Hundreds come to Shdema celebration!

Subject: Hundreds come to Shdema celebration!
Date: Oct 19, 2008 3:11 PM
Dear Friends,
For technical reasons we were not able to send out emails for the past three days, so here is the email about our successful event in Shdema this past Thursday.
Nadia Matar- Anita Finkelstein
Women in Green
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Great Success in Shdema!
Over 500 people arrived, Thursday of Chol Hamoed Sukkot, from all over Israel, to celebrate the holiday in Shdema.

Reminder: Shdema is an abandoned army camp, five kilometers from Har Choma, overlooking the Jerusalem-Gush Etzion road. The camp was abandoned two years ago. The committee for a Jewish Shdema and Women in Green have been fighting for the past months to keep it in Jewish hands.

The 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.

Among the many participants in Shdema were also Itzik and Danny Halamish who had been released from jail before the holiday.

Danny said: It is good to sit in jail for Eretz Yisrael and it will not help them (the authorities), we will stay loyal to the Land of Israel as much as we were before. Danny and Itzik were welcomed with loud applause.

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 five anarchists who tried to disturb the celebration. In fact, the Arabs and anarchists have gone wild about our activities for a continued Jewish control of Shdema and have put out distorted reports in the Arab and international media about Shdema which they call "Oush Grab". Their hysterical reaction to our activities just give us more strength and determination to continue the struggle for a Jewish Shdema.

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 event please click on the Arutz 7 news report filmed by Yoni Kempinski and Hillel Meir:
http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/127976

For the video clip in Hebrew: http://www.inn.co.il/News/News.aspx/180623

Our dear friend Dan Leubitz has made a beautiful powerpoint presentation that can be watched at: http://www.yishuvnow.com

We call upon the public to join the struggle for a Jewish Shdema. The fact that everything went by smoothly yesterday does not mean that is always the case. The members of the Committee for a Jewish Shdema go up to Shdema at least once a week to show a Jewish presence. Join us. The struggle is a long struggle and we must continue with determination. Please write down: the next big event in Shdema will be on November 9th, 2008, which is the day we day we commemorate Rachel Imeinu. We will, please G-d, have a Rachel Imeinu afternoon for women with famous singer Karni Eldad.

Shabbat Shalom and Chag Sameach,
The committee for a Jewish Shdema & Women in Green

Rabbi Yaron Durani (El David Nokdim), Igor Bialsky (Tekoa), Elisheva Ginzburg (Alon Shvut), Miriam Gurov (El David Nokdim), Orly Glauber (Har choma), Ruth Wolfish (Tekoa), Ina Viniarsky (Tekoa), Timna Katz (Neve Daniel), Nadia Matar (Efrat), Michael Sandygursky (El david Nokdim), Anita Finkelstein (Tekoa), Gedalya Friedman (Neve Daniel), Yehudit Katzover (Kiryat Arba Hevron), Eli Rodan (Elazar)
For more details: http://www.womeningreen.org =============================================
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