Nearly three years after October 7, the members of Kibbutz Ein Hashlosha are not simply returning home. They are rebuilding their community, strengthening the bonds that sustained them through unimaginable loss and creating a hopeful future for the generations that will follow.
Jewish Federation of South Palm Beach County is proud to support Ein Hashlosha through Communities2Gether (C2G), a program of the Jewish Agency for Israel, and in partnership with the Jewish Federation of Palm Beach County. Together, we are connecting Jewish Boca with the Gaza border community as it continues its journey of recovery, renewal and growth.
The community’s resilience is evident in the broader recovery efforts now taking shape across Ein Hashlosha. Among them are plans for new housing through The Western Negev Building Project, led by the Jewish Agency for Israel with support from the Israeli government.
That new neighborhood comes at a time of remarkable growth. In August 2025, 97% of the community had returned home. By December, that number had reached 99.7%, with only three families remaining outside the Kibbutz. Two neighborhoods currently in development are expected to add 45 housing units and welcome more than 100 new members over the next several years.
For a community of approximately 423 people, this growth represents deep confidence in the future. It also brings new responsibilities, including expanded education, a sheltered nursery school and stronger infrastructure to support a growing population.
Healing Through Creative Expression
At the same time, community leaders recognize that rebuilding requires more than homes and physical infrastructure. Emotional recovery remains an ongoing journey, and Jewish Boca is proud to support these efforts.
One of the most meaningful projects underway is a new therapeutic art center, known within the community as “The Art House.” Developed with architecture students from the Shamoon College of Engineering in Be’er Sheva and a grant from the Jewish Federation of South Palm Beach County through our C2G partnership, the center will offer spaces for drawing, sculpting, ceramics and other creative programs. Several of its features are being designed so Kibbutz members can help build the space themselves, allowing the community to take an active role in shaping its own healing.
Art has long held a special place in Ein Hashlosha. The Kibbutz’s new Heritage Trail honors the work of founding member and artist Avraham Borstein, while the growing emphasis on creativity also preserves the memory of Shoshana Krasenti, a beloved former art teacher who was murdered on October 7.
The Art House will initially serve children and senior citizens before expanding to reach an estimated 500 people during its first year. Through individual and communal creative experiences, the center will provide a welcoming way for members to express emotions, rebuild confidence, and reconnect with one another.
Preserving the Past While Building the Future
Today, the community is focused not only on what happened to it, but on what it will become.
Its priorities include welcoming new families, strengthening education and infrastructure, preserving its history through the Heritage Trail and developing tourism initiatives that will allow Ein Hashlosha to share its story with visitors. Community leaders are determined that October 7 will remain part of their history without becoming the entirety of their identity.
Jewish Boca Stands with Ein Hashlosha
Through Communities2Gether, Jewish Boca is helping Ein Hashlosha as it pursues these goals. The partnership reflects Federation’s commitment to global Jewish responsibility and to standing with communities in Israel not only during moments of crisis, but throughout the long work of recovery.
The new homes, the Art House and the return of nearly every member of the Kibbutz each tell the same story: Ein Hashlosha is still healing, but it is also growing.
Its members are building a future grounded in memory, strengthened by community and filled with hope.
