Organized by the youth wing of the National Union party, the Sabbath event, known as a Shabbaton, came in response to many requests by Jaffa residents.
Jaffa has long been a mixed Jewish and Arab city, but residents of the Jewish neighborhoods have been increasingly complaining of harassment by the Arabs including stone-throwing, threats, spitting, curses and PLO and Hamas flags on doorways and buildings. Several Jewish families have left.
The Sabbath visitors brought new Jewish life into the city, at least for the weekend, with lively prayer services taking place at synagogues that have not had prayers for years.
Following a Friday night get-together with concerned citizens and rabbis of Jaffa, it was decided that a core-group of families would be formed that would move to Jaffa and try to rejuvenate it. Among the plans to be worked on will be the establishment of post-high school yeshiva institutions for both males and females.
On Friday afternoon, the visitors together held a Song of the Sea ceremony, in honor of the Biblical crossing of the Red Sea read aloud in synagogues around the world in yesterday's weekly Torah portion.
"Every Jew has the right to live in safety in his land," said National Union Director-General Nachi Eyal, "even in Jaffa. We must ensure protection for those who live there, and we must try to raise their spirits by bringing in families."
Jaffa is famous for being the port from which Jonah set out before being swallowed by the whale. It was captured from the Kingdom of Judea by Sennacherib of Assyria, and later by the Maccabees from the Greeks. Rabbi Avraham HaCohen Kook settled in Jaffa and became its rabbi when he first arrived in the Land of Israel in 1904.
Adiel Yom-Tov, one of the young solidarity visitors, said, "Every Jew for whom Jewish history is important must be concerned that Jews be able to continue to live in the city through which the cedars for the Holy Temple were transported."
MK Eli Gabbai (National Union-National Religious Party) warned two months ago that Arabs are fulfilling the "right of return" in Jaffa under the noses of the authorities, which he said "are doing nothing." He recently ran a tour by Knesset Members in the city.
Jaffa has long been a mixed Jewish and Arab city, but residents of the Jewish neighborhoods have been increasingly complaining of harassment by the Arabs including stone-throwing, threats, spitting, curses and PLO and Hamas flags on doorways and buildings. Several Jewish families have left.
The Sabbath visitors brought new Jewish life into the city, at least for the weekend, with lively prayer services taking place at synagogues that have not had prayers for years.
Following a Friday night get-together with concerned citizens and rabbis of Jaffa, it was decided that a core-group of families would be formed that would move to Jaffa and try to rejuvenate it. Among the plans to be worked on will be the establishment of post-high school yeshiva institutions for both males and females.
On Friday afternoon, the visitors together held a Song of the Sea ceremony, in honor of the Biblical crossing of the Red Sea read aloud in synagogues around the world in yesterday's weekly Torah portion.
"Every Jew has the right to live in safety in his land," said National Union Director-General Nachi Eyal, "even in Jaffa. We must ensure protection for those who live there, and we must try to raise their spirits by bringing in families."
Jaffa is famous for being the port from which Jonah set out before being swallowed by the whale. It was captured from the Kingdom of Judea by Sennacherib of Assyria, and later by the Maccabees from the Greeks. Rabbi Avraham HaCohen Kook settled in Jaffa and became its rabbi when he first arrived in the Land of Israel in 1904.
Adiel Yom-Tov, one of the young solidarity visitors, said, "Every Jew for whom Jewish history is important must be concerned that Jews be able to continue to live in the city through which the cedars for the Holy Temple were transported."
MK Eli Gabbai (National Union-National Religious Party) warned two months ago that Arabs are fulfilling the "right of return" in Jaffa under the noses of the authorities, which he said "are doing nothing." He recently ran a tour by Knesset Members in the city.