I\u2019d never much considered harvest festivals. I knew that many of our biblical, Jewish holidays are agricultural, and I knew that the Jewish calendar is a lunisolar one; incorporating both the moon phases (how the calendar was originally set) and the solar to ensure our holidays are rooted in their correct seasons. Yet, one of the odder reactions I have experienced since October 7, is a new connection to and appreciation of our crops and farmers.<\/p>\n<\/div> Living in the Merkaz <\/em>(center of Israel), the first month or two or the war saw me rushing my young children to shelters and explaining at an age-appropriate level the meaning of the sirens and explosions overhead. My eldest, who in September had started Kita Aleph<\/em> (First Grade) spent the most time at home, as her classroom was more than 90 seconds away from the school\u2019s bomb shelter; until \u2018things were quiet\u2019, different grades alternated between school \u2018on zoom\u2019 and \u2018in person’.<\/p>\n\n\n\n One morning, post zoom-school, we ventured to the supermarket. In the supermarket\u2019s bomb shelter (a siren rang out shortly after we arrived), we discussed what fruit and vegetables to buy. However, once it was safe to head back into the store, I noticed that many of the shelves were bare. Otef Aza<\/em> (the Gaza perimeter communities), now known as the Tkuma <\/em>region, is Israel\u2019s breadbasket with approximately 75% of vegetables and 20% of fruit (consumed in Israel) grown there. Seeing empty shelves was yet another blow of realizing how the war was affecting us all.<\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"Rachel](\"https:\/\/adamteva.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/Untitled-design-7-777x1024.jpg\")
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