Since the October 7 massacre, the Gaza Strip has been on the minds of every Jew. What was in Gaza prior to the current evil Hamas regime? Was there ever a Jewish community in Gaza? Come join me as we explore the Gush Katif Museum, a sobering exhibit of Jewish life in the Gaza Strip.

The Gush Katif Museum is located right off of Jaffa Street in Jerusalem, not far from the central bus station. This small yet powerful museum tells the story of Jewish settlement in the Gaza strip from biblical until modern times.

As we enter the museum, we are greeted by a timeline which begins with the verses of the Torah describing Yizchak Aveinu’s sojourn in Gerrar (Bereishit 27). This is believed to be near the ruins of Tel Katifa, where the settlement of Katif was located in Gaza. A few hundred years later, the tribe of Yehudah conquers Gaza. (Shoftim 1:5) Sefer Shoftim also tells the famous story of Shimshon, who lifted the city gates of Gaza on his shoulders in his battle against the Plishtim. (16:1-3) Sefer Melachim teaches us that Shlomo HaMelech ruled over Gaza (Melachim A 5).

After the Chanukah story, Yonatan HaChashmonai conquers Gaza from the Seleucid Greeks, and his brother Shimon helps to settle Jews there. In 61 BCE, the Jews are exiled from Gaza by Pompey’s governor of Syria. During the times of the Tana’im and Amora’im, there was a relatively large Jewish community in Gaza, including Elazar ben Yitzchak of Kfar Darom. During the Roman-Byzantine Era, a large synagogue was built in Gaza with a beautiful mosaic floor. Remnants of the mosaic were discovered near the beach in Gaza. It seems that the synagogue was destroyed in the seventh century by the Muslim conquest. In the 14th and 15th century, Jewish settlement resurfaces in Gaza, including many Jews who had escaped the Spanish Inquisition. When the Ottoman Empire takes control of the Land of Israel, the Jewish community in Gaza expands significantly.

The timeline continues into modern times, presenting the Jewish settlements in Gaza until Israel’s disengagement from the Gaza Strip in 2005. This detailed presentation provides an excellent educational overview of Jewish history in Gaza throughout the centuries.

The next room in the museum presents the accomplishments of the modern Israeli settlements of the Gaza Strip. Gush Katif was renowned for the variety of agriculture grown there. It was particularly famous for its bug-free lettuces that were grown hydroponically. Its dairy farm provided large quantities of milk to the country.

The story of the disengagement from Gush Katif is even more haunting in light of recent events. The museum displays fragments of glass from the synagogue in Neve Dekalim as well as mezuzot that hung on public buildings there. Even the keys to the synagogue of Neve Dekalim are hanging simply on the wall.

Nearby stands the famous menorah from Netzarim that was donated to the synagogue in memory of a survivor of the Warsaw Ghetto, Chanoch Neshilewitz. It was this menorah that the evacuees of Netzarim carried to the Kotel HaMa’aravi as they were removed from their homes as a symbol of the light of their community that will continue to shine.

As we walk through the museum, we encounter various road signs and an old bus stop sign leading to Gush Katif and Gaza, an eerie memory of the time when travel to the Gaza Strip was part of daily life for many citizens of Israel. The museum is also replete with the famous orange paraphernalia of the struggle for Gush Katif. The slogan “יהודי לא מגרש יהודי” (“Jew does not evict Jew”) rings as true as ever.

Perhaps the most jarring part of the museum is the actual footage shown of the disengagement. The awful scenes of Jews being forced to leave their homes and synagogues in modern times can bring tears to our eyes.

As we look back on this dark chapter of our history almost 20 years later, we pray that the future of the Gaza Strip will be one that brings peace, stability and security to our people.

Hava Preil is an enthusiastic licensed Israeli tour guide. She grew up on the Upper West Side of Manhattan and holds an M.A. in Judaic studies. Hava has developed and taught accredited courses in Tanach and Jewish ethics for Naaleh/Woodmont College and Cybersem. She currently lives in Givat Ze’ev with her family. Hava can be reached at IL: 054-844-1579, USA: (845) 391-0438, or at [email protected]. Visit her website, Home—Hava Preil Tours, havapreiltours.com! Hava is also offering virtual tours of various sites in Israel—a perfect activity for your school, synagogue or youth group!