“Strengthening Jerusalem Through Community” is the motto of Garin Oz, meaning “a seed of strength,” which is a group of six Dati-Leumi young families who have taken upon themselves the strengthening of the spirit of Torah and Yahadut in the lower level of the community of Armon Hanatziv in Yerushalayim. Eytan Morgenstern; his wife, Rut; and their 3-year-old and 1-year-old twins live in that community and are active participants in the Garin Oz project.
Many of us have walked the Sherover Promenade and exclaimed at the magnificent panoramic view of Yerushalayim that it features. Unbeknownst to most of us, however, a few levels down from that vantage point is a part of the Armon Hanatziv neighborhood that can rarely enjoy the breathtaking view of the promenade. Instead, residents for the most part remain in their homes, fearful of the surrounding Arab villages that have been the source of numerous terror attacks in recent years. They do not know their Jewish neighbors and are not part of a community that celebrates Shabbat, Chagim and national events together. The young people of Garin Oz have undertaken the mission of rebuilding and revitalizing the spirit of the community through strengthening the Jewish identity of its residents, many of whom are immigrants from the Former Soviet Union and Ethiopia, and single-parent families who are struggling to make ends meet financially. Garin Oz hopes to raise their spirits through connecting them to Torah and developing community life in the spirit of Torat Eretz Yisroel, thus showing them that they are not alone in their struggles but part of a strong, supportive community.
In October of 2015, bus #78, a popular line for the residents of the Armon Hanatziv area, was attacked by Arab terrorists from a neighboring village. Three local residents were killed in the tragic attack. The mood was frightening and depressing. The next evening, in came Garin Oz and proceeded to organize a festive celebratory barbeque to express the gratitude of the community to the 150 security forces in the neighborhood. “Children wrote notes on food packages, adults manned grills and groups went to deliver the food to the wonderful soldiers and police stationed around the neighborhood. Residents came out of their homes with trays of coffee and tea for the volunteers.” A true sense of community was created in reaction to a tragic event.
In keeping with their mission of strengthening the spirit of its residents, Garin Oz offers Torah classes on Shabbat and twice during the week in the three existing shuls in the community. Shiurim are provided by the members of the Garin as well as by guest speakers, including refusenik Rabbi Yosef Mendelevich and Minister Uri Ariel. Workshops for couples in family relationships and parenting are also offered on a regular basis. Trips are organized during Chol Hamoed vacations to meaningful areas of the country to create bonds and unifying experiences for the families. One such trip was to Tekoa in the eastern part of the Gush Etzion bloc. In advance of Purim, the couples in the Garin are preparing Mishloach Manot, which they will deliver to the residents in each of their buildings.
In speaking with Eytan Morgenstern during his trip to the US for the purpose of spreading the mission of Garin Oz to the American Jewish community in the hope that they will lend financial as well as spiritual support to their endeavors, Morgenstern revealed a fascinating personal journey.
Born in Alabama, with a brief stay in Nebraska, Morgenstern attended Rutgers University where he was the head of Israel programming for the Hillel on campus. Upon graduation, he made aliyah and served as a lone soldier in the Givati Brigade. He met Rut when they were both serving as tour guides for high school youth groups. Professionally, he worked for Young Judea and for a counter-terrorism academy training security personnel. Currently he works in public relations for Sinn Partners, which represents Israeli hi-tech companies and non-profits. After marrying, the Morgensterns decided to return to Rut’s place of birth, Armon Hanatziv, and attempt to “bring it back to Jewish life.”
“Our greatest challenge is to bring the plight of our community into the limelight, much like the UN and BDS. If the residents of our community are not bolstered, they will leave and eventually the Arab residents will outnumber us. We are not a political organization. We were founded on the ideals of Bnei Akiva and Rav Kook. We would like to create an ongoing kollel and attract many more couples into the area.”
According to Morgenstern, Garin Oz receives minimal funding from Keren Kehilot, the umbrella group of the Torah Garinim throughout the country. It is the responsibility of the members of the Garin to raise “seed” money and then go back to the government for further funding. Morgenstern hopes that his visits to Brooklyn, Teaneck and Fair Lawn and his Shabbat in Highland Park will result in effective hasbara, public relations, for Garin Oz as well as some financial assistance.
Morgenstern thanks Erik Kessler, director of operations at The Moriah School, who brought Morgenstern and Garin Oz to the attention of The Jewish Link. Kessler, who met Morgenstern while serving as director of development at Rutgers Hillel, commented, “Eytan and Garin Oz are helping to ensure that a Jerusalem neighborhood and community remains Jewish. It’s hard to fathom that a historical neighborhood in Yerushalayim could slowly be lost to us.”
To learn more about the mission and projects of Garin Oz, visit them online at www.garinoz.com or contact Eytan Morgenstern at [email protected].
By Pearl Markovitz
