In this Issue:
A special story
The Regional Councils of Gush Etzion, Sha'ar Hanegev and the United Jewish Communities of MetroWest N.
Keren Gush Etzion
Israel
Tel: 972-2-993-9917
Fax: 972-9934612/9932169
Gush Etzion Foundation, USA
Tel: 1-800-705-1626
Fax: 860- 2160896
www.gush-etzion.org.il
gushezif@zahav.net.il
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“And if a man prevails against him that is alone, two shall withstand him and the threefold cord is not quickly broken.” (Ecclesiastes 4, 12)
ואם יתקפו האחד- השניים יעמדו נגדו, והחוט המשולש לא במהרה ינתק." קהלת ד, י"ב
When I was approached by the marketing department of UJC MetroWest to write this bi-weekly column, it was meant to be something else: The idea was to report back to the community about the many programs and projects that our Federation conducts in Israel, to highlight the activities in our partnership regions and to take pride of the scope and depth of MetroWest’s involvement in Israel. Unfortunately terror, bloodshed and grief distorted those plans and dominated my previous columns. With this week’s “On the Ground”, as much as I wanted to go back to the original concept of happier notes and program reports, once again I have to relate to death and sorrow.
However, the difficult moments and the horrors of terror bring with them some amazing stories of bravery, solidarity, strength and resilience, as well. The relationships that have been created between the UJC of MetroWest, the regional council of Gush Etzion and the regional council of Sha’ar Hanegev are a pure illustration of Jewish people hood. These three so different communities have created a bond that is hard to undo and which strengthens all three tremendously. Thinking about it, this unique partnership of EtzioNegev, (although it is not one of the Federation’s main allocations), is perhaps one of the most meaningful activities that we are involved in.
Segev Pniel Avichail HY'D (15) was murdered with seven of his fellow students in the terror attack shootings at Merkaz Harav Yeshiva in Jerusalem. His father and both of his grandfathers are distinguished rabbis of the Zionist religious movement. The family resides in Neve Daniel, Gush Etzion, home of Mayor Shaul Goldstein. Two years ago Segev and his father experienced another terror attack in the form of a drive by shooting. Segev was wounded but recuperated nicely. The second time he was less fortunate, and he was shot to death while he sat studying Torah. He was buried with old and new bullets in his body. His grandmother, Malka Zuckerman, a social worker in Jerusalem, was called to the scene to help without knowing that her grandson was among the victims.
Segev Pneiel Avichail HY'D
President of UJC MetroWest, Ken Hymann was on his way to Israel when he heard about this brutal terror attack and another loss in one of our partnered communities. Only a week before, he sent his condolences on behalf of MetroWest to the Yechieh family of Merchavim for the loss of Roni by a Kassam rocket in Sapir College and now it happened to the Avichail family of Gush Etzion. Ken didn’t hesitate or ask questions – he made a decision that he wanted to go there. I picked him up at the airport and we drove together directly to Neve Daniel to pay a Shiva call to the Avichail family, our MW family. On the way I spoke with Alon Schuster, Mayor of Sha’ar Hanegev, and our other partner in this triangle. Alon canceled his meetings in Tel Aviv and together with Shaul, he joined us for this difficult but important and symbolic visit. We read our condolence letter to the grieved family and spoke with them about the support and solidarity from their brothers and sisters in NJ and Sha'ar Hanegev. I want to believe that they drew some strength from us. I know for sure that we drew a lot of strength from them.
Standing left to right; Mayor Shaul Goldstein, GE, Mayor Alon Shuster SH, MW Israel Director Amir Shacham and President UJC MW, Ken Hyman
It was quite emotional for me to see these three leaders and partners, Shaul, Ken and Alon who represent hundreds of thousands of Jews in three different, separate communities, come together to comfort this one family. It was a real moment of solidarity and unity, erasing huge political, cultural, Jewish identity and geographical boundaries for the sake of the larger value of “Klal Yisrael”.
During the week our Business Professional mission visited all of Israel, including MetroWest partnership regions of Ofakim, Merchavim, Sha'ar Hanegev, Gush Etzion and Rishon Letzion. In Gush Etzion Mayor Goldstein gave a short review of the area and Shani Simkovitz was our tour guide; we enjoyed lunch at the Tekoa olive press restaurant with MK Avigdor Lieberman.
Mission at Famous Lone Oak Tree in Gush Etzion
Mission with MK Avigdor Lieberman
Amazingly enough, only a few days later I experienced another powerful three way encounter between these communities but in larger numbers: The mayor and leadership of Gush Etzion decided to spend Shabbat with the residents of the kibbutzim of Sha’ar Hanegev, to show solidarity and to strengthen their partners who have been victims of so many Kassam rocket attacks in the last few years. The mayor and leadership of Sha’ar Hanegev were thrilled by the initiative and went out of their way to welcome their guests. It was not simple but it was done with love: A real orthodox synagogue was created overnight in Kibbutz Mefalsim’s “members club”, following 60 years of secularism. Kosher catering was ordered from Sderot and kibbutz homes were opened for hospitality. Only forty guests could be accommodated, and forty more were put on a waiting list for future EtzioNegev weekends. Within 24 hours MetroWest approved a special grant to underwrite the kosher meals for Shabbat but our contribution was much more meaningful: Our mission of business professionals from NJ, chaired by Jeff Cohen, Ken Mandelbaum and Steve Roth, was given the option to join this unique Shabbat meal in Mefalsim. We surveyed the group by e-mail and hoped that perhaps few of them would be willing to go down there Friday night to the land of the Kassams. Within a few hours, all fifteen of them said that they would come (if I promised not to tell their wives). We should all be very proud of this group who could be cynical sometimes but unanimously decided to be at the right place and the right time for their community and people.
I was sitting in the temporary synagogue of Kibbutz Mefalsim, home of Mayor Alon Schuster, watching the ad hoc congregation, most of whom had only met for the first time that evening. It was a diverse group of people representing three distant communities; they have different backgrounds and mixed affiliations. The tone, setting, sound and site of this Kabbalat Shabbat service was perhaps strange for many. Yet one could immediately feel how everybody was praying with much “kavanah” and how the ancient texts of the Siddur were really binding us all together to become one family. “The threefold cord is not quickly broken”. Some prayed louder than others but the last verses of the Kaddish were heard loud and clear around the Sha’ar Hanegev region and perhaps also in nearby Gaza:
עושה שלום במרומיו. הוא יעשה שלום. עלינו ועל כל ישראל. ואימרו: אמן.
May he who creates the harmony of the spheres, create peace for us and for all Israel and say: Amen.
Drishat Shalom,
Amir Shacham
Director of Israel operations
MetroWest
This newsletter was written in conjunction with the Gush Etzion Foundation
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