Introduc�on It is my pleasant duty to start by thanking all those who toiled and contributed to the prepara�on and publishing of this album. First, a special thanks to Haggai Huberman and Naomi Eldar: Haggai wrote the first five chapters about the region's geography and history in general, the history of Jewish se�lement in par�cular, and the chapter about 'Security.' Naomi took it upon herself to compile and edit all the materials for the album. She also wrote the chapters that elaborate on and emphasize the characteris�cs and uniqueness of Gush Ka�f residents since their arrival un�l today - ten years a�er the uproo�ng. Thanks to Prof. Yossi Katz for his substan�al comments on the history of the region. Hear�elt thanks to the team of Gush Ka�f Heritage Center and especially to Rabbi Kobi Bornstein, whose mark is clearly discerned within the chapters. Thanks also to Ora Ohana, the archive director, for her tremendous help loca�ng the wri�en materials and collec�ng the photos. Thanks also to the members of the Public Council, headed by Mr. Shlomo Kos�ner, Chairman of the Council, for their support in the produc�on of this book, as well as to Adi Tzur-Moualem for the design, and to Shoshi Heizler for the linguis�c edi�ng. I have had the privilege of being �ed to the fate of Gush Ka�f since my youth. I accompanied the se�lement there almost from its infancy. I was 19 years old when I joined the founders of the "Ka�f" Nahal Se�lement in 1973. In 1980, as a ci�zen-resident, I was appointed director of the educa�on and culture department in the Gaza Coast Regional Council and served in this posi�on un�l the uproo�ng of Gush Ka�f. The Gush Ka�f album is a las�ng tes�mony for both our genera�on, which is already star�ng to forget and detach itself, and for future genera�ons, who might be doub�ul. It is the story of the sands, of the actual blooming of the wilderness, the establishment of an agricultural empire on an interna�onal scale, and the crea�on of a rich world founded on Torah and educa�on. Ques�on marks have always accompanied Gush Ka�f's existence, from its incep�on a�er the six-day war un�l its painful uproo�ng. Doubts hovered above our heads for many years. The issue has always remained on the na�onal agenda. However, over the years, there has been a na�onal consensus on its establishment and our holding on to it. These chapters of our lives will always remain a part of us; wherever we are, they are deeply engraved in our hearts. May this album become a testament and a textbook about 35 years of se�lement in the Land of Israel, years that have fleeted and are no more. About people; About simplicity and everyday life; About the love for humanity and the land; About small joys, hardships and ge�ng by; About a struggle like no other; About faith and unimaginable moments that make up a glorious chapter in the history of our people; About the long history of that region; About a dream that was sha�ered in one brief moment. The main part of the album focuses on the beau�ful years of Gush Ka�f, years of prosperity and success in every aspect, but the album also commemorates the great pain. We will not forget how the story ended, the deep sadness ingrained in each of us, and our great faith in returning to the beloved land that has brought us good fortune for so many years. Our hope is to return to that region of our homeland, with all of Israel united at heart and with God's help. Mordechai (Mochi) Beter, Director of Gush Ka�f Heritage Center The Gush Ka�f Album project is finished, but this is not the end of the story. The story of the thousands of se�lers who built Gush Ka�f, developed it, lived there happily, and were forced to leave it in pain and shame is not over. The suffering of my dear friends from all the se�lements, from Elei Sinai in the north to Morag in the south, who lost so much - their homes, communi�es, land, livelihood, honor, memories and strength - has not yet ended. Although ten years have passed since the evacua�on, about fi�y percent of the residents s�ll live in debilita�ng transience. Even those who have already moved to permanent, new, beau�ful, modern and well-kept houses feel hollow, painful and some�mes tormented. It is an irreparable, insurmountable loss. For twenty-seven years, I lived in Gush Ka�f, from the �me it was called the 'Gaza Strip,' and we were only a few dozen families in two se�lements: Netzer Hazani and Ka�f. I arrived there with my husband and firstborn baby. When we le�, there were my husband and me, six children, a son-in-law, and four grandchildren—three genuine genera�ons. We enjoyed every minute, despite some problema�c junctures, but our comfort always came from the knowledge that we were there on a mission for the people of Israel. It gave us the strength to stay and con�nue doing what we believed to be noteworthy. I also came to write this album from a sense of mission and a strong desire to tell everyone what really happened in Gush Ka�f, and this from the horse's mouth—my own and the people who have been there since the establishment of Gush Ka�f se�lements had started. That informa�on cannot be found in newspapers and books; it reflects our feelings throughout �me. Before I started wri�ng, I read plenty of materials. I carefully delved into studies and books on the subject, but I primarily focused on reading the transcripts of interviews conducted with Gush Ka�f residents as part of the important documenta�on project of the Ka�f Heritage Center in Nitzan. If I thought I knew everything about Gush Ka�f, these personal stories proved me wrong. What I knew was only the �p of the iceberg. It was not easy to write about the pain; it was not easy to hold back, fall in line with the consensus and some�mes cross out a passage wri�en with a bleeding heart. More than once, I cried out inside my heart, aching in my whole body, because the people of Israel understood what it was really like in Gush Ka�f. The people of Israel understand the power of those who se�led and lived there, safeguarded the country, cul�vated glorious agriculture, built a magnificent educa�on system, were the spearhead of every entreprise. they never ran away when bombs fell on their heads and did not surrender to promises when threats of displacement were sounded all over. It remains unclear whether the lesson was learned and whether we managed to convey the sheer magnitude of the destruc�on. It remains unclear whether the people understood the value-based language we spoke and the human strength that characterized Gush Ka�f, and manifested in the construc�on, se�lement, educa�on, agriculture, and Torah. This strength stayed with us un�l the very end. From the Editor's Desk As men�oned, today, ten years a�er the evacua�on, only half of the residents have moved to permanent homes, following long foot-dragging, challenging transience, upheavals in all areas and great pain. The new houses look beau�ful, and it is very easy for all the guests who come from near and far to say: "That's it, you have a new house, so now everything is fine"! But that is hardly the case. It is all very wrong. A house does not heal the pain. Inside each house reside broken, grieving people. They look ok on the outside, go to work in the morning (those who are not unemployed) and even some�mes go to the cinema, but inside, they are hollow; their life's mission was taken from them by lies, an�-democra�c ac�ons, and stealth. We prac�ced true Zionism in Gush Ka�f, involving se�lement and security in a magical landscape. A�er two thousand years in exile, we emancipated our homeland, only to be shamefully expelled from our homes, for no apparent reason. We were a beacon of strength for the en�re Jewish na�on, but they failed to see the depth of things. We prac�ced genuine Zionism, trusted our path, and believed that we personified a significant link in the chain of genera�ons that completes the vision of the Eternal Na�on. We bore the harrowing ordeals with love. We did not leave, and we did not break, but the na�on was not moved; it failed to consider and realize the magnitude of the event. We came to Gush Ka�f from all strata of Israeli society: Religious and secular, veterans and new immigrants, farmers and urbanites, Sephardim and Ashkenazim, and we have become one complete puzzle where each part complements the other. That remarkable togetherness we all shared was inexplicable. Everyone felt it, and it was our elixir of life. Hence the horrible pain over that significant loss. That pain was also accompanied by ineffec�ve, amateurish rehabilita�on, burdensome bureaucracy, cold-hearted officials and unfriendly laws. The feeling of betrayal will accompany us for many years, and the loss to the en�re people of Israel is indescribable. Fortunately for us, the residents of Gush Ka�f took their fate into their own hands, accepted the help of good people along the way, and insisted on con�nuing their lives together, building and growing roots in the land, prac�cing the vision of Torah, Work and Military Service. New se�lements were established in the Negev, and the natural wilderness blossomed. New se�lements were established in the center, incorpora�ng exis�ng and new educa�on systems; Netsarim residents moved to the city of Ariel and infused it with their spirit and faith. However, we s�ll hope we will be able to return there soon and rebuild our estate and legacy for the glory of the State of Israel, and if not us, then our children and grandchildren. Naomi Eldar
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