A special action in a difficult situation
Review
On 7 October, Israel was cruelly struck by an insane demonic terror and we were initially absolutely shocked. Shortly afterwards, friends of Israel from Grimma and the surrounding area came together to pray for Israel regularly on Mondays. We soon realised that prayer must be followed by action. A conversation with Ron Gilo from the partner region Gezer in Israel and Mayor Matthias Berger gave rise to the idea of inviting a group of teenagers from a kibbutz close to Gaza and affected by the conflict. From 23 to 27 July 2014, we had the privilege of hosting 13 teenagers and 4 adults from the kibbutz, exploring the beauty of our region with them and German youngsters. The event park Belantis was also part of the program. Dresden with the Frauenkirche, krachseln in Saxon Switzerland and knights' games during a barbecue evening at the Döben castle courtyard made their hearts beat faster. The ice was broken when Israeli and German teenagers romped together with rubber dinghies in the Mulde river. At the end, we celebrated Shabbat together with traditional prayers and remembrance of the hostages taken to Gaza. The young people sat together until late into the night and could hardly part. They travelled via Dresden and the VW Transparent Factory to Prague, where the group stayed for another day before returning. One mother wrote afterwards that nothing can express her deep gratitude that these teenagers were able to experience a few days of "peace" as "normality". This was made possible by the great commitment of Silke Polster from Diakonie Grimma, the uncomplicated process of obtaining funds from the Federal Ministry for Family Affairs via Connect, the wonderful cooperation with employees of the town of Grimma and, last but not least, the unique commitment of Thomas Gebhardt, who offered his Göschenhaus guesthouse and the garden house with excellent catering as a place to stay.
In the meantime, we have received an enquiry from the north of Israel...
I would like to add the reaction of a mother from the kibbutz:
Dear Chaverim (Hebrew friends), I would like to share with you how it felt to watch from a distance, to talk to my son every evening and to hear from him what he experienced that day. I believe it was one of the most important things the children have done to this day. It was not easy to leave their families behind after the trauma they experienced on 7 October. Not for the children and not for their families either. They took them in their arms and hugged them so tightly. The families who stayed behind witnessed this embrace and felt their warmth in the videos and pictures that the team shared with them daily. We loved participating in Kabalat Shabat with you, as if we were there with you. You made it possible for this group of amazing young people to forget the war, their hardships and their struggles for a few days, and that is so meaningful to all of us. A thank you does not seem enough to express how we feel about all you have done. We would love to send a warm hug and an invitation back to Kibbutz Magen where we can host you. THANK YOU
