They wouldn't let us in. The police had stopped all cars. "The parking lot is filled," they explained.
Dozens upon dozens of cars before us and behind us idled and waited.
"I'm giving a speech at the ceremony," I wailed, waving the printed text. "You have to let me in!"
"Try another route," they said.
I called one of the organizers. "It's filled to the brim here," she said.
We eventually arrived. Thousands had come for the children's "happening" that preceded the cornerstone ceremony. A gymboree, play areas, games of chance, clowns and entertainers of all sorts, as well as sukkot, 
The Lachish area, mentioned several times in the Bible, will now acquire five new communities.
dotted the grounds. Heavy tractors lent the air the definite signature that this is indeed a construction site. The hills of Lachish were being made ready for our homes.
Excavated rocks and earth had been carefully piled on the periphery, ready to be returned. Wildflowers would bloom once again. The first sector of the town called Bnei Dekalim was on the way.
Friends and family arrived and hurried over to hug us. These are the wonderful people who have lived through our history in Israel and now rejoiced with us at this first step toward our permanent home.
The official ceremony began with the blowing of the shofar accompanied by Hassidic music. A rabbi spoke of the significance of this day. "The spirit of pioneering in Israel has never stopped," he said. Representatives of new and old Lachish settlements rose to voice their agreement. A boys choir sang for us.
The Lachish area, mentioned several times in the Bible, will now acquire five new communities. Our town, Bnei Dekalim, will serve as the township center, just as Neve Dekalim did in Gush Katif. We will provide schools, stores, a bank, a health clinic, yeshivas, a hotel and spa, a vacation village and a bird sanctuary.
My dear friend Motti Shomron is the visionary and activist behind this project. He fought the bureaucracy for four years and finally arrived at this day of placing the cornerstone for the synagogue complex of Bnei Dekalim. His face beamed.
I was permitted to speak. Here is the text of my short talk:
I am Rachel Saperstein. My husband is a wounded IDF veteran and terror victim. Once we lived in a paradise called Gush Katif. Now we live in a plasterboard home in the refugee camp of Nitzan. We are just two of the thousands of people forcibly removed from their homes by the State of Israel.
Today, I am here to welcome you to our renewal. You witnessed the tragedy of the destruction of Gush Katif. At this moment, you have the privilege of witnessing the creation of a new town in the long neglected area of Lachish.
Our town, to be called Bnei Dekalim - the Sons of Dekalim - will become the pride of Israel. Built on the concept of an ecologically sound environment, we will bring the spirit of true Judaism and the spirit of ecology together as one.
We are asking you, you who are here, to witness this historical undertaking, to be with us!
Build with us! Invest in us!
And to those who want to share in our dream, come live with us!
This town is being built on the ground that Joshua once walked. The kings of Israel built glorious cities here, and Bar-Kochba the revolutionary found refuge here. We, the expelled people of Gush Katif, will build in this grand tradition.
What an honor!
Come and join us!
The day drew to a close. In the distance the heavens glowed red behind the Hevron hills. I stopped for a few moments as we slowly walked back to our dust-covered car. I breathed deeply, enjoying the purity of the air. A gentle wind whistled a tune, the years slipped away, I danced, I smiled. I thank the Lord for giving me the privilege of being a pioneer in my beloved land.