Reflections From Afar
August 10, 2006
To see the smiles on the faces; to witness the pristine enthusiasm of these latter-day horticulturists. To hear the laughter and giggling. To hear the collective singing of "Hakadosh Baruch Hu... We love You," as the tomatoes and onions found their way to the tractor and eventually to the shelters in Hatzor and Kiryat Shemona.
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The Emotional Toll
August 10, 2006
I was struck by the fact that the mother motioned to our staff person not to give her child a doll. When I questioned this, I was told that this child had spent more than two weeks in a bomb shelter, and was so emotionally upset that she began to systematically rip the heads off of every doll in the bomb shelter...
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The Synagogue on the Beach
August 09, 2006
We are running a bet midrash in the encampment of refugees (from the North) in Nitzanim. The encampment is housing about 8,000 people from the North and was established by the Russian millionaire, Arcady Guidamek. The last 2 Shabbatot we sent 60 men and women to be with them and arranged a large kabbalat Shabbat, shiurim, Torani activities for children and more...
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Wandering From Place to Place
August 09, 2006
Don't waste your time and energy discussing the political and military issues and listening to or offering advice or criticism. Spend your time raising money for causes that help people here...Give encouragement in any way you can. Letters or calls to Israel, appearance at rallies and demonstrations...tefila, prayer...
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Going West for the North
August 08, 2006
These are kids from various neighborhoods who would be on the streets if not for this camp. They included groups from Bat Yam, Ethiopans from Ramle, kids from Sderot. A group from Nahariya was supposed to have joined us but their parents were afraid to let them leave the bomb shelters...
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Real People With Nowhere to Go
August 07, 2006
Unbelievable! I am sitting here in OU Israel Center in the middle of a group from the North; men, women, and children; from Kiryat Shemoneh and Maalot... So many kids--in a daze. Like their parents they don't know what hit them. My wife Chavi is sitting and bawling and I am not much more "controlled". One volunteer, wearing the OU Israel Center emblem, and playing music. He is now, at this moment, telling us a story...
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Bringing Music to the Bomb Shelters, Filling them With Fun…
August 01, 2006
Since the war started the streets have been empty with everyone staying in shelters or moving south. We met with the Mayor of the city who told us that the biggest problem was keeping up the morale of the children. He and others from the city thanked the OU profusely for sending up hundreds of boxes filled with activities and supplies for the kids in the shelters...
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OU Volunteers - pack boxes, head to the beach…
July 30, 2006
70 of our volunteers dressed in their OU T- Shirts spent the entire Sunday morning in the OU parking lot packing up another 150 boxes for the north. These are the boxes that our other volunteers are giving out and using in the different bomb shelters that they are going to. (The cost before transportation is $150 per box)
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