On a trip to Ashkelon this week, I couldn't help but notice all the building underway. While building is frozen all throughout Judea, Samaria and Israel's capital Jerusalem in places like Ashkelon the cranes are busy at work, the tractors are varooming all day.Ashkelon is spreading out. An industrial center, a sports complex, an apartment building, complexes on the beach, and a new marina mall.
Ashkelon in general is a lively place. There were ads everywhere for a new show, "Samson and Delilah." It looked pretty good.
We passed Kfar Nofesh L'Chayalim, a retreat center for soldiers on leave. Five and a half years ago, Kfar Nofesh was used to provide temporary shelter for Jews expelled from their homes in Gush Katif. The women of my community had traveled there to visit the Gush Katif women in Kfar Nofesh. Life was very difficult for the families there.
Seeing Kfar Nofesh started me thinking of Gush Katif throughout the day.
We walked along the beach. My husband commented that the sand was so fine and white. Its vanilla beads popped right and left as we walked. I said, "The sand is almost as nice as the perfect sand of Gush Katif." We picked sea shells. I compared them to the sea shells I remembered from Gush Katif. Wow, they looked just about the same.
We marveled at the clear green sea. Somewhere that sea touched the sea of Gush Katif. Was it still green and gorgeous? I hoped it was, even though we couldn't enjoy it now.
Ashkelon building is going along full-speed-ahead. I hoped that the same would soon be true for the rest of Israel, and I look forward to the rebuilding of Gush Katif one day soon, as well.
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Unlike Ashkelon's coast, the sand of Gush Katif was golden and it's seashells colorful and plentiful. For an example of Gush Katif seashells from the Tamariam beach look at the book cover of Grains Of Sand The Fall Of Neve Dekalim by Shifra Shomron.
ReplyDeleteSince our expulsion, I occasionally visit the Ashkelon and Ashdod beaches. I search for seashells as I did at the Tamarim beach, but haven't found a similar variation or selection in color and size. Perhaps this has something to do with being further north of Egypt and the Delta's flowing currents into the Mediterranean as I'm told the seashells are even less abundant in Netanya.
May we all merit to enjoy, once again, frolicking on the golden sands of Gush Katif and enjoying the splendor of its seashells - speedily in the rebuilding of Gush Katif.
Shalom!
ReplyDeleteI lived opposite that K'far Nofesh for nine months, with about 50 other families from K'far Darom, in a high-rise totally unlike our home. (At about Pesach time, because the K'far Nofesh was needed for vacationing officers, the army complained that the families from Katif were still there. Talk about chutzpah! Later the K'far Nofesh was used as a temporary base for soldiers on their way to Gaza for Operation Cast Lead. The expulsion removed previously used IDF bases. The waste just grows and grows...)
I couldn't look at the sea, which was clearly visible from my salon, without thinking of home, Gush Katif. I wanted to ride the waves south to my hometown beach... If the sea is no longer green and gorgeous it will be yet one more thing we have to recover when we return, G-d willing soon.
"GUSH KATIF"
ReplyDeleteTRACTORS VAROOMING ALL DAY!
ASHKELON SPREADS,
KFAR NOFESH,
SANCTUARY
OF MY MEMORIES!
TRAVELING ALONG
WITH MY LOVE,
MARVELING
THE CLEAR GREEN SEA,
STILL GREEN AND GORGEOUS
IN MY DREAMS!
SEA SHELLS ON MY HANDS
GUSH KATIF'S MEMORIES
GREEN SEA OF ASHKELON
SOMEWHERE TOUCHES MY SEA!
FULL-SPEED-AHEAD
ASKELON SPREADS,
MY HOPES
FLY AGAIN,
REBUILDING
MY GUSH KATIF!
GREEN SEA OF ASHKELON,
SOMEWHERE TOUCES MY SEA,
STILL GREEN AND GORGEOUS
IN MY DREAMS!
WITH TEARS IN MY HEART, DEDICATED TO GUSH KATIF
BY CHESED Y. AVRAHAM
KNOWN AS LUZ VEGA
SEATTLE, WA 11/12/10