From Mechal Sobel

Our colleague and contributing editor, Mechal Sobel, teaches in and directs the Graduate Program in American Studies and the Center for the Study of the United States at Israel's University of Haifa. She is the author of distinguished work in colonial and revolutionary American history: Trabelin' On, The World They Made Together, and Teach Me Dreams: The Search for Self in Revolutionary America. More recently, Mechal and I have been in communication with each other about her current work, a study of the Afro-American folk artist, Bill Traylor (ca 1853/55-1949).

This morning, Mechal wrote to me, in part:

We are sitting through many 'hatraot' every day--air raid sirens, and advice to seek shelter. Some close calls for members of my family, but so far they, and Zvi and I, are alright, but the casualties from the ground battles will raise the number injured on both sides considerably. I just learned of the death of a young man -- the nephew of my son's closest friend.
It is a hard experience to live through. It takes a silent toll.
I send my very best wishes.
Mechal

It speaks well of Israeli democracy that an anti-war rally can take place in Tel Aviv in the midst of the crisis.