ברחובות קריה...B'Rechovot Kiryah: The Madhala Family

B'Rechovot Kiryah

B’Rechovot kiryah…these two words come from Megillat Eicha which we read on Tisha B’av,the saddest day of the Jewish calendar, to commemorate the destruction of the Temple. Eicha is a book written from the depths of a soul facing persecution, poverty, hunger and abandonment.

In the town of Rechovot, Israel there is indeed a Kiryah. Kiryat Moshe is a mostly Ethiopian community, a community which has faced a life of persecution in their home country, a grueling journey across miles and miles to reach the country of their dreams, and abandonment when they arrived. It is a poverty stricken community with many of its older residents lacking the skills required to join the work force and what would be a bleak future for the area’s youth. Thanks to the generosity of the UJA of Greater Toronto as well as the Jewish Agency, changes are being made to Kiryat Moshe giving new hope for the young generation. My name is Alan Richter and I am leading a group of seven university students from Toronto on a 6-week volunteer mission to Kiryat Moshe. Working in a day camp and a Youth Group for ‘at risk’ youth we are trying to make a difference in this poverty stricken community, as well as to raise awareness in both the North American and Israeli community of their story and plight. The following blog will track our activities as well as act as an outlet for both the group members and my thoughts as the six weeks progress.

Sunday, September 9, 2007

The Madhala Family

I cannot continue this blog without mentioning the Madhala family, our adoptive family in Kfar Gvirol. Arriving in Israel from Yemen in 1952 the Madhalas and their extended family have expanded exponentially, and are now over two hundred strong in Kfar Gvirol.

The Shabbat we were invited to the Madhala home, the group was treated not only to a hearty meal in a warm family atmosphere, but a cultural experience as well. Not many of us had experienced a genuine Yemenite Shabbat, with their beautiful prayer services and spicy foods. Very often, spending Shabbat in a stranger’s home can be awkward or unpleasant. However, walking home from shul with the Madhala brothers that Friday night, I knew this wouldn’t be the case. After introducing ourselves we walked back to the house together as if we had been acquainted for years, as if we were just another family member coming for a Shabbat meal. With the aromas wafting from the kitchen, the smiling faces and laughter one instantly feels as if him/her is back in the comfort of their own childhood home. Whenever there is a family barbeque, or one of us is in need of a Shabbat meal, the Madhala family welcomes us into their homes with smiles and open arms serving us a tasty Yemenite meal consisting of Jachnun, different types of meat, soup, and fish. After spending time away from our family, it was very comforting to be in the warmth of a family environment, especially the warmth emanating from the Madhala home.

In order to appreciate the significance of our relationship with the Madhala family, one needs to know the history of Kfar Gvirol. Before their mission in Kiryat Moshe, the UJA of Greater Toronto was heavily involved in Kfar Gvirol. After building a brand new building, housing a school, library, community center, and sports facility, the UJA has done an excellent job transforming a once at-risk community, to a thriving, vibrant one with an even more hopeful future. Yisrael Madhala has been watching this renewal project unfold from atop the hill in Kfar Gvirol on which his house is situated. Yisrael remembers volunteers from Toronto, like us, helping his children in summer camps, groups, and schools. Having witnessed this transformation firsthand, he is always excited to host volunteers from Toronto now helping another Israeli community in a similar predicament to the Kfar Gvirol he grew up in.
The greatest testament to Yisrael and his family’s generosity can be seen when I called him late one Thursday afternoon, in need of a place to eat on Shabbat. I asked him, “Is it possible for me to come for meals this Shabbat?” to which he responded, “It’s possible for you to come every Shabbat, and you’re welcome in our house every night of the week too.” Yisrael is so grateful for all the UJA of Greater Toronto has done for his community. Kfar Gvirol is a living testament to the power of the generosity of the UJA in Israel and evidence of the hopeful outcome to the hard work us volunteers put into Kiryat Moshe everyday.