This piece is part of our Witnessing series, which shares pieces from Israeli authors and authors in Israel, as well as the experiences of Jewish writers around the globe in the aftermath of October 7th.
It is critical to understand history not just through the books that will be written later, but also through the first-hand testimonies and real-time accounting of events as they occur. At Jewish Book Council, we understand the value of these written testimonials and of sharing these individual experiences. It’s more important now than ever to give space to these voices and narratives.
A Jewish School for Babies
My baby grandson wears
a padded astronaut on his back
to protect his head from falls
I mince his egg just in case.
In my fairy tale he’s the egg
we cushion in our basket
the opal we nest in velvet
We sail off in a pea-green boat.
At his Jewish school for babies
A security guard up front high fives
toddlers and listens to a walky-talky
fingers his gun to stay in touch.
The director points to the windows
We replaced them with bulletproof
The same with the steel doors.
We’re very conscious of the dangers.
In my fairy tale my astronaut and I
lift off for a faraway planet.
The views and opinions expressed above are those of the author, based on their observations and experiences.
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Luanne Castle babysat her grandson while his parents were at work until he was six months old. He then began attending a local Jewish daycare. Luanne’s Pushcart, Best Small Fictions, Best Microfictions, and Best of the Net-nominated poetry and prose have appeared in many journals. She has published four award-winning poetry collections. Her hybrid memoir-in-flash is forthcoming by ELJ Editions in 2026.
