by Amir Shacham
Special to NJ Jewish News

January 8, 2009

Once again the home is front, and the front is home. This time, the areas under attack include United Jewish Communities of MetroWest NJ partner communities: Ofakim and the Merchavim and Sha’ar Hanegev regions. Many members of our private and community family have come under massive rocket fire in the last few days. All expressions of solidarity and support are highly appreciated by the MetroWest partners, and I thank you all on their behalf for thinking of and caring for them so much.

Members of Kibbutz Erez weren’t happy when they heard the massive bombing and saw Gaza on fire while the entire world was celebrating the New Year with fireworks. “Our hearts are breaking with every attack on our Palestinian neighbors,” said kibbutz director Yahel Ben Aris. “But we just know that every such bombing brings with it a better future for us, and it is absolutely inevitable.”

The army base of Nachal Oz, which has hosted so many visits by MetroWest community members, now played host to tragedy. During the first day of the war, hours after we brought the soldiers cards and Hanukka goodies baked by women in Ofakim, there was a deadly mortar attack on the base that injured several people and killed Staff Sergeant Lufti Nasser a-Din, 38, a Druse.

When Tzvi Greengold was appointed mayor of Ofakim only a couple of months ago, we wondered how a war hero was qualified to run a development town. Now it appears that he is the right man in the right place at the right time. Greengold received the highest IDF decoration for his efforts in stopping the Syrian army from invading the Golan Heights during the Yom Kippur War. Greengold famously fooled the Syrians by using his tank radio to exaggerate the size of Israeli forces in the area.

When I heard his deep voice this morning on national radio, describing the tough situation and the enormous strength of the Ofakim community, I couldn’t help but think he was at it again. Later on, when he called to say how much he appreciates our partnership and that the only thing the community needs from us right now is to express our solidarity, I knew it was for real.

Ran Youl is the capable director of the community center in Ofakim. After the second Lebanon War, he moved to the Negev, away from the threats of rocket attacks on his home in the Galilee. Now the rockets have caught up with him. The good news is that he brings with him experience in conducting community work under fire. He is working around the clock, together with many other town officials, to make sure the kids are in a protected environment. Volunteers from all over the country are helping with recreational activities and other needs.

‘Greetings of peace’

Right now the residents of Ofakim, Merchavim, and Sha’ar Hanegev don’t want to leave their home towns, despite the threats. When we arranged for a youth group from Kibbutz Erez to be hosted by families in Ra’anana, the young people seemed more nervous about staying with a city family than facing the rockets. So we offered them group hospitality in cooperation with the Meitarim School and the Ra’anana Reform synagogue. After all, they are all MetroWest family members.

Rishon Letzion, the fourth-largest city in Israel, has “adopted” a town under fire — Ofakim. On Wednesday, Rachel Eshel from Rishon, a member of the steering committee for UJC MetroWest’s Operation Atzmaut project for immigrants, spent the day in Ofakim to meet with all involved, assess the needs, and coordinate support.

Most of the things they are going to do are related to the well-being of the residents. Rishon’s sanitation department, for example, is helping collect Ofakim’s trash — the town’s own services were overwhelmed when residents cleaned out their bomb shelters. Rachel told me she saw our fingerprints all over town and that we should be proud of the community infrastructure that was built in Ofakim in the last decade and now gives it much strength.

Unlike Ofakim and Merchavim, Kibbutz Erez is a veteran “soldier” in this war. Yahel found time between alarms to tell me that even a cynic like him now understands how important our community’s investment is for them. Erez is the only kibbutz in the region that is almost fully protected, thanks to eight years of MetroWest support. Its medical clinic, for example, is the only clinic in the area that has a “safe room” (thanks to a contribution from Marvin and Sheila Goldklang of Livingston) so people from other kibbutzim are now going there for treatments.

“Drishat Shalom” — greetings of peace — are needed. We all pray for it.

Amir Shacham is director of United Jewish Communities of MetroWest NJ’s Israel office in Jerusalem.

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