Women In Green

Great Success in Shdema!

Reminder: Shdema is an abandoned army camp, 5 km from Har Choma, overlooking the Jerusalem-Gush Etzion road. The camp was abandoned 2 years ago. The committee for a Jewish Shdema has been fighting for the past months to keep it in Jewish hands.

Yesterday’s event started with a moving raising of the Israeli flag over the water tower, proudly declaring to all: the Land of Israel belongs to the People of Israel. Shdema will please G-d stay in Jewish hands forever.

Afterwards there were short speeches by MK Dudu Rotem (MK Arieh Eldad apologized for not being able to come), Rabbi Yaron Durani from El David – Nokdim, Shaul Goldstein, mayor of Gush Etzion. Among the many participants there were different public figures like Zvi Katzover, mayor of Kiryat Arba, Ezra Yachin, famous Lehi fighter, Rabbi Shalom Klein from Har Choma, Rabbi Shlomo Kimchi , Rosh Yeshiva Orot Yehuda in Efrat, Maj-General Rabbi Yoel Nachson, former Military Chaplain of the Central Command. Rabbi Nachson used to serve in Shdema many years ago. He was shocked to see how the military camp had been destroyed and was wondering out loud where the beautiful synagogue that used to be part of Shdema, had disappeared. Like all other participants, Rabbi Nachson was horrified at the thought of abandoning Shdema to the Arab enemy and strengthened the activists in their struggle.

The hundreds of participants enjoyed the lecture by famous tour guide Arieh Rottenberg, the art exhibition by painter Binyamin Kletzel of Jerusalem and artist mrs Fried of Nokdim. Gush Katif expellees now living in Yad Binyamin came to identify with the struggle for a Jewish Shdema and were selling their arts and crafts. The tens of children who came with their parents jumped on the inflatables and played. After the speeches the public enjoyed a concert by the Tekoa band led by Dev-Dev Brill. It was moving to once again hear loud Jewish music in Shdema.

This time the Israeli security forces acted as they should and protected the event. They prevented anarchists and Arabs from coming near Shdema and even arrested 5 anarchists who tried to disturb the celebration.

No doubt, the event was thank G-d a huge success. The Committee for a Jewish Shdema wants to thank all those who helped, contributed, volunteered to the success of the event. To all the youth, the inflatables crew, the loudspeaker system crew, the Tekoa band, the Gush Etzion local Council, the drivers of all the vans, the sadranim, the "shleppers" of all the equipment, the Women in Green activists, the donors who donated understanding that the struggle for the Land of Israel costs money, tachles thank you to the tens of activists without whom this would not have been possible. The list of names is too long so we will just give a general thank you to all.

To watch a short video clip about the evnt please click on the arutz 7 newsreport filmed by Yoni Kempinski and Hillel Meir