On the Ground in Israel A personal view of our efforts in Israel from Amir Shacham, UJC MetroWest Director of Israel Operations

March 17, 2008

"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)

When I was approached by the UJC MetroWest Marketing & Communications Department 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 UJC conducts in Israel, to highlight the activities in our partnership regions, and to take pride in the scope and depth of UJC 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 a story of 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 among UJC MetroWest, the regional council of Gush Etzion, and the regional council of Sha’ar Hanegev are a pure illustration of Jewish peoplehood. 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 UJC’s main allocations – is perhaps one of the most meaningful activities that we are involved in.

Segev Pniel Avichail z"l (15 years old) was murdered with seven of his fellow students in the terror attack shootings at Merkaz Harav Yeshiva in Jerusalem on March 7. 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.

UJC MetroWest president Kenneth R. Heyman was on his way to Israel when he heard about this brutal terror attack and another loss in one of our partner communities. Only a week before, he sent his condolences on behalf of the MetroWest community to the Yechieh family of Merchavim for the loss of Roni by a Kassam rocket in Sapir College. 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, one of our MetroWest families. On the way, I spoke with Alon Schuster, Mayor of Sha’ar Hanegev, 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 grieving family and spoke with them about the support and solidarity from their brothers and sisters in the MetroWest community 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.

It was quite emotional for me to see these three leaders and partners – Shaul, Ken, and Alon, who together 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.

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 40 guests could be accommodated, and 40 more were put on a waiting list for future EtzioNegev weekends. Within 24 hours, UJC MetroWest approved a special grant to underwrite the kosher meals for Shabbat, but our contribution was much more meaningful: The UJC MetroWest Business and Professionals Mission, 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 a few of them would be willing to go down there Friday night to the land of the Kassams. Within a few hours, all 15 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 who unanimously decided to be at the right place at 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 sight 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:

May he who creates the harmony of the spheres, create peace for us and for all Israel and let us say: Amen.

Drishat Shalom,,

Amir

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On the Ground archive

• March 3, 2008
• February 13, 2008