Kerem Shalom
established
Regional Council
Population (Pre 7/10/2023)
Distance From The Gaza Border
Type Of Community
Economy
Kibbutz Kerem Shalom (Hebrew for “The Vineyard of Peace“), is so named because of its location near the Israel-Egypt border and the efforts of its residents in establishing peace in the region. The kibbutz was established in June 1956 by nuclei of the Religious Scouts, B’nei Akiva and youth from Kibbutz Sde Eliyahu in Northern Israel, who were later joined HaShomer HaTzair members.
In 1995 the old kibbutz was disbanded, and its common assets were transferred to the management of outside parties. However, six years later the “Israeli Kibbutz Movement” decided to re-establish Kerem Shalom, and efforts were made to absorb new members. In 2016, the Kibbutz Movement, Eshkol Regional Council and other organizations joined forces in an effort to promote the growth and development of Kerem Shalom. One of the main decisions was to change the lifestyle of the kibbutz and turn it into a renewed kibbutz with a mixed community of secular and religious people, and accelerated infrastructure and housing development in order to accommodate the new members. By 2018, 12 new families were welcomed into the kibbutz, if which nine were religious. In addition, a core of soldiers also joined and the construction of an eighth residential neighborhood at the entrance to the kibbutz began.
KKL-JNF and Kibbutz Kerem Shalom
The Events of October 7, 2023
At 6:30 in the morning the code red alarms sounded. Nine members of the kibbutz’s civil defense team along with six soldiers prepared for deployment in the kibbutz. Dozens of Hamas terrorists had broken into the kibbutz after crossing the barrier fence at the Kerem Shalom Border Crossing. Residents of Kerem Shalom live in single family houses spread out over a relatively large area, in about 35 houses. The civil defense team and the soldiers spread out from the front gate until reaching the last of the houses. During the first few hours of fighting, the defenders eliminated a large number of terrorists. Fierce battles raged for 6 hours without any outside assistance. The 15 fighters were the kibbutz’s entire defense force.
Amichai Shindler, 33, was badly injured when terrorists enter his home where he, his wife and six children sheltered in their safe room. Amichai held the fortified room’s door shut tight with his body, since the safe rooms do not lock from the inside. The terrorist, unable to pry the door open, placed an explosive device next to it. When it detonated, Amichai absorbed the entire force of the blast. His right forearm was blown off, along with three fingers and two half-fingers on his left hand. His left arm was badly broken, and his face and jaw were crushed. As members of the civil defense team arrived and engaged in a gun battle with the terrorists, Amichai sat curled up and bleeding but conscious for three and a half hours until help came. His wife recited Psalms loudly as he whimpered quietly so as not to upset the children. Miraculous Amichai survived his injuries.
Sadly, during the battle, two of the civil defense team were killed – Amichai Israel Weitzen, 33, a father of five, and Moshe Yedidya Raziel (Rosenberg), 31, a father of three. Thanks to their sacrifice and the heroic struggle of the civil defense team, Kibbutz Kerem Shalom was saved from the horrific fate of neighboring communities. The army arrived at 13:00 after the group had fought off Hamas for six hours, without the terrorists being able to penetrate it and massacre its people.
https://he.wikipedia.org/wiki/כרם_שלום
https://he.wikipedia.org/wiki/קרב_כרם_שלום
https://keremshalom.org.il/אודות/
https://news.walla.co.il/item/3615299
https://www.israelhayom.co.il/news/local/article/14831882
