Rocket-free vacation from South Israel to Hungary

ROCKET-FREE VACATION FROM SOUTH ISRAEL TO HUNGARY

48 children and 32 educators have been  invited to Hungary from Israel – Eshkol Region, Sha’ar Hanegev and Ashdod – to spend a rocket free vacation.

The Rocket Free Vacation program was initiated by Rabbi Tamás Verő, rabbi of the Frankel synagogue in Budapest, Hungary. The main patron of the program is György Szabó, the head of the board of the Hungarian Jewish Heritage Foundation.

The goal of the program was to provide relaxed and exciting summer vacation experience for israelis who spent most of their summer in shelters.

The program was sponsored by different Jewish organizations and private donators.

With the first group 28 educators and 12 children arrived from Eshkol region and Sha’ar Hanegev. They live in a 2 km strip from Gaza. They arrived on the 27th of September, 2014. The educators have spent their summer by guarding children.

The second group included 36 children age between 13-16 with 4 madrichim from Ashdod. They arrived on the 3rd of September. These children live in very difficult economy or / and social background families.

Both groups stayed a week in Hungary. Their program included sight seeing tour in Budapest, few days vacation at the lake Balaton (in Badacsonytomaj), one day trip to Vienna and meeting some members of the Jewish Community of Budapest.

Beside spending a wonderful vacation in Budapest the participant were highly impressed by the fact that such a small Easter European Jewish community put lot of effort to give them this experience after such a difficult summer.

Lifelong friendships were born among the Israelis and Hungarians.

We received from the groups this sculpture that was made from Kassam rocket fell in Israel. The artist turns rochet debris to peace symbols.