IN THE SHIVA TENT: Rabbi Shalom Baum of Ahavath Achim of Fairfield leads mission participants in a prayer in memory of the Biton family's loss of their husband, son and father, Eli Biton, age 48. He is survived by a wife, his mother, and four children. Left to Right: Menashe Suisse, Partnership 2000 Project Director, Gilboa Region, and resident, Moshav Gadish; Rabbi Baum; unidentified man; Eli Biton's brother; Eli Biton's mother; Eli Biton's wife. (photos courtesy of Robert Berkowitz.)

On Monday February 3, 2003, forty-five P2K friends from the Eastern Fairfield Jewish community came straight to Afula after having landed at Ben Gurion airport. In spite of their exhaustion from the long flight, they did not lose any time and immediately began to make people to people connections and express their solidarity. Four Rabbis representing the Orthodox, Conservative and Reform streams of Judaism led this mission.

The first stop was Moshav Gadish where Eli Biton had been murdered just 3 weeks eariler, on January 12, 2003. Terrorists infiltrated the heart of this moshav of 350 residents, located 4 kilometers from Jenin, and shot Eli through the windshield of his car. Four people were wounded in the attack. Mission participants were met by two of Eli's brothers and official representatives of the Gilboa Regional Council. Standing in the locale of the attack while listening to the events leading up to the fatal shooting enabled mission participants to develop a more concrete understanding of the daily reality in Israel.

As is the custom in Moroccon Jewish Families, the Shiva tent was still in place, as they were there before the Shloshim. The group paid their respects to Eli's mother and wife inside the tent. People expressed their support and presented Tzadeka for the family during this most difficult of times. Eli Biton's wife, mother and brothers who met the group were very touched by their demonstration of support.

Youth Orchestra

The mission traveled to Moshav Ram On in the Taanach area, also located on the Seam Line of the Gilboa Regional Council. Here the group heard explanations of the ease of terrorist infiltration and attacks and the impact it has on how the residents in the area live their lives. They also saw the fence which is being built as a deterrant to terrorists.

The next stop was Ha'Emek Medical Center. This group had the privilege of being the first group from SNEC to be hosted by Dr. Orna Blondheim in her new role as Director of Ha'Emek Medical Center. She replaces Dr. Eyran Halpern, who is now the Deputy Director of Hospitals of the General Health Services Fund of Israel. Dr. Blondheim, Larry Rich, Director of Development, and Dr. Kaufman, Director of the Orthopedic Unit, gave a presentation about HaEmek and explained how it has functioned during the past two years of continuous terrorist attacks. The hospital has cared for more than 700 victims of terrorism, including wounded soldiers and terrorists. The doctors described how they often had to treat soldiers and terrorists in the same room. The group toured the hospital and spoke with a patient who was rehabilitatating from injuries he suffered as a result of a terrorist shooting attack in Beit Shean a few months ago. Mission participants were able to see the C-Arm instrument which a generous donation from Jewish Federation of Eastern Fairfield enabled Ha'Emek Medical Center to acquire.

The Amakim Bomb Disposal Unit of the Israel Police Force spoke to the group about their work. The officers described how they reconcile the daily onslaught of images of terror with ther home lives. One officer, Opher, explained the contrast of dealing with terror attacks and then going home to his family to play with his children at the end of the day. In spite of the difficulty of the material and the personal fatigue that all of the mission participants were experiencing, they were moved by a recently produced video that gave a graphic overview of how the amakem unit responds to terror situations. The close proximity of the mission's hotel (the Plaza Hotel (formerly the Marriott) in Nazareth Illit) lent to their being able to spend more time in Afula-Gilboa. In the evening there was a lovely buffet dinner in the Eshkol Pais Center in Afula. (This is a building which serves as an Art and Science Learning Center for the surrounding Junior High and High Schools.) At the dinner, a clarinet ensemble of the Afula Youth Orchestra and five girls from the 8th grade singing group performed for the guests (pictured on the left). At the dinner, presentations of Tzedakeh were made to Beit Uri; WIZO Community Center; Merhavia Absorption Center (which will enable the Absorption Center to supply school bags for the Ethiopian immigrant children); and Tzedaka was also given to facilitate a special program to help Afula-Gilboa Teen Victims of terror.

The Merhavia Ethiopian Absorption Center in Afula was presented with more than 28 duffel bags filled with sheets and linens, that the mission carried with them to Israel.

Due to the advantage of the group staying overnight within a twenty minute drive of Afula, lay leaders from Afula/Gilboa were able to join the mission participants for breakfast at their hotel the following morning. After breakfast, in one of the small conference rooms, there was a fascinating talk and discussion about co-existence between Israeli Arabs and Jews. Barihan Batach from Mukeble, an Arab Village in the Gilboa Region, spoke about the participation of the Mukeble school in the coexistence program in the Gilboa Region. Barihan gave a first hand account of the fact that in spite of the unrest which was prevalent in other Israeli Arab villages during the first months of the current intifada, Arab villages in the Gilboa area were quiet and went about their business as usual.

  Adar Aleph 5763 - March 2003