This Thursday we had our first "Siyur"!!!! We went to visit a town named Sderot. This town is located in the negev and is neighboring the gaza strip. For those who don't know, the gaza strip used to be occupied with Israelis and there was a huge Jewish community of farmers living there.... Then in 2005, the Israeli government decided to relocate all of these Jews living in Gaza and give all of the land "back" to the Palestinians. Ever since then it's been cities like Sderot, Beer Sheva and many others that have paid the price.
Being in Sderot was one of the hardest things I've ever dealt with. When we first got to Sderot the tour guide gave us a little introduction and background on the city. On of the first things he told us is that THOUSANDS of rockets are fired into Sderot every year and that the last rocket launched into the city was only two days ago!!! Another scary thing he told us is that the previous day Arab terrorists were killed by the Israeli government and the people of Sderot were expecting a retaliation.... How scary is that?! Every single house/apartment building etc has a bomb shelter. The people of Sderot are used to this terror and have adapted it into their day to day lives. Some might even say that the 15 second warning they have to find shelter is "routine".
Another real upsetting part of Sderot was visiting the playground..... In the same shot you can see the playground which is such an innocent place for little children to have fun and a bomb shelter disguised as a huge cement caterpillar. This is so sad that these innocent little kids have to live in fear and in danger just because of their address... It was all very emotional for me to see...
All in all, I am so happy we went on this trip. I wouldn't understand the extremity of the situation unless I saw it for my own eyes. If anyone reading this ever goes to Israel I highly suggest taking a tour of this city. Not to be corny but it really helps you appreciate the safety of your own life and not to take any moment for granted. I am so thankful for my opportunity to visit Sderot with my year course family<3
Right after our visit to Sderot we went to visit a lady who used to live in Gaza before she was "thrown out" seven years ago. Her story was so heartbreaking and so beautiful at the same time. She told us all about how she made aliyah to Israel from New York 30 years ago until now when she is living far away from her home praying everyday that someday she will return to Gaza. This was the perfect continuation to our time at Sderot and I'm so grateful i got to hear her story. I wish this woman all the best and I hope that eve if she never returns to Gaza, that she will find happiness in her new home.
After how great this trip was, I'm super excited for the next ones to come!!
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