60 heroic women who were rescued from Arab villages participated in a special and empowering Shabbaton organized by Yad L'Achim, while 110 of their children participated in a special program prepared for them at the same time.
The Shabbaton, held this year against the backdrop of the harsh war in the south, was named "Win Together," which recalls the fight of those Jewish women to escape the captivity of their Arab masters, and their daily struggle for survival since then.
As is tradition at Yad L'Achim, this year too, the Shabbaton was held in the month of Elul, to summarize the past year and to gather strength for the new year that is coming upon us for the better.
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The Shabbaton began early Friday afternoon: the hundreds of women and children, who were collected via a special transportation system, were brought to the spacious Yad Binyamin reception center, where they were warmly welcomed and given personal attention by dozens of Yad La'Ahim workers and volunteers who were waiting for them.
On Friday, the groups participated in a special activity. The women participated in the challah distribution, social games, and fascinating lectures, and the children took part in a special workshop about the month of Tishrei, centered around activities around the shofar, how to prepare it, and experimenting with blowing it.
There were tear-jerking moments during the lighting of the Shabbat candles, when a sheet of paper with the names of those kidnapped in Gaza was hung on the table where the candles were placed. The women took advantage of those special moments and prayed for the peace of our brothers and sisters in trouble and captivity, and for the healing of soldiers wounded in battle. "Only we understand a little of what they are going through there, in enemy captivity," they said.
After the Sabbath, the participants gathered for an introduction session led by Oshrat Bargo. After each received a luxurious siddur, they were asked to tell a little about themselves, and how the war affected their lives and made them connect even more with the people of Israel. Most of them wanted to emphasize that the mere fact of being with women who had gone through similar trials and tribulations to their own made them shed fears and concerns and helped them share their past without being judged.
On Saturday morning, after the end of the prayer, Rabbi Chaim Kahn, one of the senior activists of Yad La'achim, held a "All the Boys" ceremony in which the children were placed under the tallit of the organization's employees, with Rabbi Kahn blessing them with a priestly blessing.
At the Shabbat meal, the female protagonists were captivated by the fascinating Torah passages that Rabbi Yoav Robinson presented to them from the weekly torah portion and by fascinating stories with morals.
The children, who dined separately, also heard Torah readings tailored to their age and special situation, learned about blowing the shofar, and sang songs about the months of mercy and forgiveness.
At the end of Shabbat, a Malka-led meal and an event to conclude the Shabbaton were held, hosted by Shari Laufer, where, using therapeutic cards, she held a special conversation about the tools they were given during Shabbat and the "sidewalk" they take with them.
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Each of the participants told what Shabbat meant to them and what strength they took with them. Most of them spoke about family, support without judgment, the joy of being part of the Yad L'Achim family, and the desire to be better. They also told about the good decisions they had made to bring Judaism into their homes, and many of them emphasized that this was the first Shabbat they had observed in their lives.
Shuri Kostlitz from the Department of Rescue from Assimilation at Yad Laachim, which organized the Shabbat: "The goal of the Shabbat was to make Judaism accessible to these women in a pleasant and positive way, as they embark on a special 36-hour journey with their friends. Each participant came to strengthen herself but also strengthened her friends.".
Miri Itzkovich, who also accompanied the Shabbat: "In the shadow of the difficult war, this Shabbat was more successful than ever. You could feel the shift that has taken place in the heroic women in the past year, and the tremendous forces that this Shabbat has inspired in them. The noise of the planes taking off from a nearby military airport made all the participants understand even more the war we all have for our Judaism against those who hate us. It was an embracing Shabbat, a very good Shabbat. It is special and we are sure that we will see its fruits for many years to come.".
