The Neve Tzuf (Halamish) arson, which was carried out on Friday night, November 25, by terrorists with Molotov cocktails, destroyed 18 homes and damaged 30 others.
In response, students of the ulpana (religious girls' high school) Shirat Hayam fundraised in Jerusalem, cleaned the debris, and worked tirelessly to help families whose lives were turned upside down by the fire.
"The town feels very connected to the ulpana, and we felt a need to help as much as we can. All of our energies were directed towards answering residents' needs," dean Shuki Set said, mentioning that the school building had been turned into a command post, organizing the different forces operating in the area.
"We understood we have an important task, and we can't resume classes yet," said Avigail Goldstein, who serves as head of the ulpana. "The girls simply walked out of their homes and went around Jerusalem, raising funds for the Neve Tzuf community. They went around cleaning debris. They walked into a huge hall where donations had been dropped off, and worked to sort through the different items we'd received."
The ulpana's management have decided to work to install security cameras around Neve Tzuf, as well as set up a control room. This project that will cost $150,000, and the ulpana's girls are continuing to raise funds for the effort, as well as to help the residents rebuild their lives.