Inspired by Shishlik at the age of 5, at a time before we all had mobile phones, a time when we used video to record our favorite TV series like “LA Law” and “Thirty Something”. It was also just after the first Gulf War, which had been marked by intermittent air-raid sirens. This was a signal to don gas masks and take refuge in rooms, sealed with sheets of plastic and masking tape, in case Saddam Hussein launched a chemical attack. Air-raid sirens are funny things, when they go off you hear them from all sides. They echo in the streets as they start up one after the other, as well as indoors on radios, and TV’s, and you can even hear them on the phone.
As it happened, during the first attack a total of 7 Scuds[1] landed without causing extensive damage. In the first days of the war when people were instructed to remain at home, Saddam had actually saved lives by keeping the roads free of the typical accident and death toll. If Saddam had managed to launch 700 or 7,000 Scuds it might have been a different story, but if all he could do was 7 on the first launch, it made many of us feel pretty safe. CNN and BBC were pretty good at spotting Scuds being launched, and during the first attack, while the sirens sounded, my mother would see a launch on TV news. She phoned in a panic from thousands of miles away to find out if we were ok? I told her to call back later as it took about 7 minutes for Scuds to reach us.The Story
Anyway about Purim[2], being too short that is. One morning just after the Purim festival, and the war had both been officially declared over. The gas masks, plastic sheets and masking tape were returned to their usual storage places. With life, back to normal, I could hear my wife struggling to get Shishlik up for the day ahead as he was refusing to get up for nursery school. As far as I am concerned most arguments are a waste of energy. I have a theory that if one takes all the heated emotion away from an argument, and takes each person’s words to their logical conclusion, and assuming that each person was actually talking about the same subject, the result would be that they either agree with each other, or they disagree on the meaning of a word. With this in mind, I asked my wife to leave it to me.
I sat down on the edge of Shishlik’s bunk, and asked him what the problem was, whereby he snapped back from under the pillow, “Purim was too short”! I hesitated, wondering what he meant and then responded, “So what if Purim was too short”? He repeated angrily, “Purim was t-o-o short”! At this point I thought I understood, “Ahhh, I see, Purim was too short and that is the reason why you do not want to get up?” Shishlik grunted. Now at least I knew what I was working with.
I sat down on the edge of Shishlik’s bunk, and asked him what the problem was, whereby he snapped back from under the pillow, “Purim was too short”! I hesitated, wondering what he meant and then responded, “So what if Purim was too short”? He repeated angrily, “Purim was t-o-o short”! At this point I thought I understood, “Ahhh, I see, Purim was too short and that is the reason why you do not want to get up?” Shishlik grunted. Now at least I knew what I was working with.
I should add that Shishlik had insisted that everybody was wrong for saying the country was 51 years, as it was in fact only 49 years old. When asked where he had got his facts, he told us the previous year his nursery school teacher, Tikki, had told them it was 48 years old. One year later meant it was now 49 years, and if Tikki said it then it must be true. We were impressed with his pre-school command of arithmetic, and his understanding of the concept of years, but not so with Tikki as a reliable historian.
Anyway, getting back to Purim, I acknowledged that in Shishlik’s heart and mind Purim had been too short. He on the other hand would not accept it was just about him, and he insisted that in general Purim had been too short. I could not sway him and finally I decided to comply.
Having clearly established that Purim had been too short, I posed to Shishlik that all his friends at nursery school would have experienced the same brevity as well, yet they were going to school today. It would hardly be fair if he were the only one to stay home. At this point his expression changed, he thought for a moment, and then he agreed. I went down to the kitchen trying to hide the smirk on my face from my wife.
Conclusion Anyway, getting back to Purim, I acknowledged that in Shishlik’s heart and mind Purim had been too short. He on the other hand would not accept it was just about him, and he insisted that in general Purim had been too short. I could not sway him and finally I decided to comply.
Having clearly established that Purim had been too short, I posed to Shishlik that all his friends at nursery school would have experienced the same brevity as well, yet they were going to school today. It would hardly be fair if he were the only one to stay home. At this point his expression changed, he thought for a moment, and then he agreed. I went down to the kitchen trying to hide the smirk on my face from my wife.
The story could have ended here, but early the following morning while everyone else was asleep, it suddenly dawned on me that my genius of a son had been absolutely right. Under normal circumstances, kids celebrate Purim for 2-3 weeks before the actual holiday. They go to nursery school dressed as clowns, cowboys, Indians, fairies, old men, and what have you. But this year due to Saddam's chemical threats, kids went to school with gas masks instead. When the Purim season started, all fancy costumes were banned, in case some false beard or nose got in the way of its bearer’s gas mask when an air raid took place.
Furthermore, the announcement of the end of the war, was on Purim itself, and for the grown-ups the focus of all the Purim parties was the end of the war, and not children in their costumes. Purim also was on a Saturday, so there was no extra holiday. So Shishlik's observation had been astute. Purim had been particularly short that year. The following morning, when it was time to wake the kids, I told Shishlik how right he was.
He in turn muttered half asleep, “Dad, what nonsense are you talking?” To this day I am amazed at Shishlik’s insight, and wonder if Tikki was right about the other matter as well, but I have yet to work that one out.
As a further afterthought try to imagine what it’s like to catch up on taped screenings of LA LAW, and suddenly in the middle of the program, an air raid siren announces the impending arrival of Scud missiles. Lots of us donned our masks and headed with our families for sealed rooms before realizing the siren was on video!
He in turn muttered half asleep, “Dad, what nonsense are you talking?” To this day I am amazed at Shishlik’s insight, and wonder if Tikki was right about the other matter as well, but I have yet to work that one out.
As a further afterthought try to imagine what it’s like to catch up on taped screenings of LA LAW, and suddenly in the middle of the program, an air raid siren announces the impending arrival of Scud missiles. Lots of us donned our masks and headed with our families for sealed rooms before realizing the siren was on video!
[1] "Scuds" derive from the German V-2 rocket. The Iraqi modification Al Hussein, altered for greater range at the cost of accuracy, came to prominence during the (first) Gulf War, when a number of missiles were fired atIsrael (40) and Saudi Arabia (46). One problem was the Scud missile disintegrated as it approached the target meaning that it was difficult to know which pieces were the warhead and which were debris. The missiles were one of Iraq's most threatening offensive weapons, to Israel where there was great concern that they would be armed with chemical or biological warheads.
[2] Purim is a Jewish Holiday that commemorates the deliverance from a plot to annihilate all the Jews of the Persian Empire, who had survived Babylonian Captivity. Persia had previously conquered Babylon after they in turn had destroyed the First Temple and dispersed the Jewish people; as recorded in the Biblical Book of Ester. Purim is characterized by public recitation of the Book of Esther, giving mutual gifts of food and drink, giving charity to the poor, and a celebratory meal (Esther 9:22); other customs include drinking wine,wearing of masks and costumes, and public celebration.
[2] Purim is a Jewish Holiday that commemorates the deliverance from a plot to annihilate all the Jews of the Persian Empire, who had survived Babylonian Captivity. Persia had previously conquered Babylon after they in turn had destroyed the First Temple and dispersed the Jewish people; as recorded in the Biblical Book of Ester. Purim is characterized by public recitation of the Book of Esther, giving mutual gifts of food and drink, giving charity to the poor, and a celebratory meal (Esther 9:22); other customs include drinking wine,wearing of masks and costumes, and public celebration.