A six-person Orthodox Union delegation which arrived in Sderot this afternoon to show solidarity with traumatized residents, experienced first-hand the terror of the Kassam rockets fired by Hamas from Gaza, when they were forced to run from a car they were entering into a store and to take cover under a table when a warning siren sounded and two rockets hit nearby.
“I was too frightened to be frightened,” declared OU Executive Vice President Rabbi Tzvi Hersh Weinreb, who together with his wife, Chavi, were part of the delegation. “We are going through an experience that is mind-boggling,” Rabbi Weinreb said on a conference call to OU leaders in the United States, made from the Cohen residence in Sderot, shortly after their terrifying experience. “We got to experience for a few hours what the people of Sderot are going through 24-hours a day,” he said.
“It’s really horrifying seeing part of Klal Yisrael (the Jewish community) sitting inside a city that is being bombarded,” Rabbi Weinreb reported. “We heard the impact of the missiles as they hit, then the sound of the fire engines racing to put out any blaze they may have caused.”
Rabbi Weinreb added, “Don’t think this is a wasteland. Sderot is not the Warsaw Ghetto; it is a beautiful city. What makes it all the more surreal is to know that in this lovely place the code red will sound at any moment.”
The OU’s Seymour J. Abrams Jerusalem World Center maintains a variety of programs in Sderot, such as Makom Balev, a youth program which provides psychological support. According to Rabbi Avi Berman, Director-General of OU Israel, “We saw that we could best serve the community by bringing in programs to aid all residents – the schools, the traumatized children, the teenagers losing faith, and the parents trying to hold their families together.”
In today’s conference call, Rabbi Berman reported, “We only experienced two of the thousands of missiles that have fallen on Sderot. It is heart-breaking to see the situation here.” He described businesses being a standstill, stores closed, people who bought homes now without any income to make their mortgage payments.
Rabbi Weinreb added, “People feel abandoned. We were told that we are the first visitors in the past few weeks except for a government delegation and the press. We need to do as much as possible so the people of Sderot will not feel abandoned.”
He called for works of chessed (kindness) to ease the burden on the people and for an influx of people into Sderot. “We need to strengthen morale,” he said.
(Source: OU News)
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13 Responses
Why couldn’t this happen to a UN delegation? Let THEM feel first-hand that we Jews are the ones suffering!
(Not that it will change their minds, the anti-Semites.)
Reb_Motcha:
what would a UN delegation be doing in sderot?
I think you’re missing my point.
Anyway, they might be there to think up more reasons to condemn Israel. What else is the U.N. for, anyway?
reb
you dont really think that would make a difference?
why, their response would surely be:
“those terrible Israelis! look what their mistreatment of the poor arabs has forced the arabs to do”
Rabbi Menachem Genack shlita, (of the oy vey you) was a big proponent of Oslo, he even went to some of the big meetings…. Hopefully they have finally come to their senses.
I agree “justanobody”, there was not a word from OU re: Oslo, Gaza,etc.
Wake up and smell the coffee and help Jews..
What are they doing there anyways. The leftist, anti-Torah Israeli government is not doing the minimum necessary for security of its citizens.
It’s a makon saccono (place of danger) and they shouldn’t be there.
justanobody Says:
May 31st, 2007 at 7:02 pm
“Rabbi Menachem Genack shlita, (of the oy vey you) was a big proponent of Oslo, he even went to some of the big meetings…. ”
That is because of his close personal relationship to the Clintons. His politics are his own business. Could you explain what your point is?
no comment
Bubkiss, I am sorry that I was not clear enough for your otherwise deep understanding of world events. Here is a more elementary explanation of my previous post. Please read it twice carefully, look up any hard words, and post again if you you need further clarification. Untill then, have a good Shabbos. (Oh by the can you suggest to R’ Menachem Shlita, that he find some other fine folks to share stogies with? As Mr. Clintons are not always so fresh, you know)
He is a major leader of the ou, he publicly endorsed a political process that directly caused the murder of hundreds of jews. I hope that the ou as an organization will learn their lesson, from their own close call, that they should, as a group, clearly distance themselves from such politics, rather that implicitly supporting it through their voiceforous leader.
Tzoorba- our fellow jews need to know that someone cares about them. That’s worth every skana in the world. if the leftist government won’t do anything about it, who will? Have u donated money?
justanobody thank gd they have learnt their lesson, and hopefully other Jewish Organizations should do the same. (receiving federal funds for your org. can dilute truth).
nobody – your comment referring to Mr. Clinton’s “stogies” is absolutely disgusting. I can only assume that you are repeating something you heard a menuval say and have no idea what it means (certainly YW editor doesn’t or you’d be booted). Kindly keep such comments out of your otherwise brilliant retorts.
I notice that you said he is a major leader of the OU, that is to say you are not. As such you should realize implicitly that the organization has chosen to support his politics and distance itself from yours. By the way, if I looked up “voiceforous” what would I find? I’m sure that you’re the most knowledgable person in your little kollel but you would do well not to think so much of yourself when addressing others you do not know. I hope we can converse again without such hate.