By: Yocheved Golani Jewish Press Wednesday, June 6, 2007

“Over 100 couples, formerly of Gush Katif, received gifts from the bridal showers we held around Israel this past year,” Shoshanna Schilit exults with a wide smile. “That’s $1500 worth of merchandise per couple!” the Bet Shemesh resident notes.

Part of a committee that includes Yehudis Schamroth of Ramat Bet Shemesh, Gush Katif “expellees” Anita Tucker (now in Ein Tzurim) and Rachel Saperstein (presently residing in Ntzian), plus Sharon Katz of Efrat – Shoshanna works diligently to raise funds for and the happiness of Jewish brides from now impoverished families evicted from Gush Katif.

The committee is called The Gush Katif Kallot Project. Members organize bridal showers all over Eretz Yisrael so that women can donate useful, new gifts such as kitchenware, linens, and small appliances. The Shower Committee members also readily accept cash gifts. “We add those to the large orange bags filled with goods. Together, it makes a heartwarming present to the engaged couple starting their new home together,” Shoshanna explains.

Bridal shower gifts

Shoshanna and Yehudis held the first in a series of bridal showers in February 2006. “Participants brought gifts and socialized with each other while ooh-ing and ah-ing over the display of presents. Then they enjoyed the music and vocalizations of Baltimore women’s band Ayelet HaShachar. Anita Tucker spoke of the continuing saga of the expellees. We used a local community center for the event at no cost. Our raffle for local business services raised money that we put into the Shower Fund.”

The reason that no brides were invited to the event was “so they could remain discreetly in the background. We didn’t want to embarrass our recipients,” Shoshanna adds.

“The event was so successful and rather easy to organize,” Shoshanna says. “So, we used it as a model and repeated our successes in Beit El, Efrat, Har Nof, Katamon, Maaleh Adumim, Ramot and Rechovot. We want to start making ‘Virtual Shower Parties’ outside of Israel, too.”

Ayelet Goldstein and Chanania – Neve Dekalim

To date, B”H, we have hosted showers for 130 brides or grooms from Gush Katif. As this article goes to press, we will have hosted 15 bridal showers in one evening (June 4th) in Gush Etzion and around the world: 13 in Efrat and Gush Etzion, one in Chashmonaim and one in Baltimore, Maryland.

This is the biggest joint project ever undertaken by the communities of Gush Etzion and Efrat, a projected addition, numbering nearly another two-dozen of the more then 40 brides/grooms from Gush Katif that are getting married this summer.

Aviad and Ayelet (Ochayon)

As 1200 adults, formerly of Gush Katif, remain unemployed at this date, and most of the affected families wait to be compensated by the Knesset for their devastating losses (homes, businesses, and more), the bridal showers and their subsequent gifts are greatly appreciated by survivors of the “Disengagement”. Many Gush Katif parents are unable to set up their marrying children in new homes. “Recipients of the presents are overwhelmed with the love of their fellow Jews who share in their smachot and the thoughtful generosity they offer to them,” Shoshanna says. Anita Tucker adds, “It is so beautiful that we rejoice together in building new Jewish families in the aftermath of the destruction.”

Tax deductible donations to the Project can be made as follows:

Dollar donations must be made out to theCentral Fund for Israel with the words “GK Kallot Project” in the memo line and mailed to Moshe Schilit 413 Grand Street Apt. F204 NY, NY 10002.

Shekel donations can be made out to Yad Eliezer with the words “GK Kallot Project” in the memo line and mailed to Rita Fuchs, PO Box 43159, Har Nof 91431.

Folks from all over the world can virtually join our shower by clicking on: http://www.voices-magazine.com/gift4bride.htm, or by mailing a tax deductible check to the Central Fund of Israel, c/o Judy Landsberg, 1263 East 23 Street, Brooklyn, NY 11210.

Another way to participate in this worthy effort of being M’sameach Chatan V’kalla, contact Shoshanna Schilit at srschilit@yahoo.com or call her at 646-416-6433. The number rings in Israel, so keep the time differential in mind.

You can reach Yocheved Golani at: www.ygolani.com; or at www.yochevedsbookshelf.com

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