If the expulsion of Jews by Jews in the 21st century wasn't bad enough, if the the lack of a Jewish Israeli government caring and providing for the people it so cruelly and unjustly expelled wouldn't be a new low in governmental responsibility, then the low turnout at the second-year memorial for the expulsion was enough to depress. It showed that the Jews

No one knew where we would go or end up.

of Gush Katif have been forgotten by the friendly and the unfriendly.


Two years ago, my family and I were put on a bus, taken out of our home of 25 years in N'vei Dekalim and sent out - anywhere, just not there. And the government didn't care, and no one knew where we would go or end up.


Last week, on the second-year anniversary of that expulsion, I drove down south hoping to be see a few friendly faces, as we don't live in one of the refugee camps called caravilla sites (trailer parks). I expected to feel the togetherness like I did at last year's memorial service in Jerusalem, when we spread through the park and the streets of Jerusalem, and finally arrived at the Western Wall - a stream of people carrying flags and singing and caring.


Not so this year. We arrived at the tomb of the Baba Sali (Rabbi Yisrael Abuhatzeira) in Netivot a little after 4:00 pm. There was no problem parking. There were few cars in the parking lot and it was very hot. There was no provision of a place for people to stand out of the hot sun, so we found a tree, sat there and waited for someone to come. The program did say 4:00 pm.


As we sat and waited, it was hard not to compare this hot day with the big rally in Netivot just over two years ago. Then, we could not find parking and the whole area was filled with people, even though we came more or less on time.


At about 5:30 (!), a procession made its way down from Hemdat HaDarom, where a different part of the memorial program had been held. The procession escorted a Torah scroll to be donated to Sderot. The Torah was there on a special truck equipped with shining lights, but as it was daylight, all we heard or saw was the music. There were some marchers carrying orange flags with the Jewish Star of David on them. There was no real dancing or singing. Rabbi Haim Druckman came. Rabbi Mordechai Eliyahu was on his way.


And then we read Psalms. Or rather, the people on the dais read and the crowd was supposed to repeat. Some did. Some didn't. Nobody chanted the psalms out loud

How much they had aged in only two short years.

together, giving more power to the words, to the cry that was aimed at saving the people and the State of Israel.


Once again, It was hard not to compare this crowd to the crowds at any of the rallies held in the year of the expulsion. Here, there were no great feelings, just helplessness; and all of the few people whom I did see who used to live in Gush Katif - they all looked at least ten years older, all white haired. How much they had aged in only two short years.


We left at 6:00 pm and didn't continue on to Sderot. We left in the middle of the Psalms reading. Rabbi Eliyahu hadn't come yet and there were still some cars and a bus pulling in, but there were people leaving as well.


People used to come to Gush Katif wanting to give us support, but instead they left strengthened. I went to Netivot hoping for support and instead came back to Beit Shemesh weakened.


The Jews of Gush Katif are truly the forgotten Jews.