Afula-Gilboa helps families by opening shelters

The Afula-Gilboa region of Israel is partnered with the Jewish Alliance through the Partnership Together Program of the Jewish Agency for Israel. This partnership continues to build “living bridges” between our communities through funding opportunities and peer-to-peer programs.

Our contacts in the Afula-Gilboa region have kept us up to date on their efforts.

 The Afula-Gilboa municipalities are working hand in hand, hosting youth groups and families from Kfar Aza, a kibbutz in the southern part of Israel just three miles from Gaza. The youth groups and families are staying at kibbutzim, the WIZO Nir HaEmek boarding school in Afula and even at some residents’ homes. 

Simcha Pe’er, the principal of the Nir HaEmek high school, has been teaching the summer Ulpan in Providence off and on for the past 15 years. She described hosting as a complicated operation and that needs help at every turn. According to Pe’er, companies donate sweets, drinks, snacks, cakes and so forth. The young community also puts together activities such as sing-alongs and arts and crafts for the children. “It’s touching seeing everyone work together,” Pe’er said.

Gilboa Community Center has also been host to youth groups and families. Sivan Goldman, director of the center, echoed Pe’er’s feeling, that seeing everyone come together and help shows the warmth people have for others.

The Gevatron singing group performed for the families from the south and their hosts. Packages of cakes, goodies, socks, shampoo, etc., were collected and sent to the units on the front line. The kids in third and  fourth grade at Gilboa day camp chose as the camp’s closing activity to organize packages and write letters to the soldiers.

Farmers from the area and additional areas contributed fruit for the families they’re hosting. They received so many crates they didn’t know what to do. Late Friday afternoon, they decided to send them to the soldiers. Three men from Kfar Yehezkel offered to load the fruit in their cars and deliver them to a unit whose commander is a Gilboa resident (this was a three-hour drive in each direction.) At 10 p.m. Friday, the three men sent Goldman pictures of the unloaded crates in the unit with a message that the mission has been completed.

Since the young children have been in Gilboa since the beginning of July, their mothers asked if they could join kindergartens. The children have joined educational frameworks in kibbutz Ramat David.

The upcoming weeks present a big question mark. Most recently, the Gilboa Community Center has been asked to host three more youth groups which they’re preparing for now.

Goldman also spoke about her family living down south, “On a personal level I can tell you that my family lives in the south. It took me a few days to convince them to come for a few hours of quiet. They came for the weekend and had a wonderful time but insisted on going home. I find what we are doing is very important and see it as a mission to find a solution for every family or group who wants to come.”

ELANAH CHASSEN is education and planning associate for the Jewish Alliance.