An Encounter with Elliot Skiddel of JAZO

After reading the local Tzfat newspapers this weekend including excerpts from that which appeared about Tzfat in national and other regional newspapers during the war; I am abysmally, unspeakably saddened, but in no wise surprised, by the allegations of the "performance" of the Municipality of Tzfat during the war.

About five years ago, I contacted Project 2000 in Palm Beach, Florida and I told them that it was unwise to send donations to the City of Tzfat without them being carefully monitored.

I told them of the corruption in the Municipality.

I told them how the poor are ignored and downtrodden in this city.

I told them of the nepotism.

I told them about the poverty of the residents of the Ofer Neighborhoood in which eight people leapt to their deaths from the roofs in desperation that cannot be conceptualized by those who have not lived under these conditions.

Elliot Skiddel of JAZO was dispatched to my home. In my utter naivete, I thought that he would give me a fair hearing and would cooperate in my efforts to improve the way in which the City of Tzfat was run. I thought that Project 2000 had sent a sympathetic hear, kind heart and Jewish Soul to meet with me for the purpose of seeing the conditions in the Ofer Neighborhood.

Instead, he entered my very humble Amidar apartment in the notoriously poor Ofer Neighborhood of Tzfat, looked around at the apartment with disdain, apprised me with utter contempt and exaggerated loathing to make sure that I did not miss his opinion of me and proceeded to discount everything I said, all the while with a smug smirk of "I'll make short shrift of this nothing" look on his face.

More than the pain of being personally humiliated, I understood that a chance for improvement in Tzfat was entirely lost and I was crestfallen.

He evidently reported to Project 2000 that my contentions were not to be taken seriously in the least. Evidently, they were satisfied with "a soft answer that turneth away anxiety."

And so the trampling of the poor of Tzfat continued unabated and grew more and more brazen and outrageous.

The tragedy of the children at risk who were given a particularly well-appointed kindergarten, paid for by donations, so that they could be well cared for, well fed and even have a place to sleep at night if the conditions in their homes were not conducive to their well-being is well known to residents of Tzfat. For others, I will tell you that as part of a deal that Tzfat Mayor Yishai Maimon made with ultra-Orthodox elements in Tzfat for votes, the children in the kindergarten that was provided for with donations specifically for children at risk were thrown out into the streets and Charedi children, who were not at risk, were given the kindergarten instead. The children at risk had nowhere to go for quite some time – many weeks, if not months, I do not recall exactly how much time, but I do recall that the sad story was as protracted one. Finally, they were given a downscale kindergarten that could not provide the special services they needed.

Then we heard of a similar situation with the children of Public School Mamlakhti Gimmel, in the poor southern part of the city, being transferred to Mamlakhti Aleph so that Charedi children can get their school. Again, this is the result of one of Maimon's dirty political deals with the Charedim to get their votes.

Now we hear of the travesties that, allegedly, occurred during the war.

While I do not, nay cannot, blame Elliot Skiddel directly for what the Municipality has done since he reported to Project 2000 that that which I wrote them is of no moment; I do blame him indirectly.

Had he not made me out to be an inconsequential crank to Project 2000 five years ago; had they sent their own people here to inspect to see if my contentions were true - that which transpired in Tzfat thereafter would have been obviated.

Skiddel, by all means, regard me with contempt because I am poor and represent the truth I tell to Project 2000 as lies "because you can". I wouldn't want to have either your salary or your conscience, that is assuming that you are man enough to realize and admit that had you extended a hand of cooperation to me five years ago, there may have been far few less people who suffered horrifically in this town.

Doreen Ellen Bell-Dotan, Tzfat, Israel
DoreenDotan@gmail.com