I'm listening to the news now. I can't believe it's happening: I can't believe the truce will be over. Even if it wasn't all trucey, it saved lives.

No.

Dear Santa,

I'd like Peace on Earth for Christmas. I'd like an end to hatred and violence. Life's crappy enough, can you do something to keep us from being crappy to each other? Please?

Love, me.

From Windsparrow's pixels to God's ears.

I have strong feelings and ideas about the required national service concept for the US that I will share at some later point, but I don't think it's appropriate right now given that Shir and other Israelis are facing such a scary situation. I'm so sorry about the truce ending. Indeed, peace on earth. Please.

Oh, Kristin, please - feel free to share.

It's a crappy situation, and I can't believe how much this country keeps me disappointed at times - I mean, you'd think I've lived here long enough to stop expecting miracles, but lo. BUT, life goes on. They always do.

A lot of US schools are requiring some sort of public service as a graduation requirement. But that doesn't necessarily translate into the students getting outside of their own groups and neighborhoods or to work with those somewhat different from themselves.

At Sidwell Friends (a friend of mine used to teach there, and told me about it), the policy is that the community service has to be serving some group that the student isn't part of -- either ethnically or racially or socially or financially or something. Also, rather than the "add up the hours" thing that a lot of schools have, where students can put in an hour or two with a whole lot of different organizations and total the requirement, at Sidwell, all the hours need to be with the same organization. And I think that it needs to be directly doing something, not just paperwork.

Shir, out of curiosity -- what's the general attitude toward the religious men who get exemptions from military service because they're in yeshiva?

Shir, love, I'm sorry about my stupid overprivileged parent vent. All things considered, not so bad.

Life does, indeed, go on. Here's hoping for safety, peace, and the sense God gave a cabbage to light upon the appropriate people's heads.

Depends on which parts of the population we're talking about, Hil. But the past few years, since their percentage went up, every few years the gov. is trying to make sure they will do something, but nothing really happen.

So, not too many people are happy with it. Especially since most of them are with the "the whole Land of Israel" approach (and doing nothing to defend it except for praying), nor paying taxes.

So you can guess.

Ah. OK, that was kind of the impression I'd gotten from various blogs and stuff. Thanks.

Barb, it's fine, you don't have to apologize.