My Israel Resilience Campaign Fundraising Page
Eliana Schwartz
Eliana Schwartz
Dear Family and Friends,
As we all know, all of our lives have been changed since October 7th. It is hard to celebrate a happy occasion like a bat mitzvah when so many of our brothers and sisters in Israel remain on the frontlines fighting, or living in displaced homes, or still held hostage by Hamas.
For my bat mitzvah project, I have chosen to focus on school age children like me from Kibbutz Reim, whose lives were shattered on October 7th. Kibbutz Reim is located in the south of Israel about 5 kilometers from Gaza and was founded in 1949 by members of the Israel Boy and Girl Scouts Federation. The secular kibbutz was originally called "Tel-Reim" (Tel means hill and Reim means friend) it was known as the Hill of Friends. On October 7, the population was about 400 people, 140 of them 19 years of age and younger. Kibbutz Reim used to be one of the quietest, most beautiful places in the Western Negev before it became a battlefield. The kibbutz's economy is based on agriculture and has a laser factory.
On October 7, 2023, more than one hundred well-armed terrorists infiltrated Kibbutz Reim. In the first hours, the kibbutz was protected by its 6 standby security squad members, while the majority of people were trapped in their homes for over 24 hours. Though the security team saved much of the local population, 7 people were killed, and five were taken hostage including Liam Or (18) and four Thai workers - all of whom have been freed. Sadly, most of the damage to the kibbutz happened in the youth village where the teens and young adults lived. The surrounding fields of Kibbutz Reim is also where the Nova Festival was held, where 364 people were murdered and 40 more were taken hostage.
On October 8th, the entire kibbutz was evacuated to Eilat and then later to Tel Aviv, but they now want to return home. They want to rebuild their homes, businesses and educational centers.
The story of this Kibbutz spoke to me for many reasons, but especially because of the young teenagers like me who were impacted. Together with my family and friends, I would like to help rebuild the schools for the children of Reim which make up 35% of the kibbutz population. They need teachers and counselors for special needs and mental health support. They also need desks and computers and pens and paper. As you know, education is a very important part of my family's core values, and I want to make sure that the children of Reim have everything they need when they go back to school.
To mark my bat mitzvah, in lieu of gifts, I would love for you to join me in helping the children of Reim get back into the classroom. I want them to continue learning and growing and spending time with their friends in schools that are safe, and in a world filled with peace.
Thank you in advance for joining me in this project.
Yachad N'naseach - Together we will win.
Love,
Eliana
P.S. Video Captures Wreckage Left In Re'im, Israel, After Hamas' Deadly Rampage In Israeli Music Festival youtube.com/watch?v=fLZci_yT7Jw
As we all know, all of our lives have been changed since October 7th. It is hard to celebrate a happy occasion like a bat mitzvah when so many of our brothers and sisters in Israel remain on the frontlines fighting, or living in displaced homes, or still held hostage by Hamas.
For my bat mitzvah project, I have chosen to focus on school age children like me from Kibbutz Reim, whose lives were shattered on October 7th. Kibbutz Reim is located in the south of Israel about 5 kilometers from Gaza and was founded in 1949 by members of the Israel Boy and Girl Scouts Federation. The secular kibbutz was originally called "Tel-Reim" (Tel means hill and Reim means friend) it was known as the Hill of Friends. On October 7, the population was about 400 people, 140 of them 19 years of age and younger. Kibbutz Reim used to be one of the quietest, most beautiful places in the Western Negev before it became a battlefield. The kibbutz's economy is based on agriculture and has a laser factory.
On October 7, 2023, more than one hundred well-armed terrorists infiltrated Kibbutz Reim. In the first hours, the kibbutz was protected by its 6 standby security squad members, while the majority of people were trapped in their homes for over 24 hours. Though the security team saved much of the local population, 7 people were killed, and five were taken hostage including Liam Or (18) and four Thai workers - all of whom have been freed. Sadly, most of the damage to the kibbutz happened in the youth village where the teens and young adults lived. The surrounding fields of Kibbutz Reim is also where the Nova Festival was held, where 364 people were murdered and 40 more were taken hostage.
On October 8th, the entire kibbutz was evacuated to Eilat and then later to Tel Aviv, but they now want to return home. They want to rebuild their homes, businesses and educational centers.
The story of this Kibbutz spoke to me for many reasons, but especially because of the young teenagers like me who were impacted. Together with my family and friends, I would like to help rebuild the schools for the children of Reim which make up 35% of the kibbutz population. They need teachers and counselors for special needs and mental health support. They also need desks and computers and pens and paper. As you know, education is a very important part of my family's core values, and I want to make sure that the children of Reim have everything they need when they go back to school.
To mark my bat mitzvah, in lieu of gifts, I would love for you to join me in helping the children of Reim get back into the classroom. I want them to continue learning and growing and spending time with their friends in schools that are safe, and in a world filled with peace.
Thank you in advance for joining me in this project.
Yachad N'naseach - Together we will win.
Love,
Eliana
P.S. Video Captures Wreckage Left In Re'im, Israel, After Hamas' Deadly Rampage In Israeli Music Festival youtube.com/watch?v=fLZci_yT7Jw
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