Two days ago, Lev, a Russian immigrant who was a member of the kibbutz and a good friend for over 30 years, passed away. It was a major shock to all of us as he was 61-years-old, seemed to be both healthy and in good physical shape. Lev was one of the few people who remained on the kibbutz for the duration of the war. The reason he stayed: he was the manager of the kibbutz's convenience store, and while it had almost no customers from the kibbutz, there were a large number of soldiers who served in the general area and wanted them to have a place to buy refreshments.

I drove to his funeral yesterday and was surprised to see several hundred people there. Some were kibbutz members but most were not. They were soldiers who guarded the kibbutz at various times during the fighting. They all appreciated what he had done for them. They ranked from privates to one full colonel. Until about a week ago, no gathering of more than 10 people was allowed, out of concern of the number who would be killed by a single missile. Now, with the cease-fire still holding up, the restriction was lifted for the length of his funeral.