A Sandy cloud explodes --Israel is one

Dearest friends , wrote this exactly a week ago ,the day before the eternal cloud (pillar of defense)front began here in Israel , and we were again bombarded by rockets shot to kill . Sirens ,rushing to sewage pipe shelter , explosions , quiet repeated again and again., yet never becoming a routine B"H again our routine .The routine has been going on all week . and never sent this letter out to you until now. It is I believe more relevent than ever ! Seven years after the painful destruction of our homes and lifetime endeavors, in the ein tzurim caravilla site. I sit and watch clip after clip of the descriptions of the pain and suffering of our dear friends and acquaintances, our Jewish brothers as well as people of all religions and backgrounds all over the east coast of USA and even in some other parts of country where there was extreme damage. The pain for each and everyone of these people is sharp as our hearts goes out to them. . This pain of seeing your houses damaged and destroyed , the synagogues damaged and contents destroyed, places of work destroyed is felt so intensely by all people of Gush Katif who see these photos . In 2005 one of hardest parts for us was that all our friends and neighbors, our support system were in the same position. For some of you this is true as well,it is so difficult Then --as today good souls immediately ran out to help --bringing clothing , food, diapers, all the most essential items. Without these we and you would have been like rags ourselves. The empty exhausted feeling of being totally bare as a tree without a leaf , as a hanger without a suit without any material belongings we felt then as do those in your communities with all gone. There were for us many special people who "got it" and identified the " bareness " .They came to greet us with flowers and big hugs and music and spirit ---and they did not let us forget those first few hours and days and weeks ,not even for a moment --that we were still so rich ! Our spirit and values of Judaism were in place as they are not destroyed by bulldozers nor by the hugest waves ,winds nor rain, --The material things, the base to put our feet down on --- were so easily flooded away ---who could believe it !!! Amazing ---our spiritual stockpiles coming from ourselves and all the generations before us sure got a bit shook up ----but were definitely there and stable and strong to continue in faith,emuna! to begin anew! then as G-d willing now, A person who encouraged and touched me so then ---was a Jewish day school teacher from louisiana whose students' families had lost everything in katrina in the days shortly after all in gush katif was destroyed and they too were taken elsewheres living in a temporary shelter and learning in a temporary school. Even in this temporary situation --- as ours ---this teacher insisted that each of her students would collect among themselves a few pennies each day and eventually sent a very small but so very significant check, This teacher wanted to insure that her students absorb well that their Torah spirits and values remain strong and in proper proportion . She felt strongly that in fact that there was a huge difference between what happened to her students and us . Our houses had been destroyed by fellow Jews, by our own government by a knesst vote ,intentionally and this was very different than the flood that overan their towns in which the forces of nature that Hakadosh Baruch used at his will equally between gentile and jew between a righteous peron and one a bit less so , between learned and not learned. She felt this was a world of a difference and insisted that her students who needed help ---still be aware they should help us. '. Still the destruction by Sandy--- is similar to our experience in many ways - I humbly ask to share from our experience and hope I am not saying something that will G-d forbid offend anyone as surely it is not my intention. I humbly believe from our experience that those that are on the bottom side of the fallen plate today less need old clothing ---but more need the hope that they will be able to begin anew and all who care will be there for them during this long and difficult stretch ahead. They less need big huge competing ads in papers by well intending organizations trying to make them look as unfortunate as possible so their donors will open their hearts and purses and help but they do need those who will quietly and modestly with courage and caring form groups who will back them in the banks for loans and mortgages to begin anew ---who will find a way to fund indirectly few weeks of minimum income so they can get their act together and meanwhile keep their job and most important keep their respect in the eyes of their children by enabling them to care for their own families . Those who are left with no material items have the privilege, as we did, to appreciate every thing they have--- their children, their health and so significant for their future -- their Jewish spirit and values. To those who are on the helping side ---our experiences these seven years shown the importance of helping with modesty without causing any embarrassment -- leaving those helped in control of their lives ,with self respect and the respect of their family Turning the families now in need into unfortunates and gemachnikim is sometimes not always kind What a zchut ,privilege to be this time on the up-side of the plate that fell ---to be able to help, encourage and strengthen ---it could have been the other way around chas ve chalila ---so please find ways to perform the chessed quietly and see how best you can help those who need help to be able to help themselves to begin anew. To those who must build their homes anew ----and much of their lives anew -I share with you from our experience . -You will wake up one morning, if you have not yet and realize you are more a spiritual person as that is what you have left ----You will feel what a big zchut you have --enjoy that special feeling that few others have - -- What happened to homes without any specific discrimination and how we suddenly each need each other allows us to suddenly really feel what we learned about many times but could never really absorb --- we are each just a limb of the body of klal yisrael, . Please, dearest friends who have over these years read my communications from Gush Katif and after gush katif and have become my true friends ---I write today with great sincerity and appreciation for those who were there for us and are still there for us. Especially to those who must build their home anew or totally refurbish--- consider perhaps if this is not an opportunity! a window that Hakadosh Baruch Hu opened for you personally as our missing link in Israel to consider to come really home--to bring your newly exposed form of spirituality to fruition. Please consider if this is perhaps the right time to build your home in Israel .--. Very funny ,you say , How? with what? --are not easy questions-- but once your heart and soul allows you to decide ---and you begin working on it ---we here will pray seriously and intensely for you to have siyata dishmaya " G-ds' help Perhaps a home . a job and all will BE"H come more easily with your decision to come home.. We of Gush Katif have learned that we cannot force things to happen because we wish it and we are not in control of all as we would have liked. We have learned to flow with hakadosh baruch hu . Where and how--- are details that must be worked out -but the second you feel in your hearts ; that what has happened is in fact an opportunity ! you will flow with this opportunity and begin checking details and possibilities and you will hopefully find that you will have siyata dishmaya --G-d's help to connect with your people with your land ,to come home. . Today our town of Netzer Hazani is really looking almost built anew--and yet there is so much yet to be done to make it even a bit as it was. We want so much that as many people in am yisrael as possible to have the zchut ,the privilege of having a part of this building anew of this tikkun, repair! However -we clearly ask today, in those communties hit by hurricane sandy, all in the communities do what they can to help within their community first . Perhaps there are some in your community who must begin anew who are considering aliya. Please be there for them to encourage and support them today more than ever in this option . Best of success to all the parts of am yisrael who are workng together these weeks as one to make a difference for each other. If there is something specific that I or my community of netzer hazani can do based on our similar experience to help please dont hesitate to write or call as we sincerely know and pain the destruction and loss of your material lives . We invite each and every of our fellow Jews who are visiting israel to come and see" in live" the building anew of Netzer Hazani. Netzer Hazani was destroyed and all can have the zchut , the privilege to have a part , big or small, in in this opportunity --of bringing chazon -vision to reality . It is slowly but surely being accomplished here today through devotion to the values of Tikkun, of justice and kindness for which we all so yearn to have a part . Looking forward to meeting you or hearing from you. Anita Tucker 0547775268 http://netzerhazani.blogspot.com www.netzerhazani.org/donate