Eli

Our Sukka on the roof:



And seen from the yard across the street:

11 to 15 Tamuz 5765
18 - 21 July 2005
Posted: Tishrei, Cheshvan 5766

Note: Click on tiny photos for a larger view.

I had signed up for the boys' bus (in contrast to the "family" bus) several days in advance and showed up at the corner by the bank with my knapsack, mattress, Israeli flag, etc. only to discover police, including YS"M all around and no buses.

We waited for instructions, apparently from Moetzet Yesha, and were told to go join the Mercaz Harav people waiting down the street. We got there and found more police and MG"V gendarmes.
After waiting again for instructions we headed down towards the city exit where we were again expecting buses. We were joined by YS"M who sometimes pushed people out of the street and onto the sidewalk, and YM"M on a motorcycle. The following photos are frames from low resolution video that I took.

They all stayed with us and finally blocked the sidewalk by Mossad Harav Kook.

So I hitchiked to Mevasseret and from there to Netivot. As we got closer to Netivot traffic crawled to a halt.

After the rally in Netivot we started marching to Kfar Maimon on Monday night.

But when we got near Kfar Maimon the police blocked the road and the fields. So we sat down to wait.

I finally arrived at the camp after 12 AM, and at about 3AM the dew fell on my blanket case that I was using as a sleeping bag. I got up at about 5AM and took this night shot.

		I joined the first Shacharit at 6AM.
And a professional got a shot of me: Taken from the photo montage in the movie at www.katif.net/pirsom/kfar.wmv

More people started waking up and a tremendous crowd formed by the chemical toilets. While a helicopter flew overhead and a glider of some sort seemed to be performing reconnaisance for us as the police continued to circle the camp, including water canon and horses.

At 8:44 AM we "escape" from the open field into the private property fenced-in village of Kfar Maimon, where there is shade and the locals provide the lucky ones (like me) with shower and kitchen facilities, air conditioning, etc.

9:30 AM: I joined the Ramat Gan students and we heard a Shiur from Rav Yakov Ariel. He said that it's not possible to march from the Kisufim junction to Gush Katif, and we also are not even too likely to get to the Kisufim junction. The point is to demonstrate that we want to get to Kisufim and symbolize our objection to the soldiers and police expelling Jews through there.

2PM: Rav Motti Elon gives a sicha, afterwards I see the drum players:

Throughout the day there were all kinds of surveillance overhead to keep track of the dangerous crowd.

At 4:30 we gathered together for instructions. The orange university student group "Ta Katom" arrived as usual with their signs.

I saw this sign posted on a pole, apparently from the morning. Click on the photo to see it in large

9:30 PM - Someone's selling corn on the cob.

Wednesday: In the morning I heard some Sichot by Rav Yehoshua Shapira, Rosh Yeshivat Ramat Gan. At about 5PM I heard people marching and chanting, and I went to see what it was. People were marching double-file after a van, simulating marching soldiers, and chanting
Smol, Yemin, Smol; Smol, Yemin, Smol; Smol, Yemin, Smol: Hamfaked Ani Lo Yachol.
Lo Ani Hamfaked: Lo; Lo Ani Hamfaked: Lo; Lo Ani, Lo Ani: Hamefaked Ani Lo Mesugal
encouraging the soldiers along the fence to tell their officers that they were unable to perform orders to expel Jews from Gush Katif.

Military police, regular police, and soldiers along the village fence. (The entire village is surrounded by police and soldiers):
After I joined the march, Yuval Ginzberg of Machon Meir caught me on video, as seen here in a frame from his Taklitor Hitchabrut (For Orders: 02-6514857).

7PM: The crowd gathered and Rav Avraham Shapira said Tehillim as we prepared to march out of Kfar Maimon towards Gush Katif.

The crowd then marched toward the gate with the Rabbis at the head, as seen here in two more frames from Yuval Ginzberg's video:

		The Rabbis arrive at the police at the gate. Zoom in on (ltr) Rav Yakov Medan, Rav ?, and Rav Shlomo Aviner. These two photos are by David Wilder. See his full photo essay at www.eretz.org/kmaimon.htm.
		Rav Medan speaks to the police officers and soldiers on a megaphone. He said "I assure you in the name of my friends and in my name: we will not make any provocation; we'll go to them, we'll hug them, we'll tell them that we are with you, and that's all nothing more in their difficult time. I plead with you in this difficult time, let us pass and get there."

But the police didn't move out of the way, so we sat down to wait. But first I had my picture taken.

In the end instead of marching out, we marched along the fence talking and singing to the police and soldiers:

And then we sat down to wait some more. I joined a group of musicians; I sang.

At about 12 Midnight we understood that it was time for another night in Kfar Maimon and we went back to set up all over again in the parks and gardens of Kfar Maimon. Then in the morning on Thursday the crowd gathered again, this time to be told to go home and wait for further instructions. So we left. But first we cleaned up the garbage.


A truck collects the piles of garbage that we gathered together in the field where we had slept on Monday night.

I arrive home at 6PM

The famous Minyan photo from the internet. (Not mine).


Note: Click on tiny photos for a larger view.