In April 2002, Milwaukeean Liza M. Wiemer heard about one of the more egregious Palestinian Arab suicide bombings in Israel — the attack on the Matza restaurant in Haifa — and decided she had to do something.
Three years later, the result is tangible, with the publication of her new book, “Waiting for Peace: How Israelis Live With Terrorism” (Gefen Publishing House, trade paperback, 208 pages, $18).
In a telephone interview, Wiemer told The Chronicle that the book was “born out of frustration and feelings of helplessness and hopelessness over the inaccuracies of the news media” in its coverage of Israel.
It also was born of a desire to practice what she had been preaching during her 26 years as a teacher in Milwaukee Jewish religious schools.
She said she emphasized to her students the famous sayings of Rabbi Hillel in the “Pirke Avot” (“Sayings of the Sages”) section of the Mishnah (1:14): “If I am not for myself, who will be for me? But if I am only for myself, what am I? And if not now, when?”
“Those words echoed in my head when I decided I needed to do something,” Wiemer said.
She decided to go to Israel and — with the help of her friend, former Milwaukeean Benay Katz, who made aliyah some 30 years ago — to interview Israelis to discover how they live under the threat of terrorism.
Despite her own apprehensions and some discouragement from some local friends, Wiemer traveled to Israel in April 2002.
She stayed for two weeks, “traveled all over the country,” worked intensely every day except for the Sabbath (“I slept an average of two hours a night”) and interviewed about 75 Jewish Israelis.
Wiemer acknowledged that this is a small sample from a population of more than five million Jews (out of a total population of close to seven million). But she said these 75 came “from all walks of life” — city dwellers and kibbutzniks; children and adults; atheists and the fervently Orthodox, West Bank settlers and Peace Now members.
And while each of them had his or her “unique story,” which she recounts in her book, Wiemer soon began to hear many of the same answers to her questions about reactions to terrorism.
“After a terror attack, depression would fall all over the country,” Wiemer said. “But the way they pulled themselves out of this blanket of depression was by living and moving on.”
“I was inspired by their strength and devotion and hopefulness,” Wiemer continued. “Their attitude is always one of hope and is very positive.”
This optimism doesn’t necessarily come easily to every Israeli, Wiemer said. One young woman, 22, a survivor of the Matza restaurant bombing, felt she had to leave Israel for a while after, and so traveled to visit her father in Germany; but she eventually came back.
Most of the time, she heard from her interviewees that “there is no better place for a Jew to live in [than Israel] because this is our country,” she said.
Wiemer also said she learned that most Israelis “do not hate Arabs,” which counters “a misperception perpetuated in the media.”
A few of the teens she spoke to said they avoid Arabs in shopping malls, on busses or in restaurants, out of fear that they might be terrorists; and some of the adults said they refuse to shop in Arab-owned businesses for fear that money may be given to terrorists.
But others said they “would not hesitate” to see an Arab physician, work with Arabs at their places of employment or have Bedouin craftsmen work in their homes, Wiemer said.
After Wiemer returned, the transcribing, research, follow-up interviews and writing took about two years. Katz not only helped with all this, but through her daughter, Wiemer was able to connect to Gefen Publishing House.
In fact, Katz provided so much assistance that even though Wiemer wrote the text, Wiemer insisted that Katz be listed as the book’s co-author.
Though the book won’t be available in stores until next month, Wiemer is selling some copies privately now. Profit on each sale is going to a variety of local Jewish organizations and synagogues.
For more information or to obtain a copy, contact Wiemer at 414-351-1788 or waitingforpeace@aol.com.
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