For many years, Orthodox Jews in the U.S. became increasingly concentrated in a few urban areas—most importantly New York City and its environs—where they could enjoy the benefits that come with a large community of the observant. Michael Feldstein notes evidence that this trend has now been reversed:

When my wife and I got married in 1982, there were very few Orthodox communities outside the New York area that provided all of the amenities that observant families were looking for—synagogue, day school, mikvah, eruv [a symbolic boundary allowing the observant to carry objects outside their homes on the Sabbath], and the availability of kosher food. Today there are dozens and dozens of communities outside the New York metropolitan area that can satisfy the needs of the Orthodox consumer. [It is now possible] to live a rich and fully observant Jewish life in Richmond, Virginia; Louisville, Kentucky; Jacksonville, Florida, and dozens of other places that a generation or two ago had minimal resources for Orthodox families.

Feldstein also notes a concomitant change in attitudes, observing that not so long ago it was hard to come by Orthodox families willing to move “out of town”—a term that, in Orthodox vernacular, came to mean anywhere not commuting distance from Manhattan:

Today there are many Orthodox families who not only are open to moving outside the New York metro area, but who actually would prefer to live out of town—mostly for lower housing costs and day-school tuition, but also to escape the hustle and bustle of the city. . . . It’s an interesting demographic shift in the attitude and focus of young Orthodox families.

On Tuesday, a Hizballah drone attack injured three people in northern Israel. The next day, another attack, targeting an IDF base, injured eighteen people, six of them seriously, in Arab al-Amshe, also in the north. This second attack involved the simultaneous use of drones carrying explosives and guided antitank missiles. In both cases, the defensive systems that performed so successfully last weekend failed to stop the drones and missiles. Ron Ben-Yishai has a straightforward explanation as to why: the Lebanon-backed terrorist group is getting better at evading Israel defenses. He explains the three basis systems used to pilot these unmanned aircraft, and their practical effects:

These systems allow drones to act similarly to fighter jets, using “dead zones”—areas not visible to radar or other optical detection—to approach targets. They fly low initially, then ascend just before crashing and detonating on the target. The terrain of southern Lebanon is particularly conducive to such attacks.

But this requires skills that the terror group has honed over months of fighting against Israel. The latest attacks involved a large drone capable of carrying over 50 kg (110 lbs.) of explosives. The terrorists have likely analyzed Israel’s alert and interception systems, recognizing that shooting down their drones requires early detection to allow sufficient time for launching interceptors.

The IDF tries to detect any incoming drones on its radar, as it had done prior to the war. Despite Hizballah’s learning curve, the IDF’s technological edge offers an advantage. However, the military must recognize that any measure it takes is quickly observed and analyzed, and even the most effective defenses can be incomplete. The terrain near the Lebanon-Israel border continues to pose a challenge, necessitating technological solutions and significant financial investment.