On Friday, July 28, Gila Noam, Israel Director, traveled to the Upper Galil in the north of Israel with four members of The Israel Amuta, our advisory committee in Israel. Here is her compassionate and detailed report of their trip.

July 28, 2006

It's unlikely that anyone would admit it, but behind the chatter in the car on our drive from Tel Aviv to the Galil there was a twinge of anxiety. Over the last two weeks, almost no one who doesn’t have to be in the Galil has chosen to go up there.

But four members of our Israel Amuta took a day off from their regular work to take this journey. They seemed deeply grateful to us for organizing this trip. Their motivation for resisting the raised eyebrows and outright protest of their families and friends was rooted in a single word—“family”: the desire to express solidarity with our family in the Galil, and the desire to represent our Bay Area family and convey our caring and support for the people of the Galil.

We learned a lot during the long day in the region. More importantly, we experienced and felt a lot. Even the reputedly tough Israeli men in the group were deeply moved. We came back with new insights that can only be gained by being there, listening and talking to people and seeing what life is like-the shelters, the fires on the hilltops, the deafening sounds of a mix of falling rockets and IDF fire.

It’s so challenging to put the complex mixture of emotions and insights that we experienced into a brief summary. But I do want to make sure to share with you the power of this day in bringing to the forefront everything that’s so special about our Bay Area community and its work in Israel and of which you should be so proud.

Tuba

Our first stop was the Bedouin-Arab village of Tuba. Katyushas are new to this community and there is almost no infrastructure to deal with this challenge. There are very few shelters and almost 1,500 children who find themselves confined to their homes during school vacation because the security situation prohibits day camps in the region.

In Tuba we met with hope — hope generated by Elham El-Haib, the very young woman who directs the Community Center and is working around the clock with amazing energy to find solutions for these kids. Indeed, 229 have already enjoyed several days of respite at day camps in the center of the country. Hope — because Elham indicated that the entire village supports the government of Israel and that, as Israelis all, we share the same fate. Hope — because at her side are the volunteers of our IsraCorps Arab Youth Volunteer program who are helping her organizes the day camps and take the children to them.

I realize that the fact that an American-Jewish community supports an Arab village in Israel is still perceived as “amazing” — both in Israel and in the U. S. Elham was interviewed by an Arab radio station, and she was happy to be able to tell the story of our community'’s long-standing commitment and support.

Kibbutzim: Upper Galil Regional Council

Mayor Valency and his staff reminded me that less than a month ago I was helping them put together a program so that kids from around the Gaza area could come to the Galil for a few days of respite from the Kassam rockets there…who would have guessed how the situation would have changed? We began our meeting in Valency’s office, but after only five minutes had to run down to the shelter because the “booms” (as they are called in the region) were relentless and seemed to be on our doorstep.

The kibbutzniks we talked to wanted to convey how strong their people are. At the same time, they acknowledge that they too need help, especially in providing opportunities to leave the region for a few days. And yet they have found the time and energy to hold out a helping hand to Rajar, the village on the northernmost tip of Israel, half of which is in Lebanese territory. There are no bomb shelters in Rajar and no alarm system to warn of an incoming katyusha. Basic supplies—such as milk, flour, diapers—are becoming scarce. The kibbutzniks are volunteering and have been bringing basic supplies to a midpoint where the Rajar residents can come and get them. Amazing the grace under fire, eh?

While at Valency's office, we all shared a “San Francisco moment.” In the packed shelter, we were visited by teens from Manhigut Esre (the parallel program to the Diller Teen Fellows program in the San Francisco Bay Area), and in no time at all a heated discussion on Jewish pluralism and Israel-Diaspora relations was in full swing, initiated by our new Amuta chair, Avrum Burg. Yes, life does go on and the program is having a profound impact on these teens who are engaged in study and soul-searching on these vital topics while their home towns are under fire.

Kiryat Shmona

A five-minute drive on a totally empty road transported us to a very different reality. Kiryat Shmona’s history is one of relentless security challenges. The city has the most experience in the region in dealing with security emergencies — but sadly, the least capacity to do so. Over the weeks, the vast majority of those who had the wherewithal to leave the city chose to do so and today, among those who have remained in the city, 400 families are on welfare. These are the most vulnerable of its residents, those being cared for by the city’s Social Services Department.

Overwhelmingly, the people that have remained in town during the crisis are elderly, disabled, poor or unemployed. The municipality is struggling against creating excessive dependence among these residents, and so rather than distributing food to the shelters, announced a time each day when grocery stores would be open and people could go shopping. Unfortunately, this isn’t working out very well since the banks are closed and transfer payments — such as Income Maintenance and Elderly Allowances — cannot be drawn. People are therefore left without cash, and most of them do not have credit cards. In an effort to address this problem for the short term, there has been an amazing outpouring of help and philanthropy on the part of both Israeli businesses and Jewish communities abroad. Already food packages are being distributed to these needy families on a routine basis.

In light of the huge immediate needs, it may surprise you to know that Mayor Barbivai, while expressing his huge gratitude for all our help in addressing them, respectfully requested that the majority of the funds be held in reserve for the inevitably challenging long-term needs that Kiryat Shmona will need to wrestle with once the conflict is over.

In particular, he made one specific request. Several years ago, in the wake of a security crisis, the Federation supported a program that sent all the kids in Kiryat Shmona to day camp within the city itself. Barbivai has requested that, as soon as the crisis ends, we again support such a program to help ensuring a smooth transition to the new school year and restore a sense of normalcy among the children and their families.

Summing Up

Everywhere we went, we were thanked profusely for our long-standing commitment to the region, the speed with which we have responded to the current crisis and especially for the fact that we are responding to the region's specific needs rather than with a “standard package.” The fact that we have a resident of the region on our staff who is there 24⁄7 both expressing our support and carefully mapping out needs gives us the capacity to respond with maximum sensitivity and efficiency.

People and major businesses all over Israel have rallied to help the people of the Galil, whether by opening up their homes and hosting families, volunteering in various capacities, or providing direct financial assistance. There is a definite sense of solidarity and caring. One of the Israel Amuta members who was on this trip both contributed personal funds to the Community Center in Tuba and organized his colleagues at work to provide food for the people in shelters in Kiryat Shmona.

Everyone we spoke with was troubled by the same question: What will happen on “the day after?” There is serious concern that when the war ends, the region will be left on its own to deal with a devastated tourist industry, serious social problems, symptoms of post-trauma among children and adults alike and more. Everyone seems to be quite confident that the region's residents will have the immense strength it takes to get through this very trying time. However, everyone we spoke to grew much more somber when talking about the “day after.”

This is the major challenge that we will need to face together. I am fully confident that our Bay Area community will continue to be smart, sensitive and caring in its response. Our family in the Galil shares that confidence and faith. I truly believe that our support is one of the major sources of strength that is helping the residents of the region cope with the reality of the last 17 days — and is giving them courage for the days ahead.