Students at CTA with the artwork they are sending to Gilad Shalit's family.

Last week the Young Shlicha, Libby Bear, worked with children from the third through the sixth grades at CTA regarding Gilad Shalit.  Shalit has been held in the Gaza Strip by Hamas since June 25, 2006.  In June 2007, Egyptian mediators received a letter written by Shalit in which he stated that he was alive and well.  In June 2008, Israel received an audiotape proving that Shalit is still alive.

Bear read Shalit’s book, The Fish and the Shark, in which he writes about a young fish and a young shark whose families hate one another, with the children at CTA.  The fish and shark, however, get to know one another and want to keep their friendship.  Libby and the children discussed this story.  The kids drew pictures from parts of the story and took a picture with a sign they made that said “Gilad Shalit is still alive.”  They will send the pictures and sign to the Shalit family in Israel.