Jewish students bring cheer to north
Youths from Diaspora arrive in frontier communities to entertain local children in rocket-battered communities
Their infectious efforts paid off as dozens of local children picked up on the positive mood and enjoyed the range of activities organized for them, to the satisfaction of their parents and teachers.
The initiative, called Leading Up North, was organized by the Schusterman Foundation's Center for Leadership Initiatives (CLI), and was designed as a direct response to the harsh war with Hizbullah, CLI Manager Yoni Gordis told Ynetnews.
Eden, Liel, and Yaara welcomed the initiative (Photo: Yaakov Lappin)
"We discovered that we are a large organization, and we based this initiative on the Jewish value which speaks to everyone: Helping others," Gordis said. "In our group we have members who are left wing, right wing, religious, and secular, and all were united by this value," he added.
Nearly half a year after the war, renovation work can be seen being carried out around Kiryat Shmona, and an air of hesitant normality surrounds the area. Just a few kilometers northwards, however, lies the Lebanon border, and beyond that are Hizbullah members, keeping a low profile for now.
For a few hours though, the city's youth focused on other things. Liel, Yaara, and Eden, teenagers from Kiryat Shmona, told Ynetnews that they welcomed the help from abroad. "It's encouraging, after the war we had here," said Liel.
Shosh Buzaglo, a teacher from nearby Metula, said: "They brought Zionism, hope, and love of the country, without limits. They came not only to volunteer, but also to receive, as we have given back to them. They should remember they always have a home here. Their support to the north proves they identify with the country and everything we underwent," she said.
'They proved Diaspora Jews identify with us'
Buzaglo said the initiative showed "there was no indifference among the Jews of the Diaspora. I thank them from the bottom of my heart. I also hope that they see during their time here that Israel is more than terror attacks and wars, and that there is also love here, and happiness."
Ariel Beery helps entertain children from Kiryat Shmona (Photo: Yaakov Lappin)
Phillip Brodsky, a 24 year-old American-Jewish volunteer from Indianapolis, helped paint bomb shelters around the area. "If, God forbid, they have to go back there, it will at least be more welcoming," he said. "We want to let the people of Israel know they are not alone. They are in our thoughts and prayers, and we are here to show them that. We are here for them today, and tomorrow," he added.
Zvi Beilin, from Washington D.C., said he hoped to bring local children "things we take for granted, like laughing, a little break from their reality, and some fun."
