I have been fortunate enough to have spent the past two weeks in Israel, as a part of the JLIC Global-Service Learning Fellowship, run through Hillel and The Orthodox Union. This fellowship has given various college students an opportunity to learn about the importance of chesed in the morning, and give back to the community through chesed opportunities in the afternoon. I have been interning at Connections Israel, an organization working to connect American families and students with Israeli citizens and soldiers.

On Friday, July 11, Connections Israel took the JLIC Fellowship on a solidarity mission to Sderot, Israel. Because Connections Israel does a lot of work with the Sderot citizens, I thought I would share my trip to Sderot along with some important gestures those of us in American can do. In addition, I have attached some photos from Sderot.

Sderot is a city in the western Negev, in the Southern District of Israel, less than a mile from Gaza. Since 2001, Sderot has borne the brunt of many rocket attacks known as Qassam rockets. These attacks have killed and wounded dozens, while causing millions of dollars in damage and disrupting daily life. The Israeli government has installed a “Red Dawn” alarm system to warn citizens of impending rocket attacks. Because of the approximation to neighboring Arab villages, however, citizens of Sderot only have 15 seconds to reach shelter after a launching of a Qassam rocket. 15 seconds does not leave many families with options or safe cover.

While I would love to discuss each moment spent in Sderot, I will highlight some especially important points. Upon arriving in Sderot, the first thing many students noticed were the bus stops. These bus stops are different than those we are used to. These bus stops are large, cement rooms, which double as bomb shelters in the event that a Qassam rocket is fired, while an individual is waiting for the bus. What was most shocking was the pile of old bus stops, gathered in the back of the police station. The hope is to use them again, once the rocket attacks stop. Next, we were fortunate enough to meet with some families living in Sderot. One mother felt that at a time when it seems that the Jewish people show minimal support to their brethren in Sderot, families must move to Sderot and build up the community. “We must continue to live. We must continue to fight,” she claimed. As the day progressed, our group noticed this theme of endurance and passion, permeate through-out the city.

For most of the afternoon, we were taken on a tour of the city by a resident of Sderot. With every step we took, more and more bombs shelters became visible. As we continued to walk, we passed an open area of grass. As we walked by, the tour guide mentioned that although the media describes this area as “open land,” therefore connoting a safe area for a Qassam to fall, this land is directly next to his apartment building; a frequent play ground for his children. It seems, that while the world sighs a breath of relief as they are told that a Qassam hit “open land,” our tour guide is busy easing the nerves and internal wounds of his family and friends who were in the surrounding areas of the attack. It is important to understand that the Qassam rockets have affects, far beyond the physical results of injury.

While our group spent four hours in Sderot, our time there pales in comparison to the years of torture the residents of Sderot have endured. We need to do more. Many students questioned, “Why don’t we raise money so the residents of Sderot can move out?” The response was simple. Sderot is being attacked. If as a nation, we help to remove every Jew from the once populous and thriving community, we have lost. We must show support. We must build up the community. We must fight back! Connections Israel has made it their mission to fight this exact fight!

Along with the countless educational efforts Connections Israel has spearheaded, there are two chesed missions in particular which I would like to highlight. The first mission is Campus Connections. Campus Connections will be a round structure, located in the center of town, encircling the current playground, and connecting to three different synagogues. The hope is to allow the children of Sderot to play outdoors, freely, as the safe structure will be right beside them! Campus Connections will be a multi-purpose two story complex providing education, religious expression, culture and a sense of solidarity to foreign visitors and local residents alike. See the following link for more information:

http://connectionsisrael.com/get-involved/sderot-campus-connections-build-it-with-us

The second important project Connections Israel is working on is called, Share a Simcha. Generally, when a Bar/Bat Mitzvah arrives, families and friends gather to celebrate this milestone. The occasion is marked with festivities, as it should be, creating memories that will last a lifetime. In contrast, in Sderot, many of the children becoming bar or bat mitzvah have no positive memories and cannot gather to mark the occasion for fear of venturing too far away from a bomb shelter or protected environment. By partnering with the bar and bat mitzvah community of Sderot, you can enable a group bar/bat mitzvah celebration to be celebrated and create joyous memories. Again, for details visit this link:

http://connectionsisrael.com/educational-programs/share-your-barbat-mitzvah-celebration

Both Campus Connections and Share a Simcha are just two ways that Connections Israel plans to helps victims of the Sderot tragedies. If these do not speak to you directly, Connections Israel offers a wide variety of options for your consideration. They work with individuals, schools, shuls and organizations to tailor make a meaningful event and forge ongoing relationships. One of their representatives will be in the New York area later this summer. If you are interested in meeting or discussing possible programs, please email Sharon Spira, associate director, at: sharon@connectionsisrael.com

We are all so fortunate to live a life of extremely limited danger. We are in constant contact with our loved ones and do not fear for our lives at every waking moment. Let us take time out of our busy and hectic schedules to think about a group of people who are not as fortunate as us. Let us help the Sderot community fight back and gain strength. Visit http://www.connectionsisrael.com/ for information and about how you can get involved.

Thank you for taking the time to read this and please feel free to forward this along to all your friends and family. Please don’t hesitate to contact me with any thoughts or questions at jrk304@nyu.edu.

Enjoy the rest of your summer and I look forward to hearing from you.

Sincerely,
Jessica Klein