Hi Everyone
I'm departing from my usual updates to let you know of two happenings at Matzuva today - Thursday.
While we've been anxiously following events in Gaza and the south of Israel with quite a number of our older kibbutz kids in the IDF down south,
today Daniel Niv son of Nahum Niv and Batya Safian of Ulpan fame celebrated his Bar-Mitzva at the Matzuva synagogue this morning.

A little earlier around 7.40 a.m. loud blasts disturbed the morning calm. A particularly loud bang was heard at Matzuva as a 120 mm katyusha rocket landed just under the perimeter fence of the kibbutz at its northern end. For the second time in the last twenty years all the windows of Anat and Karni Am-Ad's home were shattered. Anat was at home sleeping when it happened but is OK as are all at Matzuva (see Max's flickr update) The hit on the senior citizens care home in Nahariya was much more serious and thankfully only two were slightly wounded by shrapnel despite the direct hit on the home.

Once again the shelters were open and ready at Matzuva and the region and the kindergartens and schools were obviously closed today.

However, as has always been the case Israeli citizens really only want to get on with their lives and live in peace with their neighbours - we who are firmly in the peace camp see this is as a basic right. Unfortunately, fundamentalists to the north and the south of us don't see things this way.

Take Care
Baruch
Matzuva 17:30 January 8 2009