I started writing my book, Grains of Sand:The Fall of Neve
Dekalim, in Nissan 5765 (April 2005) and
finished a year later in Nissan 5766 (April 2006). The tragic
events regarding Gush Katif and their bitter aftermath burned in me,
forcing me to take pen in hand and spill the burning lava of my
thoughts and emotions onto white paper. And as I wrote, my
thoughts took form and shape; and the book became richer and the plot
clearer.
Grains Of Sand: The Fall Of Neve Dekalim is about an observant Jewish
family living in Neve Dekalim, Israel. The reader follows the family
and shares their worries and their joys. My book is divided into three
parts. The first part shows Neve Dekalim in its 'Golden Era'
- before Arab terror and before Disengagement (i.e. Israeli unilateral
withdrawal from its land). The second part shows the family dealing
with Arab terror and the third part of the book leads up to
Disengagement. So, while readers might find the first four chapters
'boring', these chapters are nevertheless a necessary setting of the
stage before the 'action' of Arab terror and Disengagement.
I grew up in Neve Dekalim, Gush Katif - the regional center of Jewish
communities in the Gaza Strip. Neve Dekalim was a beautiful community
of about 500 families, surrounded by some twenty smaller agricultural
communities. Gush Katif was located on Israel's southern border, and
was influenced by being both adjacent to the desert Negev and yet also
snug upon the Mediterranean Sea. Therefore, we were enclosed in an area
of arid sand dunes, summers were very hot and winters were mild. Yet,
on the other hand, the nights were cool, sea breezes were plentiful and
sunsets were breathtaking; a glowing orb sinking behind swaying palm
trees into the blue sea.
Gush Katif was populated by mostly observant (orthodox) Jews with
varied backgrounds: Jews from Yemen, France, Morocco, USA, India, etc.
which explains the numerous synagogues in Neve Dekalim. Crime was
practically non-existent - people did not bother to close their windows
at night, lock their doors, have burglar alarms etc. In fact, it took
my parents (who'd grown up in the USA) some time to get used to this.
In a way, we were all one big family; when you live in a community of
five hundred families you know everyone by sight if not by name.
We were an hour drive from the nearest city (Ashkelon), so we were by
necessity pretty self-sufficient with a local bank, grocery store,
vegetable store, pizza parlors, post office, libraries, health clinics,
etc. For entertainment, we had our friends, our youth movements (B'nai
Akiva and Ariel), the beach, we could all get together and have a
pizza, or drive into town and go to a mall.
However, the serenity of life in Gush Katif was shattered with the
outbreak of the Second Arab Intifada. On a personal note, my wonderful
geography and history teacher, Miriam Amitai, was killed in the
infamous K'far Darom school bus bombing.
A few days later the brother of a classmate of mine was killed. We were
forced to adjust to life under Arab terror: shooting on the roads,
mortars, Kassams and anti-tank missiles launched at our communities,
attempted Arab infiltrations. People we knew were injured, some even
killed. We lived in the knowledge that we were on the front lines, and
in the belief that our government wasn't doing enough to protect us.
Things took a turn for the worse when the government headed by Ariel
Sharon announced its intention of carrying out a Disengagement Plan.
The Disengagement Plan was the process in which Gush Katif was given to
the Arabs. This was to be a unilateral process on Israel's part.
Initially, PM Ariel Sharon brought this to his party to vote on there
was a Likud referendum. However, after his party voted against the
Disengagement plan, Sharon ignored them and proceeded full-steam ahead.
During two years the people of Gush Katif struggled to prevent it:
demonstrations, a human chain, prayer vigils, going door-to-door before
the Likud referendum, blocking streets, etc. But Sharon managed to pull
it through. In one week 8,000 Jews were banished from their homes. Gush
Katif was razed to the ground except for the public buildings which
were left for the Arabs' benefit. The Arabs proceeded to set fire to
the synagogues, and shoot missiles from the Gush Katif ruins towards
the Israeli towns of S'derot, Ashkelon, etc.
I chose to write my book Grains Of Sand: The Fall Of Neve
Dekalim for several reasons. Firstly, as a
way to have an accurate account of what was happening in that extremely
difficult time - for myself; the entire situation was so absurd. I was
afraid I wouldn't trust my memory later on. Secondly, after the
destruction of Gush Katif, it was very important to me to try and
eternalize the Gush; and the written word lasts forever. Lastly, I
wanted to share my memories and experiences with the vast public - so
that anyone would be able to pick up my book, and travel
beyond time and beyond location into my Gush Katif.
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