My name is Rappel AMA

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Rappel

Mon, Dec 18 2023, 3:29 am

since I'm putting in so much time on imamother, I should leave everyone else's threads alone, and start up one where we can all jaw away.

Ready, aim...ask!

Mon, Dec 18 2023, 3:36 am

What does your screen name mean for you?
What job do you work in?

Rappel

Mon, Dec 18 2023, 3:47 am

ap wrote:

What does your screen name mean for you?
What job do you work in?

It's a play on my maiden name, and I lived a lot of my teen/young adult life adventurously, so it fit me.

Right now, I do office work and website maintenance for a meat distribution company. I have a lot of experience in writing and editing, but I prefer working with people and management, so I'm looking to move into something in that arena.

Mon, Dec 18 2023, 3:53 am

Do you drive an ambulance or I'm mixing you up with someone else?
Where do you live?

Rappel

Mon, Dec 18 2023, 3:58 am

ap wrote:

Do you drive an ambulance or I'm mixing you up with someone else?
Where do you live?

I volunteer in MDA, and I'm working on becoming an ambulance driver

I live in Itamar, Israel

grace413

Mon, Dec 18 2023, 4:16 am

Kol Hakavod to you.

Is your DH in the army?

How do find time to volunteer, being the mother of small children?

Rappel

Mon, Dec 18 2023, 4:30 am

grace413 wrote:

Kol Hakavod to you.

Is your DH in the army?

How do find time to volunteer, being the mother of small children?

And you, grace.

Yes, he's a lochem, but his reserve duty is in our region, so I get to see him here and there when he's guarding. It's a bit of tease, being close to home and not home, but the kids have gotten used to finding Abba and giving him a quick hug, and being satisfied with that.

My secret superpower is my father-in-law, who made aliyah 6 months ago. Until he came, my volunteer work was mostly limited to local projects and committees. Since he's willing to babysit an hour here or there, I'm more available to handle big projects, like the medical readiness of our town, or doing enough shifts to become an ambulance driver. (Pretty necessary here, since the other MDA volunteers are drafted.)

So basically - the bouquet of flowers should really go to him. He's the only reason I'm flexible to take on so much.

grace413

Mon, Dec 18 2023, 4:37 am

So nice that your FIL is helping out. Really a win-win, you do volunteering and he builds a relationship with his grandchildren.

It's currently a common thing that grandparents are helping out, babysitting so that their daughters and DIL's can go to work. (That is the grandparents who are already retired).

Success10

Mon, Dec 18 2023, 4:42 am

If I recall correctly, you've said in the past your husband is a ger tzedek, right?

SuperWify

Mon, Dec 18 2023, 5:45 am

Rappel, I’m happy I got the chance to tell you that I think you’re really cool.

How are your kids managing in this situation? How old are they?

Rappel

Mon, Dec 18 2023, 8:46 am

grace413 wrote:

Well thank you, grandparents of Israel, for being absolute heroes (you included, grace!)

FIL is semi -retired. He used to be an ER social worker and counselor, and now he's doing individual and couples therapy over zoom, in NJ. The hours are very late, but he prefers to have an income. Out of all the features of aliyah, maintaining his old workplace gives him a sense of normalcy.

Rappel

Mon, Dec 18 2023, 8:48 am

Success10 wrote:

If I recall correctly, you've said in the past your husband is a ger tzedek, right?

That is correct. His father is Jewish, and he was raised to think he was Jewish. When he was chozer b'teshuva on his own, he realized that he needed to convert, and the rest is history.

ftm1234

Mon, Dec 18 2023, 9:27 am

You’re cool

peace2

Mon, Dec 18 2023, 9:30 am

I've seen you post on different threads and never realized what a cool person you are! Thank you for what you're doing for am yisroel!

Curious, how were you raised and how would you identify now? Like in terms of which sect of the Jewish world. Did you grow up in America?

synthy

Mon, Dec 18 2023, 9:36 am

Does Rappel rhyme with apple or is the emphasis on the “pel”?

Rappel

Mon, Dec 18 2023, 11:58 am

SuperWify wrote:

Rappel, I’m happy I got the chance to tell you that I think you’re really cool.

How are your kids managing in this situation? How old are they?

Why thank you! You're pretty impressive yourself.

My kids, actually, have really stepped up to the plate. There are 4 of them, and the oldest is 7, so y'all can do the math Wink

I expected intense emotional difficulty - my eldest is socially anxious. He completely rose to the occasion, and our conversations have developed from action-based (Imma he hit me!) to understanding-based (Imma, I think he is feeling tired, so I distracted him with a different game instead of fighting. ). He surprised me.

DD expressed her anxiety in the beginning of the war by becoming an instant balabusta. She would also get nervous if Abba came home to visit - if he's not in the field, then who's protecting us?? By now, she's relaxed back into her messy ways, BH, and she and I can laugh and joke when she tries to pull a fast one on me.

The little ones are very little, and need as many hugs and snuggles as possible. It's hardest on them when I go out to do things. In the beginning of the war, I was charged with arranging the medical preparedness for our town should we be besieged: training all the staff in emergency trauma care, making the arrangements for everything for a mass casualty incident... Basically preparing for every nightmare scenario, so no one else needs to imagine it. BH, I'm now easy on that point.

Last edited by Rappel on Mon, Dec 18 2023, 12:08 pm; edited 1 time in total

Rappel

Mon, Dec 18 2023, 11:59 am

ftm1234 wrote:

You’re cool

Hello to you too Smile

it would be a pleasure to meet you

Rappel

Mon, Dec 18 2023, 12:05 pm

peace2 wrote:

Thank you, for living as a Torah Jew every day. That's what we really need.

I was raised in Brooklyn, by BT parents, and received a normative Bais Yaakov education. Normal litvish Brooklyn.

Today, I most closely identify as DL Torani, but we're not really: I take some issue with DL tenets, and though I respect him, I'm not a follower of Rav Kook.

We most closely identify with Rav Mordechai Eliyahu's kav, but we follow the Yalkut Yosef for clear halachic guidance.

Rappel

Mon, Dec 18 2023, 12:06 pm

synthy wrote:

Does Rappel rhyme with apple or is the emphasis on the “pel”?

Like rappelling off a cliff Smile

that's what aliyah felt like -- just without the rope and clip LOL

NechaMom

Mon, Dec 18 2023, 12:09 pm

Hi there. I also think you’re cool! I like the passion in your posts and that you stand behind your opinion instead of hiding under anonymous. Thank you for your DH’s and your service to keep klal yisroel safe.
How do you de-stress (other than coming on imamother)?

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