Members and counselors of the Ariel youth group in the southern city of Sderot returned to their branch location on Wednesday night, after over five months as evacuees in hotels around Israel following the October 7 massacre.
As the group returned to the familiar building, the staff held a grand reopening event, complete with a Purim fair featuring many booths and activities.
Yechiel Vaknin, who heads the branch, said, "After a long period in hotels and complicated attempts to preserve the branch's activities from afar, the Ariel of Sderot boys' group has returned home. Especially during this complex period, the great importance of informal education becomes even stronger. The joy of living which our members have is something no one can take away."
Avichai Zucker, the head of the Boys' Department, said, "The great energy of these amazing youth is something you cannot extinguish. We have experienced difficult events in this city especially and in the State of Israel in general, but we are here and we are not broken."
"We will continue to work with the branch and the members during this period of return to routine. Am Israel chai - and we will become stronger and win."