(JNS) At the Orchid Hotel in Tel Aviv, the bomb shelter on level minus one is filled largely with foreign voices, with little Hebrew heard. The space is occupied by tourists who arrived for short visits, but now find themselves stranded in Israel, with no clear departure date.

Jacqueline Sanders, a headhunter from the Netherlands, arrived on Feb. 23 for what was meant to be a two-week Purim visit with a close friend and her 23-year-old son.

“We are from the Jewish community in Holland and we come to Israel regularly. I knew it could possibly happen and that I could get stuck, but I had no hesitation. I come from a Zionist background; I visit Israel a few months a year. This is where I want to be, and this is the full package,” she told JNS.

Sanders registered for aliyah last November and is currently in the process.

Still, some of her children remain in Holland, and she continues to manage her own business. Moving to Israel would require her to travel back periodically to maintain both professional and personal ties, but she says she is determined to be part of Israeli society.

“I feel very privileged to be here, to experience what Israelis experience and contribute somewhat to the economy. I stay in a hotel, go to restaurants, and I am hoping to do volunteer work. I used to work for Taglit [Birthright Israel] as a fundraiser. I really want to contribute to the country,” she said.

Sanders’s return flight with El Al was canceled, and she is awaiting a new departure date. In the meantime, she purchased a ticket for April 6.

“I was supposed to come back for Passover anyway on March 29 with EasyJet. I had bought all my tickets for the following year through them because they had great offers, and it was all canceled at once. The first ticket I could get from Tel Aviv to Amsterdam, via Arkia, was April 6,” she said.

Although she was aware she might become stranded, Sanders said she made no contingency plans.

“My plan is to live like the locals. I am staying here in this hotel—they give special rates for tourists. I have a beautiful room and the staff is taking care of me. I used to come a lot, I have friends and family, I know my way around, and I speak Hebrew,” she added.

During the war, Sanders said she meets new people every day.

“Israel is like one big family—this is what Judaism is about. It is very special to be part of this situation, and I will never forget it,” she said.

She updates her children in the Netherlands daily and takes precautions to stay safe.

“I don’t go to the shelter on the 15th floor. I come all the way down to minus one—better safe than sorry. I also watch what I eat to stay clear-headed and energetic. I drink a lot of coffee and eat yogurt, protein, salads and healthy food. I keep working and have my online meetings. Sometimes I don’t tell clients I am in Tel Aviv; I say I am in Tenerife, because people do not always understand,” she said.

Sanders described the situation for Jews in the Netherlands as increasingly difficult.

“I think people are very naive. It’s like the 1930s—my parents survived the Holocaust. There is no future there for Jewish people, but many people stick their heads in the sand,” she said.

Amsterdam, she added, was once considered a haven for Jewish life. She pointed to recent incidents, including attacks on a synagogue in Rotterdam and a Jewish school in Amsterdam.

‘I had a feeling something might happen’

Tzipi Crystal, a retiree from Florida, arrived in Israel on Feb. 21 for a family trip.

“We were a little bit leery about it. We thought things would resolve, but I had a feeling something might happen,” she told JNS.

Crystal had planned to stay until April 27, but has since contacted her airline to try to move her departure earlier. She had been staying with relatives outside Tel Aviv before relocating this week to the Orchid Hotel with her husband, Alan, and their son David.

“The sirens are tiring—waking up at night is exhausting. We were staying in their safe room, and everyone would come to us during alarms. We wanted a change, so we decided to come here for a week, and then we’ll go back to family for the holiday,” she said.

Crystal said she had the option of leaving via a US embassy-arranged route through Taba but was reluctant to travel through Egypt.

“My friend’s grandson studies in Jerusalem with 18 other American boys. They went through Taba and were harassed. They took their tefillin and his EpiPen,” she said.

The arranged journey would have taken passengers to New York or California, requiring her to make her own way back to Florida.

Crystal said she is not afraid of Iranian missile attacks but finds the disruption to daily life difficult.

“I trust the Israeli government to intercept most missiles, but some unfortunately get through. My children abroad understand what we go through—they’ve all been to Israel. We are a very Zionist family, so this is nothing new. They know the deal,” she said.

Her son David Crystal, who runs a tutoring business and also writes political analysis and performs comedy, said he anticipated the possibility of being stranded.

“I thought there was about a 90% chance the war could break out and that I could get stuck in Israel,” he said. “I’ve been here during wars before, but this is more intense than what I experienced in previous times. You can’t really plan—Israelis adapt, they don’t live in the moment right now.”

David said he had intentionally reduced his client load to enjoy a vacation, which quickly shifted to a routine centered around reaching protected spaces during alerts.

“It wouldn’t be professional to cancel clients every time there’s an alert,” he said.

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