Since I work in Jerusalem, I have the "privilege" of being a chief daily shlepper of stuff from Jerusalem to the Shomron. Suitcases, boxes, airline tickets, even 2 bags of registered Israeli mail (I'll blog about that another time)...and of course, passengers. Neighbors, their kids, their parents, grandparents. Who needs Egged, with a normal time schedule if Jameel is going back and forth to Jerusalem.
Yet, when it comes to helping the refugees from Gush Katif/Northern Shomron, it doesn't bother me in the slightest. Last week I was given 9 boxes of winter coats for Chomesh and Sa-Nur refugees to bring to their temporary location in Shavei Shomron from the warehouse in Jerusalem.
Driving in the Shomron at night is always exciting, so I took along my M16, and a neighbor (who's even scarier than my M16). The roads were deserted and dark, except for an orange Arab taxi or two, and an IDF hummer projecting bright beams of light on the sides of the roads, looking for danger.
Arriving at Shavei Shomron, we called our refugee contact, and she directed us to their campsite. It was a bit depressing. There were about 20 families sitting around a campfire, on the top of a hill. Little kids milling around, some sitting on foam mattresses. I said, "Hi everyone, here with the coats!" Everyone was thrilled to get them...and I saw some people from Chomesh that I had met during the summer when I was camping out on someone's front lawn before the expulsion.
If you took a step back, you saw a group of people, on a windy hilltop, around a campfire. While they may have looked like refugees at first glance, when speaking to them, they were still full of determination and faith that things were going to get better. Better for them, and better for Am Yisrael.
I'm glad I drove there last night, so they know I haven't forgotten them.
I guess forgetting refugees is another parallel between the refugees here, and those from Katrina.
Ha'Aretz wants to you know whats going on in Gush Katif today; Good for them.
Yet, when it comes to helping the refugees from Gush Katif/Northern Shomron, it doesn't bother me in the slightest. Last week I was given 9 boxes of winter coats for Chomesh and Sa-Nur refugees to bring to their temporary location in Shavei Shomron from the warehouse in Jerusalem.
Driving in the Shomron at night is always exciting, so I took along my M16, and a neighbor (who's even scarier than my M16). The roads were deserted and dark, except for an orange Arab taxi or two, and an IDF hummer projecting bright beams of light on the sides of the roads, looking for danger.
Arriving at Shavei Shomron, we called our refugee contact, and she directed us to their campsite. It was a bit depressing. There were about 20 families sitting around a campfire, on the top of a hill. Little kids milling around, some sitting on foam mattresses. I said, "Hi everyone, here with the coats!" Everyone was thrilled to get them...and I saw some people from Chomesh that I had met during the summer when I was camping out on someone's front lawn before the expulsion.
If you took a step back, you saw a group of people, on a windy hilltop, around a campfire. While they may have looked like refugees at first glance, when speaking to them, they were still full of determination and faith that things were going to get better. Better for them, and better for Am Yisrael.
I'm glad I drove there last night, so they know I haven't forgotten them.
I guess forgetting refugees is another parallel between the refugees here, and those from Katrina.
Ha'Aretz wants to you know whats going on in Gush Katif today; Good for them.
Nice post.
ReplyDeleteHa'aretz link does not work!
Fixed.
ReplyDeleteThanks.
A Neighbor (who's even scarier than my M16)
ReplyDeleteYou really need to post some pictures!
is the Muqata anywhere near Heartland?
ReplyDeleteThis guy could be your scary neighbor
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