The Game Goes On

THE GREAT GAME GOES ON

By Rachel and Moshe Saperstein. Neve Dekalim / Jerusalem Gold Hotel

A little over a week ago Moshe received a call from the lady who
tripped over the protruding water pipe at our new "home" in Nitzan.
"It's all done" she said brightly. "Come and get your keys."

"All?" asked Moshe with the skepticism of bitter experience.

"Almost all, inside the apartment" she replied.

"And what about outside the apartment?" he asked, already knowing the
answer: a neighbor had informed us that nothing had been done.

"Well…. You'll move in first. Then maybe it will get done. And maybe
it won't get done."

"Let me remind you" Moshe said, "that you tripped over the pipe, and
you said `they must be crazy' to put a sprinkler next to the
air-conditioner. We can't move in until these things are fixed."

"I'll call you in a few days" she said.

Three days later Moshe called her and was told "Everything is going to
be fixed. Just wait for my call."

The call came today, only it wasn't from her. Our lawyer called and
told me that the Expulsion Authority called him and said that though
they had already agreed we were entitled to compensation, and were
even preparing an advance, they had changed their minds.

Their new position is that we are not entitled to any compensation –
zero, nada, zilch – and certainly no advance. This means we are likely
to be expelled from the hotel at any time. But the Expulsion
Authority, merciful as they are, may take pity on our age and
condition and allow us a shanty in old Nitzan shantytown.

An American friend visiting us was apoplectic with outrage. "This
couldn't happen in a country ruled by laws, like the United States."
Moshe answered that the US is less ruled by laws than by lawyers, and
in any case Israel is a country ruled by brute force and they are the
brutes who have the force.

Serious as this all is we aren't going to let it get us down. After
being ejected from our homes and seeing them turned to rubble, this is
relatively small potatoes.

A court hearing is scheduled for Tuesday. We'll let you know if we
have joined the Wandering Jews.

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OPERATION DIGNITY, now an amuta [a non-profit organization], is the
umbrella organization to which "The Band Aid Fund" belongs. We are
continuing to give money to each family from Neve Dekalim. "The Simcha
Fund" helps families with brits, bar- and bat-mitzvahs and weddings.
"The Seed Fund" helps families settle into Nitzan and other
communities. Send a contribution to:

Central Fund for Israel
Marcus Textiles Inc.
980 6th Avenue
New York, NY 10018

Attn: Operation Band Aid