Swapping ‘SELAH’ Stories -by Rachel Saperstein
Excerpts:
“Dan and Aviva are refugees from Gush Katif. Both are devoutly religious, sensitive, quiet-spoken people. They lived down our block. Dan is studying to be a rabbi. Aviva is an assistant kindergarten teacher. When we arrived in Neve Dekalim they were expecting their second child, a daughter, and then we welcomed their third, a son. Today SELAH, the Disengagement Authority, is demanding a DNA test from the family to prove the children really are theirs. The couple must cover the cost of this expensive test. Dan and Aviva are from Ethiopia.”
“But let’s not say that prejudice is the reason for SELAH’s ludicrous request. Some Sephardi families are being put through the same shameful process. We can be ‘proud’ that SELAH is equally malevolent to all Gush Katif refugees.”
“Debbie must prove that each of her six children went to school in Neve Dekalim uninterrupted to receive compensation for each of them.”
“The T’s are in a bind. Their children were with them during the three years they served in Mexico as emissaries of the government of Israel. Their children might not receive compensation for their years abroad.”