WHEN LIFE GIVES YOU LEMONS… ISRAELIS MAKE LEMONADE

from Word From Jerusalem - March/April 2023

ICEJ EXPECTS ANOTHER BANNER YEAR FOR ALIYAH

BY NICK HANSEN, ICEJ-DENMARK NATIONAL DIRECTOR

The clouds over our heads tell us rain is coming, but we are on a mission and have no time to stop. I’m standing in the heart of a kibbutz called Erez, right at the border with Gaza. Together with ICEJ Vice President of Aid & Aliyah Nicole Yoder and our team, we have come here to inspect the equipment that donors of the Christian Embassy have so generously provided. We walk through the kibbutz as the local chief of security explains the current situation. This day, we are going to visit several places not just to inspect, but also to see what new initiatives are being taken to ensure a brighter future for these front-line Israeli communities.

Earlier in the day, we had met up with Rabbi Shmuel Bowman, executive director of Operation Lifeshield and a long-time partner of ICEJ. We got together at a parking lot, and as soon as we said ‘hello’, he took out a map. This was a good oldfashioned paper map that can be folded and put in the glove compartment. He put it on the windshield of the car and started drawing on the map.

“This is where we are going. The dashed line indicates the 40 km line from Gaza, where the Hamas rockets can reach us”, said Shmuel while drawing his own thick line along the edge of the Gaza border. “This is the 7-kilometer line from the Gaza border. Here we do not wear our seatbelt, so we can get out of the car fast in case a mortar shell or rocket comes. We just had one rocket shelling a week ago.”

Our trek took us through the heartland of Israel, from the Jerusalem hills to the lush, green valley that surrounds Sderot. I sat next to Rabbi Shmuel in the car and we talked about Scripture and prophecy. As we passed by the Elah Valley, we talked about David overcoming the giant, the meaning of the five stones, and how the spirit of David still endures in the Israeli people.

We first came to a kindergarten to inaugurate two brand-new portable bomb shelters donated by the ICEJ global family. This kindergarten only has 17 seconds to bring the 40+ children to safety when the siren goes off. Up until now they had no protection.

Shmuel looked at me and said, “It’s a miracle that no one has been injured so far. When it is bad, 400 rockets a day fly over the heads of these children. This will give the staff and parents the safety and peace of mind they need, knowing that the children will be protected.”

Now at Kibbutz Erez, we inspect a light ATV firefighter and a heavy trailer with a big water tank donated by Christians. Shmuel explains to me what this is about.

“Terrorists in Gaza have been sending over balloons with explosives or kites with burning devices attached to them, just to burn the fields and orchards. They don’t care what happens. If a community catches on fire, great. If they burn the fields and destroy the economy of the area, fine. If they destroy the wildlife and the animals, so be it. And so, the question is, how do you extinguish a fire as quickly as possible, when a big fire truck cannot get to where the fire is happening in the middle of a field? The only way to do it is with an ATV, as it can go anywhere and get there fast. This saves lives and it saves homes, businesses and nature.”

Shmuel looks at me with stern, concerned eyes, explaining the absolute necessity for the fire-fighting equipment.

“The idea came from the fact that we talked to security chiefs, and asked, what do you need? And they said very clearly, a vehicle that can take us immediately, as fast as possible to where the fire begins. If you can catch it right at the beginning, then you can contain it. If you wait a few minutes, it expands exponentially”, he said. “I’ve been in six field fires, and they literally look like ocean waves of fire, waves of fire literally sweeping over the area, destroying everything.”

As I walk around the place, see the orchards of lemon and orange trees, and look over the border into Gaza, I cannot help but imagine what the price of living here must be for the local Israeli families. I turn to Shmuel and toss him a question.

“If I and my children were living here and I would experience what they are experiencing, I would be filled with rage and hatred. Is that what you sense in this community?”

With a firm voice, he responds, “Not at all! What I’m sensing here is hope and optimism. I’m recognizing an understanding that the enemies, the people who are shooting the rockets, are just a small percentage of the total population of the people of Gaza. And they understand that there are two million Palestinians that are suffering under their totalitarian rule. Our war is not with the Palestinian people and these kibbutzim here understand that. So, it’s ironic and it’s interesting. This is our land, and something in us is saying we will not back down. You would think that these kibbutzim would be filled with rage and revenge. In fact, this place is growing, people are moving in, and there are even people on the waiting list.”

I then come to realise that this must be the same ‘spirit of David’ that we talked about earlier that day — the strong will to overcome all odds.

As our visit comes to an end, we stand in the middle of the rows of citrus trees, where the keeper tells us to take as much fruit as we like. It is harvest season and the trees are loaded with oranges, mandarins and lemons – the branches all hanging low under the weight. I see the abundance of this place. I peel an orange that I just picked from the tree and find it so sweet and juicy. Everybody lights up as they taste the magnificent fruit of this embattled corner of Israel.

And as I consider the resilience of the Israelis living here in this difficult place, I think to myself, “when life gives you lemons….”

To help provide more life-saving mobile bomb shelters and fire-fighting equipment to Israeli communities under constant terror threat, please give to our Israeli in Crisis fund.

GIVE TO:

give.icej.org/crisis

Helping Jewish Families Keep The Passover

For most Jewish families, Passover is the most important holiday on the Hebrew calendar, as they gather for the special Seder meal which retells the story of Moses leading the children of Israel out of bondage in Egypt.

Each year the ICEJ helps many disadvantaged Israeli families celebrate the Passover according to tradition. This year, the need is great due to the lingering economic impact of the corona lockdowns, even as the global energy crisis continues to drive up the costs of living, and especially food prices. As a result, Israeli social workers are receiving many requests for assistance this Passover.

This year’s Passover celebration begins on the evening of 5 April 2023. Working with Israeli social workers across Israel, the ICEJ will be delivering gift baskets with groceries, food vouchers, and kitchen items so families have all they need to enjoy the Passover seder meal. In addition, the ICEJ plans to deliver holiday gift baskets to new immigrant families in need, as well as fund a number of community seder meals.