to board a missile boat and visit. The captain of the ship gave a speech on how the USA was going to the gulf to protect world peace and stand by Israel…and that’s exactly what they did. Here I was, an American in Israel, on an American missile ship in an Israeli port, sending her off to war. I could never have imagined that! I understood then what it meant for America to have Israel as an ally, a friendly port halfway around the world from American shores. When the war began, the allies started their bombing raids on Iraq. I was happy that Saddam was going to get his. It was night in Israel and we all went to sleep in the designated plastic-covered window security room, not knowing what tomorrow would bring. I kept the radio on and it was now announced that a code word on the radio in addition to the outdoor sirens was Nahash Tzeffa (Viper snake). Lo and behold, at about 2 AM – not even the light of next day yet – we heard multiple alarms. Oh my G-d. It’s real! As Nena’s song “99 Red Balloons” says, “this is it boys, this is war!” Hurry! Get up! Put the cloth across the doorway airspace. Shut the shutters. Turn on the lights. Get out the boxes with the gas masks. Have them ready. Wait for the radio announcement to open the seals over the boxes with the gas masks. Call down to the neighbors and make sure they got out of bed. Ten minutes passed by, and I heard Leaving Home, Going Home, Returning Home 120 “I Am Not A Hero!” - The Gulf War 121 two soft and distant thuds. It did not sound like anything I have ever heard before. Where did the thuds happen? I could not look out the shuttered window. The radio crackled: Nahash Tzeffa, Nahash Tzeffa, this is not a drill, open up your mask kits and put them on. Seven scuds just landed all over Israel including Haifa. Special armored vehicles just donated from Germany are checking the damage sites to determine if the missiles have chemical warheads. I open the seal on the mask kits and made sure my family did the same. My neighbor below was a little slow in closing the blinds. Since we lived on the Carmel Mountain above the Haifa Bay, we had a panoramic view all the way to the Lebanon border. He witnessed Scuds landing on a large shopping mall on the coast that was only just built and another two Scuds landed in the sea. He called us by phone from his downstairs apartment to notify us it’s for real. He didn’t dare leave his plastic security room either so we communicated by phone. The mall, Lev Hamifratz, Heart of the Haifa Bay, was later nicknamed “Scud Mall” and became a tourist destination with before and after photographs proudly displayed on the walls. Talk about the Israeli way to turn a negative into a positive! Saddam was aiming for the large Haifa oil refinery next to the mall. He missed, but only by a half mile or so. Not bad for an inaccurate Scud missile coming all the way from Iraq. It’s unsettling to imagine what damage he could have done even if the missile did hit the refinery grounds. On the news, the adults were told to put the gas masks on even before the children so that we could help them. Limor was a baby that had a very loud colicky scream, but as our first miracle of the Gulf War, Limor became suddenly quiet in the Mamat (the neonatal gas protection chamber). She quit crying and acted as if she liked the closed space. I took off a sealer used to keep the charcoal in the filters fresh then I put on the mask myself. Outside and above in the sky, I heard what must have been dozens and dozens of jet fighters fly overhead towards Jordan on the way to Iraq for retaliation. Suddenly, I was hit by a strong stench of something that smelled like ammonia. Was it coming from inside the mask, or was it coming from the room? I was trapped, for I could not take off the mask to hunt down the source of the stench. Was I breathing in gas? Since I did not shave my beard, did I have a poor gas mask seal? Does poison gas have an ammonia smell? How did the gas get into the sealed room so fast? If this is real gas, I would have little time to act. Wearing my gas mask, I checked the windows and found them unbroken. Adrenaline pumping, I cursed the whole idea of the sealed room. Saddam could shoot two missiles at once – one to break the windows, and one to launch the poison gas. What a waste of time! I glanced at Limor, safe and sound in the closed-off mamat, and asked my wife and daughter Shanee if they smelled ammonia. You could talk with the mask on. They did not smell anything. I was the only one! What was I going to do? The smell was real and I was breathing it, and I use to have asthma. I began to worry that this would trigger an asthma attack while I am wearing the mask. I was supposed to be the leader of the sealed room. What if it really was poison gas? What else could it be? I had to survive, didn’t I? There was a syringe in the gas mask kit with epinephrine used to accelerate the body’s immune system in case of poison. Unfortunately, there was no attachment for testing room air. I rifled through the kit and found instructions on how to inject yourself but the instructions were written in Hebrew only with a few visuals. I spoke Hebrew well, but these were not common day-to-day Hebrew words, so I had to improvise. I looked at the syringe and it had one color on top and another on the bottom, one side green, and the other red. When you press on one of the sides, the needle is suppose to eject out into your thick thigh muscle. Leaving Home, Going Home, Returning Home 122 “I Am Not A Hero!” - The Gulf War 123 It was a fifty-fifty shot, but I had to survive to help my family. I held the syringe up high, thumb on one end and brought it down briskly into my thigh. Fifty-fifty, green or red…and I got the wrong fifty. A sharp and serious needle shot right through my thumb, somehow missing the bone. Pain coursed through my hand as some of the epinephrine blasted through my thumb muscle, kicking my heartbeat into hyperactive mode for what would become a good few hours. I ripped off the mask and breathed the dreaded room air, it was better than choking to death. Israel was at war for less than 20 minutes, and I was already a casualty, a causality of self induced chemicals, and a statistic. The bright red blood dripping from my thumb was my red badge of courage. Unfortunately, there were about 20 deaths in the Gulf War, with only one as a result of a direct rocket hit. It was sadly from friendly fire from an exploding Patriot Missile that crashed into a house. The other casualties ended up being from stress and gas mask related injuries. People did not follow the instructions to take off the new mask sealer before wearing their masks and choked to death. Others died from the injections due to the shock to the body. I was lucky then that I muddled up the injection, sending a smaller dose into my body via my thumb instead of my thigh. Finally, years later, I would find out that the ammonia smell in the mask was a cleaning agent for sterilizing any masks that were used and not new. There was no warning about the smell. In my hose hold only my mask was previously used. The Israeli fighters were already over Jordan when they were called back to base. The Scuds then were fitted with conventional warheads. It turned out that Saddam did have chemical weapons with the ability to deliver them by Scuds, but he never did use them. He still kept us guessing the whole war, even up to the very last missile barrage. He saved that option in case he was going to be captured. The brave infamous Arab leader, found hiding in a rat hole after the second Gulf War, never used his card to attack Israel, the so-called “Zionist Enemy”. In the end, we saw that Saddam was more interested in surviving than in “burning half of Israel”. Each Israeli family that strapped gas masks on that first night, was braver than he was. America eventually sent Patriot missiles to Israel so that Israel would feel secure and not retaliate, which would threaten the cohesion of the allied coalition. This maneuver would allow America to build a coalition against Iraq that included other Arab nations – even with Syria, which was technically at war with Israel. The Patriot missiles were set up on mountain tops and by the Tel-Aviv coast. One of these missile posts set up on the Carmel Mountain ridge outside Haifa University was a five minute ride from my home. Manned with joint American and Israeli crews, it was the first time Israel allowed foreign troops, American soldiers, in defense of Israel on her soil. I passed by a missile battery on my way to work in Tel-Aviv. By a twist of fate, my father worked for a company called Anderson Laboratories just outside Hartford, Connecticut that was involved in the manufacturing of the Patriot missile. My Dad told me by phone that the Patriot missile is a very good system that will lend us protection. That conversation gave me a sort of peace of mind and a false sense of security. The missiles were more effective against fighter jets than Scuds, but thankfully Saddam did not know that. I wondered how my father felt speaking to his son far off in a foreign land and at war, having a conversation like this. About 40 missiles in 19 different volleys fell only during the nights in a period of a month. That’s because the Iraqis were afraid the American air force would detect the missile launchers, so we were told. During the day, I traveled from Haifa to my workplace in Tel-Aviv. The war was still raging, and I had to take my master thesis oral. I completed a study comparing the sleep waves in the EEG of a comatose patient to normal sleep, which I entitled “Density Spectral Array, Evoked Potentials, and Temperature Rhythms in the Prognosis of The Comatose Patient.” The exam, by hospital neurosurgeons, Leaving Home, Going Home, Returning Home 124 “I Am Not A Hero!” - The Gulf War 125 would be early in the morning at the Rambam Medical Centre in Haifa. Driving from my house in Nesher, and out in the open, was a very uncomfortable feeling. I had my traveling gas mask kit with me, and wore a long sleeve shirt and jacket in case of a chemical attack. It was 6: AM and the morning news came on. It always started with the well-known Jewish prayer: Shema Yisrael, Hashem Eloheynu, Hashem Ehchad. “Hear Oh Israel the Lord is our G-d, the Lord is one.” This prayer, brought down through the ages from the Bible, is said when awakening in the morning, before bed, and before death. I recited the Shema that morning driving to the medical center, praying that I would be able to complete my degree. When I arrived, I found it surreal that inside the labs, it was business as usual for the doctors. They did not even ask me how I was holding up; it was naturally expected that I would put on a face of doing just fine. In the midst of that bizarre calm, I passed the exam. The research I conducted on coma and sleep later won the International Carskadon Award for Excellence in Sleep Research by a technologist. I guess that good things do come out of hard places, if they only knew. At the biofeedback lab, we used relaxation techniques to help people suffering from anxiety to prepare to wear their masks when the alarms may sound. School-age children would bring in their parents to the clinic to have them instructed on how to put on the masks. One night, a Scud missile collided with Patriot right above Ramat-Chen, bringing about the friendly fire casualty mentioned earlier while damaging the biofeedback lab. A television news crew raced to the scene and also visited the biofeedback lab to report on the psychological terror and counter-psychology measures of the biofeedback lab! Sometimes, fate knocks when you least expect it. On site, the news crew filmed me using biofeedback relaxation machines for the Ramat-Chen anxiety patients. The news story came on late that same night. I was to be on Israeli television! Most people were now staying home nights and watching the high-quality programs Israeli TV was just now providing. The movie The Deep was to follow the nightly news with the alluring, bikini-clad Jacqueline Bisset. Needless to say, a lot of people were looking forward to that night’s film. As fate would have it, my segment would end up having quite a large audience since it was the last news feature introduced just before the station screened The Deep. The Israeli anchorman boomed about a new psychological “secret weapon” being introduced to fight a psychological war: it was biofeedback. I was now using the “secret weapon” in a psychological war, teaching people to control their anxieties. The next day, every person I met, mentioned seeing my segment on the news. Once the war concluded, a documentary named Nahash Tzeffa (Viper Snake) was compiled of the news stories of the war, and my news segment made the final cut. Psychologists were considered the heroes of this psychological warfare, and I was the TV example used for a new secret weapon, biofeedback.