For the past three years, we have taken a group of 50 children affected some how in the Intifada to Italy and have given them the opportunity to try and forget all they have suffered in the last years.

We were sponsored by a Jewish Italian Organization, but this year they declined to renew sponsors for the project .
We think that this project is a wonderful experience for these children and the guides that are involved and we decided to do this project on our own with the Beresheet La Shalom Foundation.

We have received sponsor from Salerno in the South of Italy of full board, trips, transport and entertainment for 20 children in a villa on the hills in front of Capri.

The only sponsor we need is for the air tickets from Tel Aviv to Rome. We are taking only 20 children and 2 guides. The price for each ticket is 600 $.

We have sent you an article written by Angelica Calo` Livne, after the last journey in Italy, which will show you how special and important this trip is to all.

Yehuda Calo` Livne, president of Beresheet La Shalom Foundation,
Tel No : 050-5667710 or 04-6988694.

Tuscany 2004

It was a very, very special group of youngsters. There was there Elyav, one of the 20 members of the Frankfurter's Family who were seating in the Seder Evening in Passover 2003 in Park Hotel in Natania when terrorist exploded himself and destroyed several families. Elyav rescued his two little brothers that flew out through the windows. He went to look for them out in the bushes.
Alina and Reut, 13 years old, who were on the Egged bus that exploded in the last March, near Paamoneem Garden in Jerusalem.
There were there three wonderful sisters from Moshav Keshet who's parents were attacked in their house at night, by a terrorist who stabbed them with a knife, more than 16 stabs, until they succeeded to overcome him.

Before the trip, we organized a "Cake Sale Evening" to collect money (every woman that prepared a cake sailed it for 100 $). We organized a "Collect in the beach" and we made connection with the Mirabilandia's director (one of the greatest amusement park in Italy) so we received free enter for the whole group. At the Aqua Park we got the tickets for half price and every guest who came to visit us at the Villa brought a wonderful gift to every child (Gucci's sweater, footballs, little silver jewels for girls and boys).

The children were so confused and happy for the unexpected love. Their eyes were so shining and full of joy when we took them to the Coliseum, to The Trevi 's fountain, to the Pisa Tower, to the picturesque alleys of Florence, Siena and S. Gimignano that we were happy and moved more than them and we just wished to do for them more and more.

During the trip we had some very special moments that we keep in our heart and I want to share with you. On Shabbat we were sitting under the trees while resting and talking, when Orit suddenly said to me: "Edna, I love you so much, you are so kind and gentle, but I'm so angry with you! I heard that you established a theatre for children both Jewish and Arabs…. how could you do such a thing?" Orit had lost two brothers in the last intifada and she lives in a little village in Samaria. At 6 o'clock in the evening she can't circle in the street because from the neighbor Arab village fanatic terrorists shoot on the Jewish people.

"Orit dear, it's true. I work with Arabs and Jewish children because I hope that through the education, through the arts, through the love we'll be able to stop the violence, the pain and the madness. I have to believe this!"

Every day we had moments like this. Intense moments of suffering, of support to a child that was crying or frightened.
We were ready to go to the sea when I saw a boy who was seating in a far corner: "Oded what's going on, where is your bathing suit?" Oded - 15 years old - was alone, the Disc-man on, his head down, gazing to the floor, with hands closed like in a prayer. He didn't really want to speak with me and not with anybody. He was terribly sad and far from the world.

- "Do you miss someone?" He said “yes” with his head without looking at me.
- "Do you miss your brother?" A tear descends on his cheek.
- "What was his name?"
- "Nir".
- "Tell me about him". All the children were already on the bus and they were waiting for us with patience, with love and understanding, silently.
- "Nir was perfect, officer in Zahal, he studied in the Technion in Haifa, he was 24 years old, handsome, expert in everything, funny, good in sport, in everything!"
- " What do you remember of him?"
- "I remember everything, he gave me hope, motivation in my life every time I was sad! He knew me, he loved me!"
- " Did you like this trip in Italy?" – Oded started to cry desperately.
- "I like everything but how can I be here and enjoy when my brother is dead?"
I was desperate with him, I wanted to cry with him, to embrace him, to scream to the sky, but I put my hand on his hands and I asked him: "When was your birthday Oded?"
- "One month ago!"
- "My dear boy, your brother will be with you forever! In your head, in your heart, in your soul. This is his gift for your birthday. This is his way to continue to amuse you, to give you hope and motivation! Please, go to bring your bathing suit, come with us, give yourself chance to remember the best part of your brother. He is with you!"

After ten minutes that we were in the bus Oded's mother called from Israel. I was so moved. This mother felt his son's suffering. She told me: "Edna, God bless you, my boy is suffering so much, he never spoke about his pain!”. It was Friday morning and I knew that in this Shabbat, Nir was really with his precious family!

We can tell a lot of stories. Stories of tenderness, of despair, of growing up and of humanity. We had the purity to see with these children, with these sons of the most suffering people in the history of mankind. This real power of Jewish people: the capacity to rise up, to build from the ruins, from the end of hope.

And our prayer is: "God, bless us, don't live us alone, we are with your way, give us the strength to support our people and give us some rest!"

Edna Dr. Angelica Calo' Livne'
Kibbutz Sasa
High Galilee 13870
050-5806466
www.masksoff.org
www.breadforpeace.org
beresheet@beresheetlashalom.org