July 21, 2006

An update from Gila Noam, one of our staff members in Israel.

Dear friends:

Just to keep you all in the loop because I know how much you care:

We will be going up to the Galil to spend the day on Wednesday. We’ll be making the rounds of the Mayors, meeting with people we work with, etc. We’re doing this because we feel we must... There’s probably not anything we can actually do, but it’s maddening to sit here and know what people are going through up there...

One thing we will actually be doing when we go up to the Galil is meeting with the Manhigut Esre group, a teen leadership program, who will soon be traveling to San Francisco. We’ll do this up in the Golan to ensure safety. They will be doing a 2-3 day preparatory seminar for their trip, and it seems like a good idea for them to hear about the amazing things that the community is doing as context for their visit. In the true tradition of this program, they are getting organized to do some volunteer work in the shelters.

The last 24 hours have been especially hard.

• So many casualties among the soldiers—who are really kids—19 and 20 years old, including one soldier from Kiryat Shmona...
• So many families whose lives have suddenly been totally disrupted as the dad has been called up for reserves duty…the anxiety and the fear…
• The helicopters which crashed almost literally in Carlos Goldberg’s back yard (the former chair of our Galil Committee)...
• 20 wounded a few hours ago in Haifa...
• And the moving expressions of solidarity and caring, with everyone opening up their homes and hearts and trying to help in every possible way.

I’m getting so many phone calls saying “Kol Hakavod” for the wonderful outpouring of support from San Francisco!

Let’s hope and pray for a peaceful Shabbat!

Gila