Kochava (from the Hineni office) sent me today’s list via
Whatsapp early in the morning. That gave me time to add the new contact persons
to my growing Hineni phone group, look up the new addresses and see what the
best plan of attack would be for the day.
The meals were ready to be picked up around 10.30 a.m. It
was great to find two new faces helping out the two ‘regular’ ladies.
Armon haNatsiv was the first area where we started off with a new address: Beit Canada, an absorption center for new immigrants with 200 meals! The problem was that the contact person didn’t pick up her phone!
Instead, we drove to the other side of the mountain to another Beit Canada, but this time with elderly people. Zina, the contact lady, looked surprised at the 30 meals. “We don’t need so many. Perhaps three? I don’t have room in my fridge for so many....” Frustrated about the communication between City Hall and the organizations, I told her to take the 10 and we’d take the other 20 back to Hineni.
In the meantime, Kochava had been in touch with Ziva from
the other Beit Canada, who promised to wait for us at the gate to the compound.
We were not allowed to enter and had to unload the 20 bags near the guard post.
The meals were carried inside by young American new immigrants.
“Thank you!” Ziva called from a distance. “We’re happy to
receive anything you can spare: cake, cookes, etc!”
As we were already on our way back to Hineni, Kochava told
us that there had been a misunderstanding at the other Beit Canada. “Can you
bring those 20 anyhow?”
We told her that we were too close now and didn’t waste any
more time.
The next batch was Pisgat Zeev – another 160 meals for 3
adresses.
Galina, from Hostel Golden Colony, waved enthusiastically
from afar after delivering her 30 meals. “Todah rabba, rabba!”
Lastly, we didn’t have to enter Hostel TUnik because someone
already waited near the entrance to receive the last 30 meals. “These are
distributed at the community center to poor people,” she said.
The challenges Benjamin faces for the coming days are only
becoming more and more. The restrictions will worsen and today’s volunteers
were wondering how they would be able to reach Hineni when public
transportation would halt altogether.
And then there is the upcoming Pesach holiday.
Benjamin’s plan is to begin the deep Pesach cleaning Friday
morning, April 3; on Shabbat evening, the rabbi will come to check if the
restaurant/kitchen is ‘kosher lepesach’. Sunday April 5 and Monday 6 the cooks
will literally cook up a storm while a team of volunteers start preparing the
300 yearly Pesach boxes which also have to be are distributed, on top of the
extra meals because of the Pesach holidays the kitchen is closed.
Depending on the municipality’s policy, Hineni will be open
for three days during Pesach. I hate to think what will happen to the elderly
if it has to stay closed.
I’m in touch with a few people who know others that are
willing to help out. This year, the locals will have to pitch in, because there
are hardly any volunteers from the Netherlands available that are still in the
country. Corona halted the steady stream of Dutch volunteers and nobody knows
how long this situation will continue.
So... in the meantime, we try to do what we can to help out.
