A Match Made in Tel Aviv

The war continues to rumble on, and in our part of the country we hear sirens and the loud booms of missiles being intercepted overhead throughout the day and night. The result is broken sleep and a lingering tiredness that carries into the following day. In most cases, we first receive a preliminary alert on our phones, followed a few minutes later by a more urgent warning instructing us to get to a safe space, where we sit and listen to interceptions close by.
In our home, we are fortunate to have a safe room - as do all houses and apartments built since 1992. These rooms are constructed from reinforced concrete and steel, with heavy doors and protected windows. However, many people across the country are not in the same situation. Some must hurry down multiple flights of stairs, while others even need to go outside to reach a shared bomb shelter. This is especially challenging for families with small children, and for the sick or elderly, who often cannot manage it at all.
These moments, repeated throughout the day, create a new rhythm to daily life - one marked by pauses for alerts and a constant need to stay aware. And yet, in between the sirens, we are trying really, really hard to maintain our normal lives.

Just before the war began, a friend in the UK was excited to tell me that her daughter had got engaged to her long-term partner. "Can I ask if you could make a card for them?" she wrote. "So excited to be able to ask you!"

Her daughter and future son-in-law met each other through NOAM, the youth movement that my own boys belonged to. NOAM is an acronym for No'ar Masorti, Masorti Youth, a Zionist youth movement. The couple got to know each other when they both lived and served in Israel and though they are now in the UK, they plan to settle here again one day.

My friend sent me the couple's engagement photo and told me they share many interests: they're both vegan, they love Israel, they met through Noam Masorti, and they both love Tel Aviv.

I showed the young couple, with the bride-to-be proudly displaying her engagement ring, against the backdrop of Tel Aviv. The Israeli flag is blowing in the wind behind them. Next to the flag I included the NOAM logo, and below it I added a little bowl with vegetables in it, as a nod to their shared vegan lifestyle.

The card reached the UK quickly and seemed to be very well received!

The bride-to-be wrote:
"Hi Lisa, I just wanted to say the biggest thank you for making the card my parents sent for our engagement. It’s SO beautiful and you are incredibly talented! I already want to frame it!"
Shortly after, my friend messaged:
"Hi Lisa! The card has arrived! They love it 🥰 Thank you so much again, and I can’t wait to see it myself!"

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