A lottery for the pre-fab houses - euphemistically called "caravillas" by the government - was held earlier this month, and the finishing touches on the structures are being added these very days. Some families have received keys, and will be moving in within the coming days. The families have been told that this is merely a temporary solution, for two years, until their permanent solutions are ready.
Dozens of expelled N'vei Dekalim families still remain in five Jerusalem hotels, including only seven in the Ceasar Hotel. One of these latter, that of Moshe and Tami and their nine children, is apparently headed for Nitzan as well, as soon as a pre-fab house that fits them is ready.
"The Disengagement Authority finally realized that a family with nine children should not have to live in 60 or even 90 square meters," Moshe said. "As it is, we have been living in this hotel for almost three months in only three rooms - including one room for our four daughters aged 16-22. You can imagine what it's like..."
Moshe says that no one has even promised him when his pre-fab will be ready, "but we know it won't be for another 2-3 months, until after the other, smaller ones are completed." His pre-fab is one of eight that have been promised to large families from N'vei Dekalim.
But what most bothers Moshe is that his hometown of N'vei Dekalim - the "capital" and largest community in Gush Katif, with over 500 families - has simply disintegrated. "We have many families in Nitzan, but others are going to Ein Tzurim - where the works have just recently begun - and others are in Yad Binyamin, and others have gone off on their own. There doesn't seem to be any hope that we will all ever get back together."
Nitzan is only a default option for Moshe. "Many people there don't have work, and I don't expect to find any either," he said. "What will I do, sit around at home all day? But for my family, it's very important to be together with their friends and have a support group. So, given the lack of other options, it looks like that's what we’ll be doing - and I hope I'll find something [a job]..."
In addition to unemployment, other major problems mentioned by Nitzan residents include the lack of an official rabbi, Torah classes, and spiritual communal life, as well as the lack of cohesive group identity among the hodge-podge of residents from many different types of Gush Katif communities - though about half of them are from N'vei Dekalim.
In addition, parents in Nitzan called a school strike yesterday, complaining of poor educational conditions. The families say there are no special-ed teachers or school psychologists, the classrooms are in poor condition, the equipment is outdated, bus travel to the schools is not organized, and the number of students in each class is too high. In addition, dozens of children are awaiting the opening of a day-care center, and this prevents their parents from going to work. The Education Ministry rebuffed some of the parents' claims; Ministry Director Ronit Tirosh arrived at the site yesterday to meet with the striking expellees.
Moshe said that the Jewish Agency had offered to renovate a building in the Ein Karem neighborhood of Jerusalem for the ex-N'vei Dekalimites - but only if at least 35 families would agree to join up. "There was some interest," Moshe said, "and I certainly would have liked that option - but in the end, people just began to get scared that they would be left with nothing, and so they chose other options."
Dozens of expelled N'vei Dekalim families still remain in five Jerusalem hotels, including only seven in the Ceasar Hotel. One of these latter, that of Moshe and Tami and their nine children, is apparently headed for Nitzan as well, as soon as a pre-fab house that fits them is ready.
"The Disengagement Authority finally realized that a family with nine children should not have to live in 60 or even 90 square meters," Moshe said. "As it is, we have been living in this hotel for almost three months in only three rooms - including one room for our four daughters aged 16-22. You can imagine what it's like..."
Moshe says that no one has even promised him when his pre-fab will be ready, "but we know it won't be for another 2-3 months, until after the other, smaller ones are completed." His pre-fab is one of eight that have been promised to large families from N'vei Dekalim.
But what most bothers Moshe is that his hometown of N'vei Dekalim - the "capital" and largest community in Gush Katif, with over 500 families - has simply disintegrated. "We have many families in Nitzan, but others are going to Ein Tzurim - where the works have just recently begun - and others are in Yad Binyamin, and others have gone off on their own. There doesn't seem to be any hope that we will all ever get back together."
Nitzan is only a default option for Moshe. "Many people there don't have work, and I don't expect to find any either," he said. "What will I do, sit around at home all day? But for my family, it's very important to be together with their friends and have a support group. So, given the lack of other options, it looks like that's what we’ll be doing - and I hope I'll find something [a job]..."
In addition to unemployment, other major problems mentioned by Nitzan residents include the lack of an official rabbi, Torah classes, and spiritual communal life, as well as the lack of cohesive group identity among the hodge-podge of residents from many different types of Gush Katif communities - though about half of them are from N'vei Dekalim.
In addition, parents in Nitzan called a school strike yesterday, complaining of poor educational conditions. The families say there are no special-ed teachers or school psychologists, the classrooms are in poor condition, the equipment is outdated, bus travel to the schools is not organized, and the number of students in each class is too high. In addition, dozens of children are awaiting the opening of a day-care center, and this prevents their parents from going to work. The Education Ministry rebuffed some of the parents' claims; Ministry Director Ronit Tirosh arrived at the site yesterday to meet with the striking expellees.
Moshe said that the Jewish Agency had offered to renovate a building in the Ein Karem neighborhood of Jerusalem for the ex-N'vei Dekalimites - but only if at least 35 families would agree to join up. "There was some interest," Moshe said, "and I certainly would have liked that option - but in the end, people just began to get scared that they would be left with nothing, and so they chose other options."