'Start-up' communities invite the South to Shabbat

Association of more than 50 fledgling religious communities invite rocket-weary residents for the weekend.

By JEREMY SHARON
Shabbat table 521 (photo credit: Thinkstock/Imagebank)
Shabbat table 521
(photo credit: Thinkstock/Imagebank)
An association of more than 50 start-up religious communities around the country have invited residents of the embattled southern region to stay with them over the coming Shabbat to provide them with respite from the threat of rockets attacks.
The Communities Foundation organization, which is behind the initiative, said that it is calling on all residents of the South, “religious and secular families, young and old, students, national service girls and hesder yeshiva students” to “disengage from the escalation taking place amidst their streets, to pack their bags and spend a tranquil Shabbat in the secure regions of the country.”
So-called “religious start-up communities” have been established around the country by the foundation to contribute to the educational and Zionistic life and culture of development towns and provincial communities.
“Thousands of families from start-up religious communities across the country are happy to open their doors this coming Shabbat for the residents of the South,” said Shai Tubul, director of the Communities Foundation. “It’s an opportunity to connect Israelis all over the country with their brothers in the South,” he continued.
“This project comes about because of our identification with the residents there and their amazing ability to deal with the tough situation in which they are living,” Tubul added.
In order to facilitate the program, the Communities Foundation has established a dedicated phone line for anyone interested in being hosted by a family in one of its start-up communities.