Jane Ben-Yehuda 

In our February 2012 issue, we reported on Einstein resident, Jane Ben-Yehuda, who had just received a Woman of Distinction Award from Sacramento Hadassah.  We included in our article a short biography of Jane.  Although it gave a lot of basic information about this wonderful woman---who is such an beloved member of our Einstein family--- it made us want to know even more about her.  Here then, in her own words, is another glimpse of Jane's remarkable life.  

"In January, 1991, my husband and I left New Orleans to visit Israel because we were considering moving there.  In order to make a good decision, we toured several cities.  Our first residence was a hotel in Tel Aviv.  When we arrived, I noticed several large ships on the Mediterranean whose presence immediately scared me.  For this reason, I suggested we go to Haifa to visit our friend Janet.

"In Haifa everyone was talking about Saddam Hussein and the possibility of his attack on Israel with chemical weapons.  Since we were the only ones without gas mask kits, Janet contacted a military friend and he provided us with these protections.  And not a moment too soon!  That night our sleep was broken with the loud sound of sirens.  We rushed to the room which had been sealed with plastic and masking tape.  Before I went to the designated shelter, I stopped at the bathroom.  Within moments, the whole building shook.  The war had begun!

"The remainder of our stay was spent in defending ourselves.  Saddam Hussein had attacked Israel with Scud missiles.  We were glued to the radio for instructions, which were announced in English, Ethiopian, Hebrew and Russian.  I went through these motions in a trance, and wanted nothing more than to return to the United States where life was normal and peaceful.  My plans of living in Israel were forgotten; we would never return here, let's go home!   

"It was three days before we left.  The airports were crowded with people leaving Israel or returning to Israel.  Meanwhile, President Bush began the Desert Storm attack on Iraq.  This was good news for Israel, but I wanted to leave---forever! 

"In 1992, my husband and I returned to Israel to fulfill our dream of living there, and we remained for ten years.  How quickly we forgot our frightening experiences, like a mother forgets the pain of childbirth with the coming of a new life."