“Gachelet” Embers Ignite Israel's Towns
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“Gachelet” Embers Ignite Israel’s Towns Can a new brand of Torah pioneers create a revolution in Israeli life? By Leah Abramowitz There’s a new kind of chalutziut years ago: the wide gap, maybe even Within a very short time, there were [pioneering spirit] attracting Israel’s widening, between Orthodox and sec- 25 such communities, each with its young, national religious population. ular citizens. own emphasis, pace of development Hesder graduates and National Service Initially, individual groups of garin- and character. Three years ago the veterans are setting up small religious im Torani’im [religious nuclei] began to garinim set up an umbrella organiza- communities in development towns move to cities such as Beit Shemesh, tion, called Gachelet (Garinim and border areas to make a concentrat- Maalot, Kiryat Shmonah, Dimona, Chinuchi’im Leumi’im Torani’im ed dent on the educational and Lod and Ashkelon. Some began with B’Eretz Yisrael, translated: National social/religious situation in outlying a kollel, while others were initiated by Torah Religious Units in Israel) for areas. From Katzrin in the Golan groups of teachers and community common purposes and unified efforts. Heights to Eilat in the south, these workers who sought to raise the stan- The Hebrew word itself means ember. Orthodox couples are imbued with a dards of education and services in Says Avi Wertman, the group’s desire to make their contribution to development towns. Some were initi- spokesman and recently-elected leader, improve today’s Israeli society. ated by local residents who invited the “Instead of each one of us approaching Until the Six Day War, kibbutz garin to set up centers. Others were the government offices individually for members were considered the chalutz- chosen by chance by a group of newly- a grant, we thought it would be better im of Eretz Yisrael. They drained the married yeshivah students ready to to submit a unified budget.” swamps, tilled the soil and selflessly learn in outlandish locations. Avi believes that the very important gave their all to establish the modern In Be’er Sheva, Avi Wertman, a job of enlisting new families and par- State of Israel. After 1967, the mantle young man who grew up in the south- ticipants is better accomplished of idealism passed to the mitnachalim, ern capital of Israel, noted that all his through a central office, where all the the settlers in the newly-liberated areas religious friends left Be’er Sheva, with information is at hand and each candi- in Judea and Samaria, the Gaza Strip no plans to return, when they attended date can find the place most suited to and the Hebron region. Young, reli- yeshivah high school, ulpana, and then his/her talents, desires and employ- gious families looking for challenges in hesder or university. It was his fore- ment opportunities. the 1970s and ’80s could find no bet- sight and talent that re-attracted many Like other unique movements, ter framework for their energies than of them back through an organization Gachelet started as a modest, localized joining a settlement, establishing a called Moriah. effort. Fifteen years ago, a group of presence in the abandoned, ancestral In some communities, the initiative eight young kollel students who were homeland and revitalizing a Jewish came from the young wives. Avishag studying at Mercaz HaRav Kook in presence there, despite the predomi- Redman did her two-year stint of Jerusalem, decided to accept an invita- nant Arab population. National Service in Lod. She was tion from Eilat to set up a religious But some members of the religious impressed with the need to bring in Zionist kollel there. Israel’s southern- Zionist camp were concerned about dedicated religious educators to coun- most point, and its most famous resort another “wilderness” that has existed in teract the many destructive elements to town, is known more as sin city than Israel ever since its establishment 50 which the youngsters of Lod are exposed. as a center for Yiddishkeit. However, it After she married, she returned with had a thriving little branch of Machon Leah Abramowitz is a freelance writer her husband and several other young Meir, maintained by a handful of local living in Jerusalem. couples to form a Torah-inspired garin. residents who had become baalei teshu- JEWISH ACTION Summer 5759/1998 vah through the influence of regular tural evenings with the local, non-reli- stand clapping and joyfully stamping visiting lecturers such as Rabbi gious intelligentsia where we discuss their feet without really knowing what Yehoshua Zuckerman, the late secular-Orthodox relationships. I can’t all the excitement is about. Said one Professor Nechama Leibowitz and the tell you how important these meetings of the original baalei teshuvah who late Rabbi Yisrael Hess. It was this are. Today the people of Eilat have a brought the first kollel students to Eilat group of baalei teshuvah which wel- lot of respect for anyone whose head is 15 years ago, “They’ve changed the comed the first eight couples. covered by a kippah or a kerchief.” face of the city; they’ve influenced Michy Abramowitz, a member of the hundreds of lives. If I’ve done nothing original eight families, moved to Eilat else worthwhile in my life than bring- in 1984 with his wife Chedva and ing these families here, dayenu.” their infant son. Today, Michy, the Of course there are difficul- While Eilat retains a steady number father of seven children, is the admin- ties. Despite the fact that they are one of 30 families, with newcomers replac- istrator of the widespread organization of the oldest garinim, the Eilat contin- ing old-timers who move elsewhere, which now encompasses 30 families, of gent remains relatively small, and there the numbers in the garin of Dimona whom 15 men study full time in the is quite a lot of turn-over. “The dis- are continually rising. In the nine kollel. There is a hesder yeshivah, a tance from the center of the country,” years since the first five families arrived midrashah [study seminar on Judaism], says Chedva, a senior nurse at the local (all are still there), the organization has a travel office, El Artzi, for religious hospital, “makes one think twice grown to over 50 families today. As in tours, a hotel and myriad educational before attending a family simchah or a Eilat and elsewhere, it all began with a and chesed programs. professional course.” Similarly, some kollel which was established in 1989. “We have unique attractions here,” people are put off by Eilat’s reputation A dynamic American rabbi, Rabbi says Michy. “Every school brings its as an immoral center of vice – which Yitzhak Elephant, came to Dimona classes to Eilat for school outings once Michy and Chedva claim is completely and looked for a way to strengthen and a year. In the evening, our midrashah unfounded. “This town is made up of expand religious life in that develop- steps in and organizes special exhibi- the nicest people you can imagine. ment town. He turned to Rabbi tions, games and discussions about There’s no connection with the lower David Turgeman, a local resident who basic Judaism in an informal manner. city, where the hotels and hostels are studied at Yeshivat HaKotel, and right- The kids love it and the teachers are located, and the upper city, where the ly assessed that a Dimona born and happy that they’re not turning the hard-working, decent residents live,” bred rabbi, embued with the right out- town upside down. they declare. look, would achieve the most. “Eilat was once a city where religious Every Motzei Simchat Torah, Rabbi Turgeman has more than ful- people were an unknown entity.Today “hakafot” are held in the town’s center, filled that expectation. After enlisting we are sought out by all the schools in and the whole population turns out to the first families of the garin to estab- the city – religious and secular. We give honor to the Torah (together with lish the kollel, every year since then he give enrichment programs, we invite the yeshivah students and National has added another institution or associ- the children to our after-school and Service volunteers). The influence of ated program. In 1990 a hesder yeshiv- holiday activities. In the synagogues in the garin is publicly recognized by the ah was established which remains town, our kollel students give lectures mayor, by the children of Eilat and by Rabbi Turgeman’s chief concern. and classes. Since Rabin’s murder, their parents, who participate whole- Despite serious financial difficulties we’ve held some highly interesting cul- heartedly in the lively dancing. Visitors and Spartan living quarters, it is one of Beit Moriah Kollel in Be’er Sheva, one of the first in the Gachelet net- work, is made up of “hometown” members who moved back to maintain a religious presence in the city. JEWISH ACTION Summer 5759/1998 Approximately 100 Ethiopian students currently participate in the Bar Mitzvah program established by Moriah in Be’er Sheva, a city with a large population of olim. Gachelet leader Avi Wertman stands amid his students during a Bar Mitzvah trip to the Cave of Machpelah in Hebron. Israel’s leading and most attractive hes- programs. Seminars on religious and der programs, with more than 200 Biblical subjects are held for teachers young men enrolled. of the southern district. It is usually In 1991 a mi d ra s h a h op e n e d . the non-religious educators who are The midrashah in Dimona main- Fou r teen National Ser vice you n g the most impressed.