It was the dead of night. The community of Kedumim was shrouded in fog. Most families were fast asleep, dreaming of the week ahead. But for two women, sleep was the last thing on their minds. As they hunched over a wall of computer screens, their eyes were vigilantly fixed on the flickering images before … Read more
It was a moving ceremony! Cutting the ribbon were Yossi Dagan, Mayor of the Samaria Regional Municipality, and Sondra Oster Baras, CFOIC Heartland director, flanked by the dedicated staff of the Samaria Urgent Care and Regional Medical Center. Between them stood a brand new, state-of-the-art ultrasound machine. It was the realization of a dream come … Read more
Finding a sense of meaning in life can be difficult for anyone, but it can be particularity challenging for individuals with special needs. At Sadna – a unique educational community- helping each student find and realize her purpose, regardless of disability, is a primary focus. A hunched figure shuffles her feet down the path toward the … Read more
The boys enter the greenhouse, some in animated groups while others tentatively wander in alone, nervously surveying the space. Idan walks in, his head held high, and his young, strong body at ease. With visible confidence, he begins dragging a bag of compost and organizing his tools. With a loud whistle, Noam Schwartz, the gardening … Read more
It was a quiet Saturday morning last spring, in the pastoral community of Dolev, when suddenly the Sabbath peace was interrupted. As he monitored the surveillance cameras’ live feed, Zev, Dolev’s security guard, noticed two suspicious figures approaching the security fence. Since most members of this religious community spend Shabbat mornings in prayer at the … Read more
Gideon smiled, overwhelmed by gratitude, as he watched the various screens in the control room. Three years ago, Mitzpe Dani could only deter hostile infiltrations if the ranger happened to spot them while patrolling the vast desert wilderness surrounding the community. Today, they have a cutting-edge surveillance system for the majority of the community’s perimeter. … Read more
Dov had started his own business and over the years grew it into a thriving enterprise. His wife Ruth, worked as an executive at a large company. Living comfortably with their 7 children they never dreamed that one day they would need a handout. Until it all came crashing down.
All of us experienced difficulties this past year. Families were separated and confined to their respective homes. Friends were kept apart from each other. Children were kept home from school and playdates. All of us experienced the boredom, the frustration, and the anxiety that accompanied the lockdowns – but none so much as our senior … Read more
When the Shin Bet – the Israeli military intelligence service – calls, they don’t show up on caller ID. So when Einav’s Head of Security felt his cell phone buzz, he didn’t hesitate at the NUMBER BLOCKED message and answered immediately. “We’re tracing a suspicious vehicle,” the unidentified voice crackled over the line. “We need … Read more
When COVID-19 descended, it hit the families of the Heart of Benjamin program in Ofra especially hard. If this had been a normal year, the special-needs children of Samaria’s Benjamin region would have attended after-school programming and daycare at the Heart of Benjamin campus during the school months, and camps over the summer and during … Read more