The people living in the yishuv of Shiloh, in the Binyamin region of the Shomron, have been deeply affected by the war in Gaza. Shiloh is a beautiful place to live, explained Chava Kleinman (nee Moss), originally from Montreal. Chava, a social worker, has been living there for 30 years and works as the director of community services in the settlement. She described the gorgeous natural setting of Shiloh, situated on a mountain surrounded by other green mountains, vineyards and olive trees. She also pointed out that Shiloh is a place of great biblical significance, since the Mishkan was located there for 369 years.
Currently, 450 families, including nearly 1,000 children and teens, make up the Jewish community of Shiloh. This includes many Israeli families as well as some families that made aliyah (such as the Kleinmans). Kleinman noted that it is an amazing community in terms of chesed and the help that people provide for one another.
As with every community in Israel, the war in Gaza has affected the people of Shiloh in many ways. One of their young men, Avinatan Or, was taken hostage on Oct. 7 along with his girlfriend Noa Argamani. (Many have seen the two in a Hamas video, being torn apart from each other, as the Hamas members drive Noa away on a motorcycle). The Shiloh community is trying to help the Or family as much as possible and to show that they will do whatever they can to bring him home. They even raised money and dedicated a new sefer Torah on Avinatan’s birthday, praying together that he would come home.
From the families in Shiloh, 150 husbands/fathers were called up to fight, many with large and young families. A team of volunteers has come together to help the wives get through this difficult time. They organize babysitting, cleaning help and even workshops to get the women out of the house for a while. “Also, when the fathers come home to visit, it’s not so simple,” Kleinman said. “They often feel like guests in their own homes. Their wives are doing what they can, but sometimes the fathers are surprised when they come home to see that cornflakes are being served for dinner.”
Kleinman’s own husband Daniel, 47, is currently serving in Miluim (reserves) in the Shiloh area. Chava explained that it has been challenging physically for him because he has been trained to be on the first response team and is expected to do things that most 47-year-olds don’t do. Additionally, his shifts are often in the middle of the night and he has not been able to work at his job for several months. Kleinman sadly said, “Shabbat is not Shabbat without him.” Likewise, Shlomo, one of her sons, has been in and out of Gaza since the war began. Since he is married with two children, the Kleinmans have been trying to help his wife and their two grandchildren.
Kleinman related that one of the most difficult events to have occurred to her community is that their beloved Gilad Nitzan was killed. Gilad had been a central figure in the community. He was one of seven siblings and his family was well-known to almost everyone. Having been a madrich (counselor) in Bnei Akiva for years, he was a role model to many kids. At age 21, he had fought since being called up on Oct. 7 to defend the residents of the Gaza border. He fell on Nov. 3, 2023 while courageously leading his team into battle against Hamas in Gaza. He is remembered for often having said, “In a place where there are no men, try to be a man. In a place where there are men, try to be first.”
“It has been a major tragedy for all of us,” Kleinman said. “Unfortunately our kids know terrorism and trauma. We have people in the yishuv who have been killed in other terror attacks. And recently, a 16-year-old was killed, five minutes away from us in Eli.”
Several years ago, Nitzan’s parents Yaakov and Yehudit initiated the building of a youth center, a place where Gilad served as a teen participant and later as a counselor. However, they were only able to gather enough funds to complete the first stage of the building at a cost of $550,000. Since Gilad fell in battle, the Shiloh community is moving forward with the project to complete the center. The community is trying to raise funds to add stories to the building, which will be called “Beit Gilad,” in memory of Gilad.
Kleinman is helping to lead the initiative in raising the funds for the construction. The idea is that it will be a second home for the teens of Shiloh. “It will be a place big enough and welcoming for teens to hang out. We don’t have a space like that. Our community is growing and we need a space for them — a place to come to where they can feel at home. Many teens could use an escape sometimes from their own homes, where there can be emotional or financial stress. Beit Gilad will be a warm, friendly environment with ping pong tables and sofas.”
Kleinman then explained that teens are often resistant to speaking to a therapist alone and are more comfortable in groups. So, she and her team will organize different playback, drama and art workshops. They will provide alternative therapy and support groups for the teens to navigate their trauma from the war and general difficulties. “They will come if it’s something they can do with their friends,” explained Kleinman. Beit Gilad will have activity rooms, a main hall for lectures and workshops, informal education, and house the local Bnei Akiva chapter.
“The good thing is that one story is already built, the ground floor. And we have been raising money in Israel and as a community,” Kleinman explained determinedly. “We are a third of the way there but we need more capital. It’s going to happen; we are doing it.”
To donate, visit https://www.israelchildren.org/youth. For further details, email [email protected].
Dassi Lewis is a staff writer at The Jewish Link.
