Tikva and Elan H.

Tikva and Elan H.

This past week, our office got an update from Tikva and Elan, former residents of Gush Katif.

Tikva and Elan spent most of their married lives raising their family in Gush Katif. While living in the “Harvest Bloc” (Gush Katif), Elan worked as a bus driver and Tikva worked as a cosmetician in a salon. Together, they made a good living and were very happy with the life they had made for themselves. A warm community with good friends, beautiful kids, a large house– they were living like a dream.

The ramifications of the Disengagement caused the couple to not only lose their home, but they had to stop working as well since they both worked in the neighborhood.  Left with little financial assets, the only housing option they found was a small house in poor condition that was located far away in the Galilee. The house was in terrible condition. It didn’t compare to the beautiful home they had before, but they had no choice.

When JobKatif’s case manager met with Tikva and Elan, Tikva was suffering from depression, hardly ever left her house and and lost her motivation to live. Elan was working, but hardly making ends meet.  They couldn’t even pay their bills. They were in dire need for help.

The case manager worked with Tikva, and after a few meetings, convinced her to open a new salon to practice cosmetology again. She then suggested that Elan retrain in the field of alternative healing methods. Working tirelessly with the couple, the case manager helped build up their mental energy to begin all over again.

Today Elan and Tikva work together in their salon. Moreover, they have managed to save up enough savings to build a new house!

JobKatif are proud to report that Elan and Tikva are the first family from their community in Gush Katif to have a permanent residence since they were forcibly removed five years ago.

Tikva recently told us that it was only because JobKatif’s case manager gave her the necessary support and encouragement that she was able to rebuild her life.