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On November 2, a resident of Judea, Natalie Sopinsky, her hair wrapped in a colorful red scarf, came to speak to Boulderites about life in Judea and Samaria and her organization-Rescuers Without Borders Israel.
Sopinsky addressed the crowd and told of her youth in Delaware where she was a cheerleader and all-American girl, but how she went to Israel in college for one year and decided to stay.
“Israel isn’t just mine and the people living there” she said. “Israel is Yours.”
Sopinsky described life in Judea, where she lives in a peaceful community in the South Hevron Hills. There is no fence around her community, and Arab villages surround it. Yet, the community is growing and popular. People there are not afraid. Because of the army unit, people feel safe, but there are incidents of arson, car rammings, rock throwing, and stabbings from the Arabs in the region.
Sopinsky spoke of the first response medics in Judea “Hatzalah Judea and Samaria” and of their crucial work, training and quick response times. They are the ambulance drivers, as well as the medics, paramedics and doctors. They respond to accidents, illnesses, natural disasters and terrorist attacks. All volunteers, these men and women are quiet heroes, and get no government funding. To learn more, visit www.hatzalah.org.il or contact Natalie@hatzalah.org.il.
On antisemitism in the U.S., Sopinsky commented, “This is the time to be strong and proud. Do not hide. Do not cover up. Know who you are and let the world see us. Wear your kippa, wear your Star of David necklace. Jews and pro-Israel non-Jews…we stand strong together.”
