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(Jerusalem Post) When The Jerusalem Post last spoke with the Kirshenzafts in late July, they were at home in Neveh Dekalim, Rabbi Yigal Kirshenzaft recovering from multiple shrapnel wounds incurred when a mortar exploded near him on July 17. Today, the family of 14 is living temporarily at the Caesar Hotel in Jerusalem.
Kirshenzaft refers to the evacuation as "the calamity."
"It was the only home our family has ever known," he said. "We lived there for 23 years... all my children were born there.... We have no other home. My younger children don't like staying in a hotel – a public place – they ask to go home. But I myself don't know where we will be... there are no immediate solutions."
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Chabad emissaries for Gush Katif, the Kirshenzafts would be welcomed in Kfar Chabad and have sent three of their daughters to attend school there until they move to their, as yet unknown, new home. "Until then, we are split up," he said.
Kirshenzaft said his mission was to remain with his Gush Katif community, adding: "We want to stay where we are needed, and now people need us more than ever."
"After the calamity, for which we are still in mourning, the people here are very depressed and we are trying to raise their spirits," he said. "I held a hitvaadut [hassidic gathering] in the Jerusalem Hyatt last week, and Chabad performers are traveling around the country to cheer them up."
"Before the expulsion, people called me at 2:30 a.m. asking for chizuk [spiritual strengthening]," he added. "But now it's worse... they have no faith in our state, in our army, in the police.
Everything has changed. People wanted to leave Israel – people who were born here. Everything that was holy turns out not to be holy after all. It's not simple....
"What hurts most is not my personal pain, but the suffering of Am Yisrael.... Rewarding the terrorists with our land will bring greater terror.... They are reinforcing roofs in the South.... The forces scattered in Gaza will converge and launch massive artillery at Israel... more Jewish blood will be spilt."
Kirshenzaft, who has survived automatic fire, grenades thrown at his car and the mortar attack, awoke at 5:30 a.m. August 18 to loud pounding on the door.
"The whole house shook... Swarms of soldiers broke down the door and burst in," he said. "My first reaction was that it was a terrorist attack and I nearly grabbed my gun....
"Police chief Moshe Karadi promised me the day before that we would be the last to leave. But entering my living room I found my guests, two rabbis, being dragged outside to a bus, bare-headed... their hats and kippot had fallen on the ground.
"I asked the senior officer to stop, that I am a terror victim, but he wasn't interested. The officer was so wound up that I had to calm him down!"
Kirshenzaft said more senior officers arrived shortly afterwards, apologizing for the unpleasantness and finally released his guests.
"They said we could stay until the end," he said. "But later, my neighbor set fire to his home and our house filled with heavy smoke and fumes, so we had no choice but to leave early."
The Kirshenzafts arrived at their hotel at night, only to be informed they were not registered and no rooms were available. Kirshenzaft pleaded that he had no more strength to continue, and only then were they were allowed to stay.
The evacuation took place exactly one month after the mortar attack that had placed him in serious condition, he said, adding: "I haven't had time to be sick."
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