With Katyusha missiles falling on towns and cities in the
north of Eretz Yisroel for nearly a month, chessed
organizations are busy helping families that fled south as
well as others that stayed home, spending much of their days
and nights in bomb shelters.
Ezer Mitzion set up a special campus in Netanya for 300
northern residents, providing all of their needs, including a
variety of activities for children. "After several difficult,
frightening days and nights in bomb shelters," says Rav
Chananya Chollak, chairman of Ezer Mitzion, "finally these
families arrived at a quiet, tranquil place where they can
get some peace." The organization is also distributing 1,000
hot meals per day to families that remained in the North.
In Tzefas the local Chasdei Naomi branch went from one bomb
shelter to the next, handing out food supplies. Following
this dedicated effort, Mayor Yishai Maimon called Chasdei
Naomi Chairman Rav Yosef Cohen to thank the organization.
Chasdei Naomi also set aside a room at Rechov Shlomo Hamelech
29 in Bnei Brak where people come to recite Tehillim
together and pray for Am Yisroel's
salvation.
Keren Yismach Moshe also distributed provisions and supplies
to families holed up in bomb shelters, including blankets,
mattresses, food, electrical devices and games.
In Jerusalem the Shalva organization, which takes care of
children with special needs, took in dozens of children from
the North, providing them devoted care and a range of
activities.
The City of Bnei Brak's Volunteer Unit has organized a series
of activities for the children of some 800 families from the
North, most of them staying with friends and relatives. Mayor
Rabbi Yissochor Frankentahl also arranged to make five
schools available for large families that are hard to
accommodate at private homes.
Hundreds of northern residents who attended Arachim seminars
and have remained in contact with Arachim workers were
invited to stay as guests of families in the central region.
Many young men were offered the opportunity to take shelter
in the tents of Torah at yeshivas in Bnei Brak and
Jerusalem.
Beitar Illit Deputy Mayor Rabbi Meir Rubinstein organized a
hospitality program for families from the North, including an
entire kollel that relocated from Tzfas, and children
received free kits with writing and drawing supplies and
games courtesy of R' Menachem Gvirer, owner of the Kfar
Hasha'ashu'im chain.
