American Trapped in Israel Details Life Under Rocket Fire While Seeking Return to NYC
Joy Rosenthal, a 39-year-old from Queens, New York, flew to Israel for a family celebration just before the launch of Operation Epic Fury, only to find herself trapped amid the escalating conflict with Iran. Speaking from Jerusalem, she described a daily reality punctuated by air raid sirens and frantic dashes to bomb shelters, as she desperately tries to secure a way back home.
Daily Life Under Constant Threat
"You can be walking down the street and suddenly the sirens go off, and you have to run to a bomb shelter. Sometimes, I don’t even know where the bomb shelters are—I just follow the crowd and hope they know," Rosenthal revealed in a video chat with The Independent. Her trip, which began on February 25, was intended for her nephew’s bar mitzvah and a cousin’s wedding, but has since turned into a harrowing experience of constant alerts on her cell phone warning of missile and rocket strikes.
"Every time the alarm goes off, my heart starts racing. It’s petrifying. I don't film the bombs or explosions. I just run to safety," she explained, highlighting the intense panic that now defines her days and nights. Rosenthal is currently staying in an apartment belonging to a neighbor of her parents in Jerusalem, which fortunately includes a bomb shelter with an adjacent bathroom—a relative luxury compared to her experience in a synagogue shelter without facilities.
Flight Cancellations and Limited Options
Rosenthal was scheduled to return to New York City via London on March 10, but her El Al flight to the UK capital was canceled. The connecting Virgin Atlantic flight from London to JFK offered only a full refund or a rescheduled departure from Tel Aviv in late April. "I don’t want to wait until the end of April," she said, opting for the refund instead.
With commercial flights scarce, she has registered for the U.S. Embassy evacuation list, though guidance has been minimal. "They just said, 'They will call you and give you two hours’ notice to get to the airport. If you don't take that option, then they're not going to offer you a different one,'" Rosenthal recounted, expressing frustration over the lack of support and unresponsive phone lines.
Desperate Measures and Personal Struggles
Alternative routes, such as traveling through Egypt by land, have been considered but dismissed due to safety concerns. Rosenthal cited reports of women being sexually assaulted at the border, stating, "I read somewhere that they're separating the men and the women, and that the women are being sexually assaulted. So, I do not feel comfortable doing that."
Her desperation is compounded by personal worries, particularly missing her brother Yoni, who has Down syndrome and lives in New York. "He has Down syndrome and I visit him every week. I haven’t seen him since I got here. I really miss him. He doesn't want to FaceTime, he doesn't talk and doesn't understand the concept," she shared, adding that returning home would feel like "heaven."
In a bid for assistance, Rosenthal has pleaded for help on her Instagram profile @thebroadwaywiz, where she runs a website about Broadway shows. As the conflict continues, her story underscores the challenges faced by civilians caught in war zones, with limited evacuation options and ongoing threats to safety.
