Last days in Shoham

Hello from Haifa! I just arrived at my host family's home and will begin working on Sunday.  They picked me up from the train station and have been very warm and accommodating. I will talk more about Haifa after I have spent more time here. Now for my last few days.. I went to the beach yesterday in Herzliya with a few friends and as we were leaving the lifeguard made an announcement that there were rockets headed our way. The only shelter nearby was the public bathroom so everyone started frantically running toward it. Right before I got inside I heard a loud boom, what I recognized after a few days in Israel as the Iron Dome destroying a Hamas rocket. As I was still looking skyward, I actually saw an interception take place. Two seemingly tiny objects collided and created a short burst of orange flames and then the unmistakable ring of white smoke. After hearing so many of these interceptions it was amazing to actually see one take place. After about 5 minutes in the bathroom, everyone agreed it was safe to leave and we made our way back to the car. My friends jokingly said that they hoped the remnants of the missile didn't destroy his car as it was directly above us. But no damage was done and we went on with our day as if nothing had happened. They didn't seem too concerned with what had just taken place and as a result neither did I. Life just goes on here. I admire the resilience of the Israelis. They don't get rattled when pressured and always maintain a certain level-headedness through even the most troubling circumstances. You have to be that way when you're surrounded by terror and constant threats to your very existence. Just on their borders alone there are two organizations whose sole purpose for existing is to destroy Israel. There is simply no place for overreaction. Unlike the United States, Israel can't afford to make mistakes. One bad decision can have catastrophic consequences. However that doesn't mean they don't defend their people. But when they do, they do so decisively and with a level of professionalism and precision seen no where else in the world. Thats all I have for now. If you have any questions, please feel free to ask!

If you look closely at the center of the photo you can see the white puffs of smoke from the Iron Dome