Every year the entire community of Leshem, where I live, goes on a one night camping trip at the Sea of Galilee. A group of volunteers organizes the entire trip. This year the trip was set for the 15th day of Av (July 26th), the Jewish version of Valentine’s day, so the theme of the trip was LOVE.
Should there be a house fire, a car accident, or any emergency situation, the emergency personnel need to know where to go to give aid, and they need to be able to call for help. Can you imagine their frustration watching a house burn down and not being able to reach the main fire department because they can’t get a signal on their cell phone? This is exactly why Migdal Oz is asking for your help.
They could have complained bitterly about having to settle in an army camp. They could have given up. But instead, they had faith. They knew they could do it. They knew this was the beginning of a monumental movement to settle Samaria. And they were right. Today, there are hundreds of thousands of Jews living in Samaria and close to half a million throughout Judea and Samaria. They were right because they heeded Moses’ call to G-d to disperse the enemies. They were right because they heeded Caleb’s call: “Let us go up for we can do it!”
This week we celebrated Shavuot, my personal favorite holiday of the Jewish year. While the Bible references this holiday as the Festival of First Fruits, on this holiday we also commemorate receiving the Ten Commandments at Mount Sinai. In fact, since our exile from the Land of Israel nearly 2,000 years ago and our separation from the Biblical harvests, this aspect of the holiday has become its central theme.
Zufim would like to focus on additional emergency equipment that will help the volunteers and professionals of Zufim ugrade their security protection. There is a pressing need to establish a network of surveillance cameras with a central command control station, including solar transmission ability, to prevent infiltration and breaches of security by hostile elements. All of these important improvements to Zufim’s security system will represent a huge step towards creating that safe home that Zufim residents are so eager to provide for their families. I hope you will do whatever you can to help the people of Zufim stay safe, feel safe, and protect their children to the best of their ability.
Last week, we celebrated Lag BaOmer, an ancient Jewish holiday that connects us to the events of the Bar Kochba Rebellion, the last Jewish revolt against the Roman Empire which came to a tragic end in the year 135. In Israel, we celebrate the day by lighting bonfires, reminiscent of bonfires that were used by the ancient rebels to send signals to one another. Today, the bonfires are pure fun, as children and adults gather around, roast potatoes and hot dogs, sing songs and just enjoy the warm fire against the usually cool night air.
We cannot change the past nor bring back the dead. But we can encourage and strengthen the living. We can reach out to the brave men, women and children of Judea and Samaria and give them what they need, when they need it. I hope you will help us help them. I hope you will continue to partner with us as we strengthen the Jewish presence in the Biblical Heartland.
Aliyah’s story begins five years before she was born. Her parents, Avital and Michael Ezer were a young newly married couple in Soviet Russia. They were respected researchers in their fields and had big plans for the future when in 1980; they submitted a request to immigrate to Israel. Their request was denied, and as was the case for all families who requested to move to Israel at that time, their application triggered government persecution. They were targeted, interrogated and then watched by the KGB, and they lost their jobs.
We cannot know what 2018 will have in store for us. Will we lose a loved one? Will we suffer illness or tragedy? I certainly hope not. But we are not in control. We can do our best; we can do what we believe G-d is expecting of us, but we know that G-d is in control.
Attacks like this are heartbreaking, but especially when you know it could have been prevented. With the help of modern technology, communities across Judea and Samaria are protecting their families through high-tech surveillance cameras.