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TO BE OR NOT TO BE-THIS YEARS PASSOVER QUESTION?!

by Anita Tucker

Thanks for lending me your ear and shoulder and listening to what is happening in my life, in the lives of those whose lifetime was turned to a pile of rubble in Gush Katif and sent out to pasture.

Yes I, as you, will have family with me for Pesach –– Passover, holiday. We too will continue the tradition and honor our youngest participants to ask the traditional questions. But I myself have some old new tough questions this year.

We too were forced to leave our small part of the Land of Israel to be trampled by the system.

We too had seen first-hand, G-d's hand in endless merciful miracles during the mortar and rocket attacks as well in the blossoming of the desert.

What G-d allowed will surely become clear to have been for good, but towards that we are obligated to continue to clarify and ask why????

Why have I and my friends held on to the spirit and values that built Gush Katif for dear life as if it is our personal responsibility to preserve them???

While praying, I ask myself each morning anew –– Why have my husband I and all those in my Netzer Hazani community here in the Ein Tzurim interim caravilla site (to be destroyed as well) insisted on preserving the community and not each gone on his merry way and moved on with his life???

What logic can there be in hanging around in these caravillas with leaks, breakages and endless physical and financial burdens? Has the trauma made us emotionally unstable?

Why was Yocheved, Moses's mother so stubborn to stick her neck out and endanger her entire family to nurse Moshe????

Why did Moses a prince in the palace, living the good life, stick his neck out for justice, why was he so worried about the next guy?

Why is there such a feeling of Shlichut of destiny of responsibility to the people of Israel –– that we are representatives of all People of Israel wherever they are or will be –– just as those that survived the ordeals of Egypt, the chase out, the stations of the desert, the receiving of the Torah and the entering the Land of Israel, represented in each step, future generations. Our souls are intrinsically rooted in the 60 myriad who survived all this.

My dear friends I hope it is clear as day to you that the people of Netzer Hazani, my community –– took many personal risks to salvage from the ruins and preserve the spirit and values that built Gush Katif.

The individuals in my community have made and make many personal sacrifices to remain together in this bulge of a question mark that hasn't yet been resolved or delivered.

Our focus is we must do our efforts and G-d will surely do His to ensure that all that was promised via the Prophets will be realized.

The values that took us out of Egypt and gave us the Torah and brought us into the Land of Israel and then in our lifetime again amazingly opened the doors to our Homeland are in our eyes very much alive and the heartbeat stronger than what it may seem to many whose eyes can't see beyond the daily newspapers.

When enemy threaten we can panic hide and protect ourselves with shelters, anti missile weapons and protective security –– or we can as Moshe in Egypt stand up tall and act on the spirit and values that G-d gave us in front of the toughest of challenges to, with G-d's, help meet the challenges.

Panic and fear weakens us and our faith. Caring, supporting and standing tall with the backbone of values and faith strengthen.

We, as you, were proud when the families of the murdered Jerusalem Mercaz Yeshiva boys who stood up tall and spoke with faith of their role among the People of Israel. We were proud of those families in Sderot who chose to continue living there not bending to those that wish to destroy the values of our nation.

Are these stubborn proud people foolish? Are they not realistic? Should they have said the situation is dangerous, let's run for dear life?

On a personal level, it certainly may seem so –– but they we are your limbs and you are ours. All who view Am Yisrael as one body against those that seek to destroy the values of Jacob are strong and stubborn.

Netzer Hazani families here in Ein Tzurim are proud to have taken the spirit and values out of the pile of rubble. We are proud that we have struggled close to three years to preserve and protect the spirit and values which were being threatened by the bureaucrats with a lack of understanding of the importance of preserving the community and the values we have held onto for dear life for the sake of the People of Israel, the Land of Israel, the Torah –– for us.

So we are still doing our part and when our pure children and grandchildren ask this year, why is this night different than all other nights? I will be asking in my heart, why is it more difficult this year than in past years of Jewish History for our partners to recognize the miracles, to stand up straight and meet the challenge hand in hand like a strong chain.

Will those people who understand and care stretch out their hand to partner with us in this effort?

We want to build anew to prepare a stable base for that spirit and those values to blossom and flourish –– seeds that have been preserved under stress need special care to be fertile again. The Prime ministers office is insisting that in order to build anew the families of Netzer Hazani meet the Government's shortfall of $2 million for the acquisition of the farm land beyond our compensation funds that they are holding for this. We must provide funds to meet this, which are beyond our capabilities.

Will we find partners who will stand tall next to us according to your capabilities? Is Am Yisrael still here?

Your answer will answer my question for the future of my community, its families and spirit and values –– to be or not to be?!

In the time of the plague of the first born, being passed over was an act of chessed by the angel of G-d.

If you choose to pass over us it may determine our fate –– not to be. If you choose to stretch out your hand as a partner in this effort –– you will make the difference –– to be.

We thank all those who have already generously helped us and stood by us towards this effort –– but we still have quite a serious hurdle to reach dry land and meet the demanded shortfall.

With G-d's help, WE WILL BUILD ANEW, WITH A NEW BASE FOR THE SPIRIT AND VALUES TO FLOURISH AND BLOSSOM! AM YISRAEL CHAI! EVERY QUESTION MARK WILL BECOME AN EXCLAMATION MARK!

If what came from my heart in this email entered your heart, your share in caring and partnering towards this true Pesach goal can be sent to:

Central Fund of Israel (501c-tax recognized fund)
Memo Tchiyat Netzer Hazani (our Israel recognized development fund )
Mail directly to
Anita Tucker
D.N. Sde Gat
Israel79510

Larger sums may be transferred directly bank to bank Please contact Jay Marcus volunteer administrator of Central Fund of Israel 972-54-7242182 or 972-2-9933006, earmarking for Tchiyat Netzer Hazani

Anita Tucker was a farmer and had lived in Netzer Hazani, Gush Katif, Gaza, some 29 years, until she and all the other Jews of Gush Katif were expelled from their homes in August 2005. They are yet to be provided with permanent homes.

Contact Anita Tucker by phone at 972-54-7775268 or 972-8-8585744 or by email at atucker@bezeqint.net

We received this April 7, 2007. Thanks are due Lee Caplan for sending this in.