As most Israelis have put the fires that struck Israel behind, for those whose homes were destroyed or badly damaged, the work is just beginning. This is the situation for 18 families in the Shomron community of N’vei Tzuf as their homes were totally destroyed. Another forty homes were damaged, some more seriously than others. The entire community, numbering about 300 families, was evacuated on Friday night as the arson fires raged and spread from one home to another.

Many residents of the community have launched a fund, turning to the tzibur to assist the families who lost everything to rebuild.

For now, they are seeking assistance in purchasing basic, as parents and children to not have clothing, school books and other essentials. Community leaders explain that if the families receive assistance from elsewhere, after their needs are met if money remains, it will be given to others who lost it all in the fire. They have launched a collections page and have raised 939,727 of 1,250,000.

The heads of the Binyamin Regional Council, which is responsible for the community, are working to set up some of the homeless families in apartments and caravans in the community. The regional council is also beginning to assess the damage and what will be required to rebuild the damage to public areas.

Ministers Avigdor Lieberman and Naftali Bennet have both visited the community following the fire, promising to do what they can to assist in the rebuilding process.

(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)