Sergey Kadinsky
Photography
These photos were created in the Summer of 2006, as a Media Fellow at the Jerusalem office of The Israel Project
Gush Katif Anniversary
These photos mark the first anniversary since the Israeli withdrawal from the Gaza Strip and northern Samaria. At the time of the disengagement, almost half of the Israeli public opposed the move. A year later, with a two-front war raging, many more Israelis have expressed regret that the withdrawal took place. The anniversary happened within a day of Tisha b'Av, the most tragic day in Jewish history.
At the Great Synagogue on King George Street, two documentaries were presented about life in Gush Katif on the eve of the expulsion. Gush Katif, or "Harvest Belt" is the Hebrew name used for the 21 Jewish communities in the Gaza Strip.
"Home Game" documents the annual basketball tournament held among the Jewish communities in Gaza. The 2005 Tournament fell on the day of the expulsion. Players had to balance the emotions of being forced out of their homes while practicing for their last game in their home towns.
The crowd began to grow in anticipation of the film. Books documenting the expulsion were flying off the shelves. Many in the crowd either participated in the protest movement against expulsion, or are themselves threatened by Prime Minister Olmert's future expulsion proposals, because they live in Judea and Samaria.
Within the auditorium, extra chairs had to be brought in.
Within the Great Synagogue are a number of art exhibits. This one struck a familiar chord with me- "Children of Latvia Draw old Synagogues."
Anniversary of the Expulsion
In Independence Park
Political slogans everywhere. "UN- Unwanted Busybodies" declares one sticker. Shouldn't these busybodies be in Darfur, Tibet, West Papua, etc...
The Gazan community of Morag is on the left, and the northern Samarian community of Homesh is on the right. These are scenes of daily life in these communities before August 2005.
Photos show the onslaught of Kassam rockets that were threatening Gush Katif.
Olmert wants the nation to simply get over the pain of expulsion and move on. The former residents of Gush Katif have a different agenda- teaching their kids never to forget their true homes, in the hope of eventually returning.
Plenty of young people attended.
This former resident of northern Samaria was born in Ukraine. She survived Nazis and communists, only to be thrown out of her home in her own homeland.
The community of Netzer Hazani, one of the finalists in the last basketball tournament in Jewish Gaza.
Aside from the yellow-flag Chabaniks, I found this to be in poor taste- selling authentic Gaza sand in glass bottles. These people pray for a speedy return to Gaza, so why are they selling sand? This implies that the return won't happen so soon.
The new Torah scroll was accompanied by a menorah from the main synagogue of Netzarim. Had the menorah not been removed from Netzarim, Hamas would have likely melted it for use as rockets.
The crowds were huge, bused in from around the country.
At the Western Wall
A Torah scroll in memory of the Gush Katif communities is carried through the Old City towards the Kotel.
Approaching the plaza.
Activist David Ha'Ivri of Tapuach looks on. I support all the good things he is doing, but I hope he stays out of trouble.
Donning the flag.
former Sephardic Chief Rabbi Mordechai Eliyahu
"Walls will not keep us from our land."
Line forms to celebrate as night descends on Yerushalayim.
Orange flies high.
Buses from the Golan and Benjamin regions brought participants to the event. People came from all over Israel.