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Hugs in The Former Gush Katif Communities

(If you are a returning visitor to this page, you can skip the following introduction and click on the links following it to get the latest updates.)

The former Gush Katif communities were located in the Gaza Strip and for years had endured repeated terrorist attacks with scores of their members killed or maimed. (It was the maiming of three young children from the same Cohen family in Kafr Darom in a bus bombing attack on November 20, 2000 that helped serve as the springboard for the birth of Hugs for Israel.) But through it all the population of more than 7,000 Jewish residents (set in the midst of more than 900,000 Palestinians) remained steadfast in their determination not to be driven from their homes and the Land by terrorist. Then came the disengagement of August 2005 and the withdrawal of Israel from the Gaza Strip, essentially turning it over totally to the Palestinian Authority. It was a highly emotional and distressing time for the residents in particular and for the country as a whole. Now these former Gush Katif residents who had earlier turned their land in Gaza into thriving produce producing centers are now being re-settled in various areas of the country. Some are even being called upon to repeat their former success in new areas of the Negev Desert! Truly the desert shall bloom…

5 Bounce Castles for the Communities

On December 26, 2006 we were finally able to deliver the five bounce castles to the former Gush Katif communities. It went very well as we set one up in one of the hotels where many of the families are still staying here in Jerusalem. The other castles will be delivered to the various other places around the country where families are being relocated to. At the hotel, the children were already waiting for us and eager to see this new toy that they were told they were being given. I even had a couple of these little 4-year-olds to come up to me and say Toda Raba (Thank you very much!) They were just so cute. Click on the link, “What Israelis Say About Hugs” to your right to read the letter that the Director wrote to us. Then visit the Photo Gallery to see more photos.

Also the adults really appreciated the plaque that we printed for each one. We have mentioned this before, but just in case you forgot. On each of the bounce castles that we donate, we include a lovely gold plaque with the following engraved in English as well as in Hebrew:

Presented to: The Children of the Former Gush Katif Communities (or the name of whatever city it is going to)
From: Hugs For Israel
(Evangelical Christians and Jews from around the world who love Israel, the people of Israel and the Holy One of Israel)

“Whenever I am afraid, I will trust in the LORD.” (Psalm 56:3)

(Below the English we have the same thing printed in Hebrew)