The B’nei Akiva branch in Sderot held an event marking its 50th anniversary. Arutz Sheva went to the celebration to hear from the many B’nei Akiva alumni who reminisced a bit about their experiences there.
“I was born in the transit camp for immigrants in Sderot and was a B’nei Akiva member for many years,” recalled Rabbi Rahamin Nissimi, founding head of a successful Torah nucleus [Gar'in Torani] organization, which sends groups of national religious young couples to development towns to enhance education and social issues.. “I was the branch coordinator. The B’nei Akiva branch in Sderot paved the way for establishment of the Gar’in Torani. The dream was developed here, as far as I’m concerned.”
The special event brought together many former members of the small branch, some of which hadn’t seen one another for 20 or 30 years.
“It was an amazing place,” one former member said. “It was a warm place. It was a small place. It was an intimate place. I came from a huge branch. I came from the Bnei Brak branch, and to come to Sderot where everybody knows one another and embraces one another was something special. I’ll never forget the Mimouna. For an Ashkenazi like me, it was the first time I had ever been to a Mimouna celebration.
One younger member, who is currently active in the branch, said that for her, B’nei Akiva in Sderot is like a family.
“Everyone’s together here, everyone is friends with one another,” she said. “It’s fun to come here and meet everyone. There’s a sense of family, warmth. It’s small and nice.
When one thinks of Sderot one can’t help but remember the constant Kassam attacks the city faces, but as the young B’nei Akiva member noted, the Kassam rockets have no effect on the branch’s activities.
“We meet every Shabbat. We don’t care,” she said, brushing them off. “The Kassams don’t bother us.”