 In this Issue
Guests in Gush Eztion
Galei Tzahal
Special Radio Show
About the Pinna Chama
Special volunteer project, soldiers adopt new immigrant familiess
This month in the history of Gush Etzion
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This week in the Gush
Guests In Gush Etzion
Gush Etzion hosted two special groups this week.
First a group of eighty members from the North New Jersey, Federation visited, toured and participated in a discussion over lunch in the dinning hall of Kibbutz Kfar Etzion on the pressing issues concerning Israel and Gush Etzion today. Joining them at lunch were residents of the Gush discussing daily life in Gush Eztion today.
The second group from Project Interchange, that produces seminars in Israel were a group of 13 staffers and Congressional aides from Washington, D.C. The group who came on a fact finding mission met with Mayor Shaul Goldstein to discuss and learn the challenges that Israel is faced with today, with a focus on the life and political issues of living in Gush Eztion.
In the Mayor's office
View of the region
Galei Tzahal Special Radio Show
On Friday February 23, the IDF army station Galei Tzahal
produced it's program from Gush Etzion. The program "Regards from Mom" is a show produced every Friday from another place in Israel where mothers send warm regards to their soldiers before Shabbat. Miri Frumer director of volunteers under the communal service department of the Regional Council put this wonderful program together. The program took place at the Gush Etzion Junction at the soldiers canteen"Pina Chama"(warm corner). As a memorial their widows have dedicated this rest spot for the soldiers. Ruthy Gilis attended the radio show with her new 3 week year old baby.The mothers spoke about their soldiers, what they enjoy eating when on leave and of valiant stories of combat during the war, last summer. The Adler family from Neve Daniel won a family vacation to Eilat credit of the radio station.
Soldiers enjoying the Pina Chama
Mothers on Galei Tzahal
About The Pina Chama
The Pina Chama"The Warm Corner'" was established six years ago following the tragic murder of two Gush Etzion residents Dr Shmuel Gillis and Tzachi Sasson. Both men were officers in the army and both had cared on a personal level for their soldiers. Their widows decided immediately that this was the most appropriate way to comemorrate their husbands because the Pina Chama is all about giving and thanking the soldiers who look after us.
We started out in a 20 foot container (the sort you send your shipment in ) and have evolved to its present size over the last few years. (our patio is purely due to the generosity of three lovely girls who decided to raise money from their Bat Mitzva for us).
We are open every day from 7 in the morning until 9 at night and we serve coffee, homemade cakes, popcorn, tea -hot soup in the winter and chilled fruit salad in the summer. On every holiday we try and give a flavor of the festivities - on Chanuka we have candle lighting every evening and everyone has jelly donuts, on Purim we give out little parcels to the soldiers, on Pesach we Kosher the whole place to remain open; on Yom Haatzmaut (Israel Independence Day) we have a massive barbecue serving over six hundred soldiers who either stop in or we deliver to those soldiers in the nearby bases or on site that can't come to us.
We have hundreds of volunteers who allow the Pina Chama to operate as smoothly as it does - in fact apart from the cleaner, everyone works on a purely voluntary basis. Our nickname is "the Aunties" - the soldiers love to come and tuck in to some fab home made cakes and enjoy the wide smiles and warmth that we give them. In turn, they have decorated our Pina Chama with their units flags and badges as a token of their appreciation.
An interesting side benefit for the volunteers is that local residents are getting to know their neighbors - the Alon Shvut crowd have become acquainted with Neve Daniel, Elazar and Efrat and vice versa. The soldiers also get a chance to speak to the residents they protect which is of immense importance because many of them had never heard of Gush Etzion before coming here and their preconception of Gush Etzion is usually less than flattering so they go away with a more complete picture and a real understanding of who we are and why we are here.
We rely heavily on donations for our upkeep and for our continued growth. We constantly are seeking sponsors for our monthly upkeep (buying of disposable goods, coffee, oil, popcorn etc).
(this article was written by Shirli Epstein)
Donations can be made for the warm corner at :
http://gush-etzion.org.il/donate_now1.asp
In memory of Dr. Shmuel Gillis and Tzachi Sasson
volunteering
Special Volunteer Project
Every year Gush Etzion has the wonderful opportunity to grow and develop. We have been lucky to welcome many new immigrant families to Gush Etzion. A wonderful project began a few months ago, where our local soldiers from the Gush Eztion army base volunteer to assist these new families. They are adopted by the new families, and visit them only speaking in Hebrew, assist in homework, are in a family atmosphere and both sides welcome the social interaction that is is a win win situation for all.
This Month in the History of Gush Etzion
February 8, 1948
First piper plane lands on an airstrip which is intended to bring some relief to the besieged defenders.
Wishing all of our friends a
Happy Purim!
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