Friday- Sabbath, Aug. 12-13
Preparations for Shabbat [the Sabbath] are well underway; we're baking challah [special rich bread for Shabbat], and I perform hafrashat challah [the Biblical commandment of separating a tiny portion of the dough for Priestly use] on behalf of Gush Katif, and all the women join in as well. Dvir is turning 25 tomorrow, and we make challahs in the shape of the number 25...Every few minutes, we get everyone in the house to say another chapter of Psalms. After everything is ready, we go out for another tour around the Gush - Shiz, Devorit, Efrat and myself. This time we start from the southern end: In Morag, we can't believe what we see there - lots and lots of tents and many families that have not yet packed or done anything towards leaving. What strength of faith!
There are lots of Shabaknikim [General Security Service agents] who are trying to find out about the non-residents who are with us. They sometimes make believe they are reporters and ask all sorts of questions; at first I don't get it and I tell them a lot, but then I realize who they are and I hope I didn't say too much and hurt my friends...
We continue northward and arrive in Rafiah Yam, where they have already begun packing and the place looks a bit desolate...
From there, we go to Pe'at Sadeh, where we find a community almost totally abandoned. [Ed. note: A sad parting ceremony was held at the town two days before. Read Arutz-7's coverage here.] People even took their roof tiles off their houses, so as not to leave a thing for the terrorists who will come to live here, may their names be blotted out. The army has taken up positions here, and it looks like an army base. Some reminders that there was a thriving town here just a few hours ago can be seen at the bus-stops - posters that say, "The old fool [Prime Minister Sharon] thinks he can fight the King [G-d]?" The reference is clear to all.
Then we get to Atzmona - what a difference! Here, of course, everything is still standing; no one has packed and no one is planning to leave unless he is forced out. The flowers are blooming, the children are playing, all is regular. What strength!
Then to B'dolach... and again to Shirat HaYam... and then Abba and I drive our cars outside of Gush Katif, because they say that cars that remain here after the 15th will be towed away. We go to Kibbutz Alumim, and then we drive back by jeep. Of course we have to pass through the checkpoints, and it is really very disturbing and hard to get used to, but in the end we arrived home OK, thank G-d.
Just before the Sabbath begins, some youths from Karmei Tzur [north of Hevron], who have come to Ganei Tal to strengthen and encourage us, go around and give out challahs and letters of encouragement. It's heartwarming. Then the Sabbath begins; will this be our last one at home???
We put on our Shabbat clothes, and go to the synagogue. It turns out that the electricity went out, leaving total darkness - so everyone went out and gathered there; so many people, faces that I never saw before. The boys were on the asphalt, the girls on the grass, everyone standing and praying - I've never heard in my life a prayer service like this, crying, screaming, begging... I look around, the girls are hugging and crying, girls who don't live here at all are standing and crying; my heart is torn. In the meantime, the electricity has returned, but no one goes back inside, and it turned out for the best in that the prayer was much more special. It was just an amazing Kabbalat Shabbat prayer, with Carlebach-style singing, reaching to the heavens and tearing apart worlds, the most emotional Lecha Dodi prayer I ever heard, and everyone with the same prayer in his heart: Please, G-d, tear apart this evil decree!!!
...We have a great Sabbath meal, 20 people, lots of food, laughing and happiness, as if there were no decree of expulsion hanging over our heads. We get to know the Dolinsky family; they are just amazing and very special people. At 11 PM, the Ganei Tal "strengtheners", the visitors, invite us to a communal Shabbat event at the cultural center. We remain there talking and laughing until late.
The next morning, prayer along the same lines: crying, pleading, singing, and then our "guests" once again treat us to a wonderful Kiddush with lots of food and good spirit, as if they don't live in tents and shelters. Fantastic organizing! Rabbi Kadosh [of Ganei Tal] and Rabbi Vishlitzky [of Jerusalem] have words of strength, they call us "heroes," and then there is dancing and song - unbelievable and unending excitement, even the guys who never before danced or sang Hassidic music join in.
... Later, we begin to eat the pre-Tisha B'Av meal, I ask Shiz to give us a little class about the significance of the day, and that it should help save Gush Katif. Finally, the fast starts, and we feel a double destruction - we're fasting for the destruction of the Holy Temple that happened 2,000 years ago, and for Gush Katif that is about to be destroyed, Heaven forbid...
Sunday, Aug. 14
Thank G-d, the fast passes OK, we return from the synagogue, recite Havdalah, break the fast and hope and pray that the days of destruction are truly over and that from now on we will see only light and miracles... We sit around afterwards watching television, such a pleasant atmosphere; it could have been simply the greatest, if only the circumstances were different.At 11 PM, I decide that I have to take another trip around the Gush. I'm dying to see Kfar Darom [set off to the north from most of Gush Katif]; I throw the idea into the air, and of course a few people jump on it. So we get into the jeep and start off for Kfar Darom, but the army checkpoint doesn't let us through. I get upset, get out of the jeep and try to talk to the officer - but talking to trees and rocks would get me further. We realize that it's a waste of time, turn around and head back into the Gush.
We go to Netzer Hazani, where we haven't been yet. We see the synagogue, in which the women were right then gathered for prayer. We see the wonderful youth walking around or studying Torah or sitting together, and we see the writing on the walls of the clubhouse center: G-d is the Lord, and the like. The soldier at the entrance sings to us, 'No matter what, I won't expel...' Cute.
We continue on to the town of Katif, where a bunch of youths are gathered in the little coffee corner hut that was set up for the soldiers who we used to love so much. The traffic circle entrance is painted all in orange; in general, the whole Gush is full of signs made by our great youths, signs with messages of strength and encouragement. What fantastic youth! There are none like them in the whole country.
From there we go to N'vei Dekalim. We meet up with blockades on the road - it turns out that some of the visiting youths decided to block up the area, the whole road is full of youths. Some of them are a bit over-wild, they burned tires and smashed an army jeep that had expulsion maps, breaking its windows and flattening its tires. Their rabbis got angry at them because this is not our way. We can't get into the town, so we walk in by foot. We see all the youth sitting on the road, receiving a briefing as to how to continue the struggle. Rabbi Aviner arrives to give support and encouragement. There, too, we see signs telling soldiers to say, "I just cannot do it."
It's late and we're tired, and we set off for home. But Devorit and I are unable to sleep, and we walk towards the gate. The plan was that the soldiers and police were supposed to arrive around now in the communities in order to distribute the expulsion orders. We in Ganei Tal, as in most of the other towns, decided that we would not let them in - and therefore it was decided to have 'civil guards' at the gate. The youths took over, deciding who enters and who does not, and setting up 24-hour guard duty; if the army is seen, everyone will immediately be alerted to come and block the entrance. 18-year-olds are in charge, with kids of all ages, even 8-year-olds, and they're protecting the community.
So Devorit and I decide to join up and see what's happening there; it wouldn't hurt to have someone there who's a bit older... And in general, I feel the need to do something... 2 AM, we march towards the gate, we sit there with the cute kids, and later other adults come as well, we're sitting and talking - and suddenly someone announces that he saw a large army convoy on its way to the Gush. We look around and see that they had paved themselves a way amidst the sand dunes around Ganei Tal, because they knew it would be hard to come via the main road. We are simply in shock to see the tremendous forces they have, bus after bus after bus of soldiers and equipment, and all this for what? To fight us... If they would have dedicated a quarter of this amount to fighting terrorism and the mortar shells, we never would have ended up in this disgraceful situation.
We right away begin to fear that they will take advantage of the night, and the fact that most people are sleeping, to get in to the town. So we start calling people, and within minutes the news spreads like wildfire and the gate area becomes filled with young people, as if it was the middle of the day and not 3 AM. Everyone is waiting for the fight; we lock the gate and wait for the moment. Throughout the whole time, we keep getting reports from the other towns that the army is on the way...
(to be continued...)