Kibbutzim in the rocket-beleaguered Negev heard the Scroll of Esther on Purim, complete with banging out the name of Haman and preparatory classes beforehand, for the first time in many years.
“The Kibbutzim in the area are undergoing some major issues and changes,” says Rabbi Moshe Shachor of Sderot. A member of the original nuclear group that moved to Sderot to form a religious community there, and a long-time student of Yeshivat Sderot, Rabbi Shachor explained: “For one thing, they are privatizing; some are no longer communal-owned Kibbutzim, others are half-way along, etc. This brings with it economic, social and personal shock waves of varying degrees. In addition, they have the rocket attacks – eight years of lack of stability and everything that goes with it, and this has its consequences as well.”
"Loss of Way"
“Politically, for instance, Kibbutzim like theirs used to be the stronghold of the Labor Party. They then moved in massive numbers to Kadima, and now they see that Kadima doesn’t stand for anything. So they’re a bit lost. [Eshkol Regional Council Mayor] Chaim Yellin even said recently that they have ‘lost their way’ – those were his words.”
Shachor runs the “With a Jewish Eye” outreach project on behalf of the original core group. He says that in addition to the ongoing ties he has with neighboring kibbutzim and communities, which include Torah classes, army preparatory sessions, afternoon activities, and the like, “several of them initiated, on their own, a Megillah reading for the first time in memory.”
The “Megillah reading” is one of the central parts of the Purim holiday, when the entire congregation gathers in the synagogue – many members wearing funny hats and garb - to hear the Scroll of Esther read aloud. The atmosphere is festive while children and others eagerly await hearing the name of the evil villain Haman read aloud, so that they can make nearly unlimited noise and otherwise stamp out his name and memory, time after time. Despite this, at the same time, serious decorum is generally maintained, because each member must make sure to hear every word.
Youth Invite Adults to Hear Esther
“In Kibbutz Erez, for instance,” Rabbi Shachor relates, “we run a Bar Mitzvah program for the 7th grade. They have a custom there of taking upon themselves 13 different activities – and one of them, this year, was a public Megillah reading, for the first time ever in Erez. The youths did it all on their own; they invited us to come and read it for them, and we gave a class beforehand of the Halakhic [Jewish legal] and Hashkafic [Jewish philosophical] aspects. When we came, we found 100 people there! It was very special.”
“In Kibbutz Dorot, too, they invited us to come and read for them, and we also went to Bror Hayil, where they have a synagogue that’s barely used – it was built so that the members’ grandparents might want to come and visit. And also Kfar Aza, and Mefalsim – lots of places that may be familiar to news-followers because of all the rockets they’ve been hit by.”
“In short,” Rabbi Shachor sums up, “something is going on in these places, and it’s very exciting to be a part of it.”
Dancing in the Streets
Within the city itself, the students of the local Yeshivat Hesder celebrated the joyous holiday by dancing in parking lots and through the streets, giving out candies to surprised motorists and pedestrians, and making merry in general. Some 115 students of the yeshiva, which combines Torah learning with military service, are scheduled to enter the army for at least 16-18 months in the coming weeks.
Rocket-Proof Playground
In other Sderot Purim news, the Jewish National Fund dedicated over the holiday what is apparently the world’s first rocket-protected playground, in the city of Sderot. The state-of-the-art, indoor, 21,000 square-foot (1,950 square meters, nearly a half-acre) playground, a $5 million project, is located in an old textile warehouse. It features a soccer field and volleyball court, recreational and exercise facilities for children, jungle gym equipment, a rock climbing wall, a snack area and gift shop, a movie and television area, disco, swing sets, a merry-go-round, and more.
The park even includes three therapy rooms to help children suffering from trauma.
The facility will be under the supervision of the Israeli Army Engineers for Security Clearances, and the educational arm of the IDF will provide after-school tutoring services.
Rockets Continue
Hamas continues to fire rockets at Sderot and environs, despite the IDF’s Operation Cast Lead that ended two months ago. At least 15 Kassams and shells have been fired at the Negev over the past week, including one that caused damage to a synagogue in Netivot. The Color Red siren thus continues to sound periodically, giving residents of all ages 15 seconds’ warning to run to the nearest shelter.