Gush Katif in Sha'alvim
Answering the call to assist our brothers from Gush Katif, Yeshivat Sha'alvim, with assistance from the residents of Nof Ayalon, are preparing to host 90 families (between 650-700 people) from Atzmona who have been uprooted from their homes. Hundreds of volunteers under the leadership of Mr.Tzvi Kasspi are actively preparing to receive and host our brothers and sisters for the next few weeks. Sha'alvim is accepting the largest amount of residents from Gush Katif.
Our brothers and sisters will reside in the dormitories of yeshiva as they contemplate upon a long range solution towards where to live. The human resources and physical facilities of Sha'alvim and Nof Ayalon are feverishly being prepared to reach out to our brethren. Fellow Jews have been expelled from their homes of over 20 years; their agriculture-based livelihoods are not suitable to other regions of the country. Rabbanim and social workers are at hand to embrace and counsel the brave residents of Atzmona.
The involvement of Yeshivat Sha'alvim in Gush Katif did not begin today. Our alumnus, Rav Shlomo Biran hyd, was the rav of Kfar Darom and worked in Machon HaTorah veHa'Aretz. He was murdered in 1992 while opening the gate of the Machon. His funeral is a memory that I will never forget.
Alumnus Rav Shmuel Tal of Yeshivat Torat Chaim from Neve Dekalim, learned in kollel in Sha'alvim and delivered shiurim in yeshiva. One of my classmates was brought up in Neve Dekalim; another lived there and worked in Machon HaTorah veHa'Aretz. Alumnus, Rav Dovid Fendel, Rosh Yeshiva Hesder Sderot, was closely involved in Gush Katif, and accompanied HaGaon Rav Asher Weiss on a tour designed to strengthen emunah amongst residents of Gush Katif.
15 students of Yeshivat Sha'alvim spent the last few weeks studying in Gush Katif. They heard shiruim from Rosh HaYeshiva, Rav Yechezkel Yakobson, our ram, Rav Noam Koenigsberg (who himself learned and taught in Yeshivat Torat Chaim) and Mashgiach Rav Aryeh Ben-Yaakov. Ram Rav Moshe Ganz resided the last few weeks in Neve Dekalim, while Rosh Kollel and rav of Nof Ayalon, Rav Gidon Binyamin resided in Kfar Darom. They encouraged and strengthened the residents.
Alumnus Rav Hillel Fendel resided the last few months in Gush Katif and provided accurate information through Arutz 7. Tens of thousands have benefited from his reporting.
We pray to Hashem that we succeed in comforting and assisting our brothers and sisters in this traumatic time.