Op-Ed: Only in Israel Series: Getting Your New Gas Mask

Arutz Sheva ^ | 20/8/12 | Paula R. Stern

[Eleutheria5]

Ever lose something and then when you find it, you are so relieved? Well, we found it, but relief is the wrong word...we'll save ourselves 700 shekels (about $180) - so that's good. But it also means my procrastinating is over.

Tomorrow, I'm going to go and exchange the old gas masks we were issued long ago with current ones. What a concept this is, I want to shout out. No, I don't want a gas mask! I don't want to put it on; I don't want to even look at it!

I don't remember when or how I was given my first gas mask; I do remember clearly going to a small room in a hospital when I went to arrange the discharge papers. A soldier was there and he handed me a blue case. I asked him what it was and he told me it was a gas mask for my infant. My eyes filled with tears as I repeated several times in disbelief, "this isn't normal. You don't give a baby a gas mask."

He was all of 18 or 19 years old and he tried to comfort me, "it's okay," he said, "don't worry."

.....

Now, almost a decade or so later, Israel is reissuing new gas masks. The ones we had were made useless once we opened the filters and they've sat for years in our home. Now, we are being encouraged to get new masks and so tomorrow I'm going to do that.

[Eleutheria5]

Amazing. Had I not seen this article, I would not have known.

[Venturer]

Well Gee Lady if you feel that way just refuse to go get one.

The Muslims will love for you to become a victim.

[Former Fetus]

That was my first reaction, too! Then I remembered the first day my son wore a hearing aid to school, how I wanted to cry, to make things right for him. How can I judge a mother who is having to put a gas mask on an infant? How would I feel? I just hope that she makes her peace with her circumstances, and that HaShem protects His people in the coming days.

[Eleutheria5]

I hope somebody somewhere on the Internet has specific instructions for me where to get a gawlderned gas mask. My wife can cry about it. Me, I want one for each family member.

[Eleutheria5]

In follow-up, I learned from a neighbor who had been here for the Yom Kipur War and also both Iraq Wars that they send you a card informing you that you’d been issued gas masks for your family, and telling you where to go to get them. You bring the card, and that’s that.