Gearing Up at the Pina Chama for Independence Day

Every year residents of Efrat and Gush Etzion put together a mega-barbecue at the Pina Chama (Soldiers Hospitality Hut) as a thank-you to the hundreds of servicemen and women who protect our communities from the southern gate of Jerusalem through the Hills of Hebron, from the Lamed Hei (on the way to Bet Shemesh) to Eastern Gush Etzion.
It's an incredible experience for volunteers and soldiers alike, as warm smiles and BBQ smells abound.
I popped by the Pina Chama today to see how things are progressing for tomorrow, IY"H.
Food donations had started coming in, especially dozens of boxes of cookies donated by Gili's Goodies, and more boxes donated by a Friend of Pina Chama. The fridge's humous shelf was filling up, and boxes of soda have begun to arrive.
Everyone is excited about tomorrow's BBQ, from our grillers, to our salad scoopers, to our soldiers who will be coming from near and far.
The BBQ could use more sponsors. Please write to limjts@netvision.net.il if you can help. 


Let's make it a Happy Independence Day for the men and women of the Israel Defense Forces.

Yom HaAtzmaut at Pina Chama

As Israel celebrated its 63rd birthday, my family went to Gush Etzion's Pina Chama (soldiers' hospitality hut) to make a barbecue for our men and women in the Israel Defense Forces and thank them for their service to the nation.

Dozens of volunteers cut pickles and pitot, counted flatware, filled containers of salad and barbecued chicken, franks and hamburgers that were finished as soon as they were finished. :)

Volunteers did anything and everything for the benefit of the soldiers. I washed dishes (although I'd never wash them at home) and stacked pickle containers (a vital task). One of our neighborhood builders washed the floor. Accountants and entrepreneurs manned the grill.

Folks from every community in Gush Etzion sent the Pina Chama salads, sodas and cakes for the soldiers. Food was plentiful and spirits were high.

The chayalim (soldiers) came in waves, thanked the volunteers and left with boxes packed with yummy meats and salads. They brought packages back to their fellow soldiers throughout Gush Etzion.

Pina Chama is open every weekday, but Yom HaAtzmaut is the biggest day of the year with almost 1000 soldiers joining in the feast-ivities.

Happy Yom HaAtzmaut to Am Yisrael, especially our dear soldiers.

Join us at Pina Chama in these short clips:

http://www.voices-magazine.com/index.php?page=inside_page&id=194

http://www.voices-magazine.com/index.php?page=inside_page&id=133