Pages 21-48 - Telfed

Cover Storycall from Telfed. “We are doing a phonearound of our community and seeinghow you guys are coping,” explainedthe friendly voice. It was Dorron Klineand thirty minutes later not only was thefamily organized for the next six days,but were packed and heading in their carfor Kibbutz Yizreel. All it took was onecall to Telfed Executive member ArnieFriedman who had also organized forthirty children from the south to spend aweekend on his kibbutz.“While staying on Yizreel, we visitedour friends in Kiryat Ata, north of Haifa.During the Second Lebanese War theycame to Nitsanim Beach near us for aboutthree weeks to escape the Katushas fromHezbollah. Who expected that within twoyears the roles would be reversed? Andwhen again Katushot were fired fromLebanon in the last week of the Gaza war,it brought home, this is a small countrywith - no place to hide.”Nowhere to hide might have struck themind of a new oleh from Johannesburg.Byron Gerber had been in Israel less thanstory continued on page 25top: Janine Gelley, Chairperson of theKfar Saba Regional Committee, and HilaryKaplan sorting out provisions for soldiersand families in the South.center: Jonny Klompas, Chairperson ofthe Beit Shemesh Regional Committee, atarmy base near Gaza delivering provisionscollected from a drive in Beit Shemesh.right: Editor David Kaplan receiving letterswritten by Sderot schoolchildren to later bepresented to soldiers. The taking of thisphoto was interrupted by an incomingKassam rocket.Community ResponseWithin hours of the war breaking out, Telfed begana phone-around ofthe community inthe south as well asposting on its websitean invitation forpeople who wishedto spend time out offiring range to callthe Telfed office. “Weoffered to find themaccommodation with Southern African families inthe centre and north of the country,” explainedDorron Kline. “As an example, the Weinberg familyfrom Ashkelon spent 6 days on kibbutz Yizreel,”says Dor ron.“For the mostpar t however,p e o p l e p r e -ferred to stayat home.”F o l l o w i n gr equests forcer tain itemsfor the soldiers fighting in the south, the TelfedRegional committees of Kfar Saba and Beit Shemeshmobilized their communities and together with theirrespective partners, Table to Table and Stand byMe, collected the items, packed and then deliveredthem to the soldiers in their army bases near Gaza.The Telfed Committeesof Haifaa n d R i s h o nLeZion/Rechovotalso sentprovisions.24