Why I Do or Do Not Believe in Miracles by J.B.

I was 20 years old and serving in Ashdod, Israel as a volunteer with Sherut La'am. It was May of 1967 and everyone knew war was impending. The gulf of Aqaba had been blocked, and the many surrounding Arab nations were watching. I was a teacher of English and French at Ashdod Junior High School.  Almost all of the students had a father or brother who had been mobilized.

I had received a visit from the member of the Sachnut (Jewish Agency) telling me that I was being evacuated along with the other foreigners. I declined. After having been in Israel only 11 months I said, "I'm staying. To me, to die for Israel is to die for God." 12 months beforehand I was training on a large tricycle as part of the Little 500 at Indiana University. I had come to Israel full of bruises on my legs from a tricycle.. Now I stood at the door and told the gentleman that I was staying to help in the war. To think that 11 months ago my silly brain was on tricycle races!

  My idea of war was World War II when my father served for 4 years as a bombadier on the Flying Fortress or of Viet Nam when my cousin's wedding dress hung 2 years while she waited for the return of her  helicopter pilot fiance.  I was prepared to stay for a war which I assumed would last  years.

During this time of mobilizattion for war I gave a writing assignment to my 8th graders: Why I Do or Do Not Believe in Miracles.  I came across a composition written by a young man I'll call Jacob B. I'm not changing the spelling or syntax.

"Subject: Why I do or not believe in miracles.

I do not believe in miracles because, if I can say, miracles belong to fairy tales and we are not child. to believe in fairy tales. Above all we are in the twentieth century. The world has done one step forward and the people became civilized and forgot the fanatical thoughts and also the old storys.

Now we have to work hard all the day, to ameliorate our situation. We have not free time to think of the Silliness. This is a reason why a man of our time don't believe in miracles. During the time the man want to live in the moon. I say that the miracales must not have sense and they will continue to have no meaning forever."

A month later I was in the bomb shelter at the school with Jacob and his classmates.