Blood Donation Is Needed

Yesterday morning, I left the House of Simeon and Anne with Father Tiago, Father Michael, and Eliam to donate blood. The blood donation center was open from 10:00 to 19:00. At 10:30, we left the house and headed to the Arena in the Malha area, which was about 15 minutes away. We quickly realized that we were not the first, and certainly not the only ones. A massive line had already formed, quietly waiting on the steps leading to the courtyard of the Sports Hall.

We patiently joined the line, believing that we would finish and return home in a few hours. Little did we know that we would end up spending nine and a half hours there!

However, I must say that we do not regret a single minute of our time there. It was a truly unique experience; unlike anything I have experienced in the nearly 13 years I have lived in Israel. It is a well-known fact that Israelis and queues do not always get along, but yesterday, not only did everyone stand patiently without pushing, but even when there was an alarm, and we had to run and take shelter inside, each person returned to their place with exceptional respect and politeness.

Water was provided generously by Magen David Adom (the Israeli Red Cross) during the wait, and in the early afternoon, people spontaneously began offering food: sandwiches, apples, popsicles that left colorful stains on tongues and lips... These were private initiatives by individuals who came to make the wait easier for others on their way to donating. At one point, a musician arrived with a guitar and an amplification system and began playing uplifting songs for us.

During our time there, we experienced rain, wind, and a rocket alarm.

After many hours, we were finally allowed to enter the arena, fill out forms, receive a number, and sit down. But it was only then that we realized there were still 400 more people ahead of us. So, we decided to go out and buy food. Once again, there was an alarm, and we took shelter in the kitchen of a bakery. The owner, with incredible speed and determination, urged everyone who was outside to come in. It felt like a scene described beautifully by the Italian poet Giuseppe Ungaretti in his poem "Soldiers":

Like leaves

On trees

In Autumn

We stay.

And there we stood: soldiers, policemen, priests, women, ultra-Orthodox, secularists, a woman with a dog... and three Christians, united in one decisive moment that separated life from death.

We returned to the arena, and by then, we felt like a family with our fellow donors. Groups formed among those at the same numbered height, and as we enjoyed cookies and shared water glasses that never stopped circulating, we slowly made our way toward our destination.

Finally, it was our turn, and we entered: three Catholic priests, a Gur Hasidic member, and a secular individual who had walked the entire journey together.

This is how reality should look, and this is the potential that exists in Israel.

We will not forget this day, and we hope to forget the horror of this period.