Israel Matzav

Kiryat Shmona's 'finest hour'

I have no comments about this except to say that it's simply beautiful that people are pitching in and trying to help. It's a shame that some people may not be as appreciative as they should be. But one shouldn't judge someone in the position of a resident of Kiryat Shmona in the summer of 2006.

Three weeks after the beginning of the fighting in the north, Kiryat Shmona is surviving thanks to the generosity of organizations throughout Israel, the willingness of local residents and others from near and far to volunteer their services at the risk of their lives, and the army, which is providing much needed assistance.

On Thursday, there were only about 5,000 inhabitants left in the city of 25,000. Many of those who have stayed behind do not have the financial means to escape the Katyushas and spend almost all their time in bomb shelters. These people are completely dependent on the municipality for everything from food to diapers to children's games, as well as soap, toilet paper and all the other basics of life.

In turn, the city is completely dependent on the good will of the private companies, public organizations and individuals who have showered the city with largesse.

"One day," said Motti Avraham, owner of the Mor Minimarket near the southern entrance to the city, "two elderly men walked into my store. I could tell they were from Jerusalem by their accents. One of them asked me if I sold on credit. I said I did. Then he asked me whether some of my clients were poor. I said they were.

"He told me to take out my list of people who owed and mark those who were poor. After I did that, he turned to the other man and said, 'Take it out.' The other man took out a wad of crisp NIS 200 bills. He then began to give me NIS 300 for each of the people I had ticked off and told me to deduct the money from their debt.

"I asked them who they were. They replied, 'What difference does that make?' Then I asked them to at least give me their phone numbers so that their beneficiaries could thank them. They replied that the greatest mitzvah is when the donor does not know whom he has given to."

Read it all.

posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 2:13 PM