Telfed get-together in Ashkelon

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During the month of June, the Telfed Committe of Ashkelon and the surrounding areas held a small event to allow ex South Africans from Ashdod, Ashkelon and the surrounding Gaza Territory Areas to spend a relaxing evening together.

To get things started, Telfed's Vice Chairman Dave Bloom gave a background talk about Telfed in general and encouraged the audience to help in promoting Ashkelon and its surrounds as a favoured destination for olim. The well known Afridar neighbourhood in Ashkelon was named after a project of South Africans to help develop the town in the 50s and 60s.

The main guest speaker for the evening was Mr. Itai Bar-Dov who (at the time) was the spokesman for the Israeli Embassy in Jordan. Itai gave a talk about what it was like to be living in the Israeli Embassy at the time of the "Cast-lead" war from a personal point of view.  People were informed and told what the atmosphere inside the embassy was like at the time.  Everybody at the talk was sitting on the edge of their chair as Itai showed us newspaper clippings and told us stories that nobody this side had heard of.
 
Things in Jordan at the Israeli Embassy have now returned back to 'normal'.  Since the gathering Itai has been appointed as the Deputy Ambassador at the Israeli Embassy in Zagreb in Croatia.  We wish him lots of luck in his new post. 
 
The evening ended off with Sidney Shapiro giving a few encouraging words to all of the ex South Africans who attended and remarked how good it was to see such a positive attendance (of about 30 people) at the event.  This is the first evening event held in Ashkelon with the help of Telfed and its Committee.

 Written by Rene Weinberg

Pictures above showing the audience listening to Itai and below socialising before and after the talk on the roof of the Weinberg's apartment overlooking Ashkelon.

Itai addressing the audience