RAMAT BEIT SHEMESH, Israel — Nestled in the picturesque Ella Valley about a 45-minute drive from Tel Aviv sits the quiet town of Ramat Beit Shemesh. It is neither “over the green-line,” nor in the direct line of rocket fire. As Palestinian rockets pound the earth 30 minutes to its south, the general feeling in this central part of the country is that it’s a relatively “safe” place to live.
Israelis Extend Help to War-Torn Residents
RAMAT BEIT SHEMESH, Israel — Nestled in the picturesque Ella Valley about a 45-minute drive from Tel Aviv sits the quiet town of Ramat Beit Shemesh. It is neither “over the green-line,” nor in the direct line of rocket fire. As Palestinian rockets pound the earth 30 minutes to its south, the general feeling in this central part of the country is that it’s a relatively “safe” place to live.
For that reason, teams of volunteers on Wednesday ran a family-fun day at a local community center so that Israelis living with the threat of rocket attacks could seek some solace.
Speaking from the small town of Nitzan in the sand dunes south of Ashkelon, Chabad-Lubavitch Rabbi Yigal Kirschenshaft said that “the families here are very appreciative” of such efforts. Like the families he serves, Kirschenshaft once lived in the Gaza Strip, but was forced to relocate in 2006 when Israel unilaterally decided to pull its citizens and troops from the territory.
“The fact that cities throughout Israel have not forgotten about them,” said Kirschenshaft, “gives them a positive outlook.”
Like many residents in Ramat Beit Shemesh, Judy Clark, a children’s music teacher, was looking for something to do to help during Operation Cast Lead, Israel’s renewed offensive against Hamas targets in Gaza, now 13 days old. She responded to a post on a local e-mail list requesting community help to sponsor families affected by the war down south, specifically those removed from Gaza only to be once again in the direct line of fire, but this time, without the protection of proper bomb shelters.
