An Impossible Life
Years ago, we offered her help, but she wasn’t interested. She said she’s fine and that she’s managing. “Keep our phone number”, we told her. “One day you’ll need it.” The connection between an Arab man and a Jewish woman is complicated, at first it looks rosy, but it always ends badly, and that day arrived.
She got into trouble and called us. And we enlisted to help her. This was a long, complicated rescue, both the army and the police were involved in it. When there are children, that’s already another story. The children turn into hostages. Those were days full of tension, we waited for the moment when she could hug her children and feel safe. And that moment arrived. This was a release of tension and great happiness. There’s nothing better than to participate in the mitzvah of redemption of captives. But as great as the happiness was, the disappointment was just as great. To our sorrow, she was unstable. She was an addict.
She didn’t hold up. She went backwards, and even wanted to cancel the complaint against her violent partner. She again went to places in Judea and Samaria where entry is prohibited to Israelis. We asked her to take care of herself. “Take care of yourself, you’re a mother. When there are children, it’s another matter, you have to take responsibility. Do not put yourself in danger. Remember the story of Michal Nagar HY”D, whose boyfriend killed her”, we told her. “Don’t worry about me, I’ll manage”, she said. How can we NOT worry? There have already been attempts to hurt her in the past. This is a dangerous relationship, insane, an impossible connection between two people, between two peoples who are struggling against and fighting each other and in the midst of the poor children, carrying the world’s conflicts on their backs.
This week, we got bad news: She was found dead in her apartment. The police claim they don’t know how this happened. A woman dead in her home, and there are no efforts to investigate the truth. And I’m always in doubt as to whether we really live in a civilized country, or in the wild west. This hasn’t been published in the media, and the silence is just too loud. Shrouded in secrecy. My heart goes out to the family in pain. The parents are hurting, confused, trying to digest the bitter pill. Their daughter lived an impossible life. She was young, and she didn’t get to taste from the well of life.
May her soul be bound in the bonds of eternal life.
