I’m scared. How will we hear of anything without our phones?

amother

Fri, Oct 13 2023, 4:32 am

I can’t sleep. Just woke up from a terrifying nightmare after only managing to fall asleep a half hour before that.

How will we know if Muslims are attacking Jews in our development on Friday night without being able to see the news on our phones? I am terrified. Our communities are not set up with emergency alerts. Israeli communities weren’t either set up with warnings for infiltrators. But at least if I could look at my phone I’d be able to watch my development’s chat for posts or watch WhatsApp statuses.

I can’t imagine the fear I’ll feel putting my phone in a drawer for Shabbos. Definitely not shutting it down, it needs to be usable for an emergency.

Should I go buy a radio and leave it on? Is there even a lakewood local news channel that would give information?

Pikuach nefesh is docheh Shabbos.

I so wish we had a gun.

Right now the only way we’ll find out about anything is if someone sees what’s going on and stays alive and unwounded and goes door to door trying to wake people up. That’s not a good enough system!

amother

Firebrick

Fri, Oct 13 2023, 4:38 am

The Lakewood BOE put out a statement that there's no credible threats for anything happening here but there will be an increased police presence. I'm sure if anything CVS happens, their sirens would be blazing and you'd know something was going on. There's also shomrim that will go around alerting people if necessary

amother

Fri, Oct 13 2023, 4:40 am

amother Firebrick wrote:

Even if there’s no credible threat, all we need is one evil demented person being inspired to commit acts of terror. There wouldn’t necessarily be warning of that for the cops to find.

Sirens is a good point. That could wake people up.

But people need to keep their phones left on so that they can call 911 if they are attacked within their homes.

Shomrim is also a good point.

Thank you for your level headedness. I woke up from my nightmare with my heart pounding faster than it ever has in my whole life. I hate that this is our reality.

amother

Quince

Fri, Oct 13 2023, 4:53 am

More than we keep Shabbos, Shabbos keeps us.
Remember the shomer Shabbos kibbutzim had no casualties bh.

May Hashem help that we will not need to use our phones to alert anyone of anything.

Hugs!

amother

Vanilla

Fri, Oct 13 2023, 5:09 am

Believe it or not, there is no more threat this shabbos than any other shabbos ever. Only now it seems more obvious bderech hateva.
There is a reason every single gadol and speaker is calling for strengthening bitachon. With true bitachon you won’t be any more scared this week.
Hashem watches over us. Learn some shaar habitachon this shabbos, not only will it protect you, it will calm you and put you into a state of yishuv hadaas, where you will be able to daven for the people who need our tefilos and for mashiach

Elfrida

Fri, Oct 13 2023, 5:24 am

I was feeling scared about this earlier in the week. I live in Jerusalem. But the more I think about it, the more I come to realise that this Shabbos will be a true act of emunah. Having our phones and our radios and preparing emergency foods and going into our miklatim gives us a sense of control. I don't mean that we shouldn't do those things. And I definitely don't mean that Tzahal should take the day off. We have to do what we can. But when we've done that, we have to let go and place our emunah in Hashem.

Switching off my radio this afternoon (or switching it to the Gal Shaket) will be hard, and will be a true act of avodah. Its my אות, my sign to Hashem of my commitment to Him and His laws.

amother

Melon

Fri, Oct 13 2023, 6:46 am

On the one hand as a hishtadlus leave phone accessible if need to call 911.

On the other hand, Shabbos is source of all bracha.

I think each in our own way - maybe if someone is overwhelmed that'll mean self-care, a nap, Shabbos take-out food - that we should beli neder try in a very small way to add light. (If usually learn 10 minutes, learn for 15, maybe have a little more effort in kavana. If family members into it too to try to say brachos outloud. For wives, try being more present & receiving from dh.)

amother

Watermelon

Fri, Oct 13 2023, 7:28 am

amother Melon wrote:

One should always have an accessible phone on shabbos. Always! What if they need Hatzala?

BrachaVHatzlocha

Fri, Oct 13 2023, 7:32 am

A non religious relative of mine asked how we would know if anything urgent on shabbos. I told her about the time approximately 18 years ago when there was a baby formula making babies sick.... it was sakanos nifashos... on shabbos there were speakers going around flatbush warning people not to use it...
BeH everything should be fine.

amother

Springgreen

Fri, Oct 13 2023, 10:53 am

amother Vanilla wrote:

Would you share more specifics? Who said what exactly? I am open for chizzuk.

amother

Tuberose

Fri, Oct 13 2023, 10:57 am

BrachaVHatzlocha wrote:

I remember that. Hatzolah went around with loudspeakers on shabbos warning people that the formula is dangerous. This was in all frum communities. I didn't live in Flatbush.

amother

Lightgray

Fri, Oct 13 2023, 1:53 pm

The same way we found out theres a war in Israel.

We had a congressman and sheriff come into my shul on the first day , shemini atzeres to tell us theres a war. This is my neighborhood shul in toms river.

Of course we should not hear any bad, scary news.

amother

Vanilla

Fri, Oct 13 2023, 2:06 pm

amother Springgreen wrote:

Would you share more specifics? Who said what exactly? I am open for chizzuk.

There was a gathering in Lakewood for women two nights ago. A staggering amount of women showed up
R Malkiel kotler spoke about how women create a safe sukkah/bais yaakov through our bitachon
R simcha bunim Cohen spoke about strengthening Torah, tefila, and gmilas chasadim. He emphasized bitachon within each of those categories
R Nochum malinsky spoke about strengthening and learning bitachon by learning bitachon and practicing over and over again
Rebitzen Rina tarshish spoke about bitachon as well

Every single shiur and learning group that I am a part of and almost every single thing going around WhatsApp emphasized working on bitachon

Emuna and bitachon are things I have been very strongly working on (it’s hard hard internal work) for the past 4 years.

My life is just a different life. I do not have anxiety now (I used to be on medication for anxiety)
The war doesn’t worry me. It saddens me and fills me with grief and propels me to daven but I don’t have any worry (and I have a lot of close family right there)

Living your life with yishuv Hadas is the most amazing gift

amother

Oak

Fri, Oct 13 2023, 2:08 pm

Turn off the phone and stop following the news if it is upsetting you and you will be fine. There is no threat this shabbos. The only ones panicking are those who are hyper focused on the news and on social media.

If there was a credible threat it would be justified but at this time in the US it it is simply fear mongering and completely unproductive.

amother

Ivory

Fri, Oct 13 2023, 2:11 pm

amother Springgreen wrote:

Would you share more specifics? Who said what exactly? I am open for chizzuk.

Go on any torah anytime and listen to Rabbi Joey Haber‘s class on what’s happening.
Go on YouTube and listen to Rabbi Zev Leff as well.
There’s also a short clip from Rabbi Yechiel Spiro from Baltimore circulating- excellent