We're safe and sound, I promise!

Hi all,

For those of you who may be following the news, I just want to reassure you that we are well and safe here at the Jerusalem Center. The Security here is a knowledgeable and capable team of both Israelis and Palestinians that know this area and all its potential as well as anyone could. When the hostilities began to escalate a few days ago, we were cautioned to be careful and given specific instructions of how to stay safe. This morning we were told to stay out of East Jerusalem and the Old City, but that is fairly common on Fridays because of the Muslim and Jewish Sabbaths and the heightened tensions on the Temple Mount/Dome of the Rock on that day. 

Regarding the rocket shot at Jerusalem this evening:

About 4:45 pm I was in the kitchen making dinner when I heard the warning siren. Immediately after, the Center's warning siren went off and the Security Chief's voice came over the intercom, directing us all to move to the bomb shelters (there are two here on the grounds). I scooped up the kids, a couple security blankets, two diapers and a bag of pretzels, and walked up a flight to the sixth floor shelter. This is also the room where Abby and Joe have nursery, there are chairs, a small table, and two foosball tables. Mary was pretty upset, but the other kids were having a great time playing with the students. Within about twenty minutes they let us go back to our regular life with this explanation:

As soon as the rocket left the Gaza border, the Israeli defense system detected the rocket's trajectory and sounded the alarm in Jerusalem. It landed about 8 or 10 miles south of us in a field and did no damage (these rockets don't explode, they simply hit things). Israeli authorities think it's highly likely that Hamas only had a couple rockets that could make it all the way to Tel Aviv or Jerusalem, and they have expended those. Also, the Center is only 1 kilometer from the Dome of the Rock, and obviously Muslims want to avoid damaging that. The more pressing concern for the security of those at the Jerusalem Center is the possible unrest in the neighborhoods around the Center, which are predominantly Palestinian. After everything returned to normal this evening, I have heard a lot of loud music, fireworks, and celebratory honking. If Israel begins a ground offensive, it is likely there may be demonstrations in the Old City or in East Jerusalem, in which case we will probably be confined to the Center. Also, the students are scheduled to head to Galilee on Monday, and if things get dicey here in Jerusalem, we can all head up there earlier and stay there indefinitely. (The Galilee is much too far for any unrest from Gaza to reach, although if things heat up with Syria, it may not be as safe as otherwise.)

So that's that. Mary and Isaac were a bit traumatized--Mary did a lot of crying while we were in the shelter, and after we got back home Isaac just wanted all the information he could get. But they are all sleeping peacefully now and hopefully they will feel calm again by tomorrow. I'll keep you posted on anything that happens, but you can get pretty good up-to-the-minute information at Jerusalem Post online (www.jpost.com). As for me, Ed's in Chicago for a Conference until late Monday night, and I'll be glad when he's back.

Trust me, we're fine. Hope you are all too.