Sderot The Town That Became Superstar

Sderot The Town That Became Superstar

As the bus drove further and further away from Tel- Aviv, I felt this overwhelming feeling of awe. Looking at the countryside of Israel on one side of the bus and the coast on the other was a familiar route to me. Even thought I have been to Israel before I have never been to Sderot. I heard stories and seen the Israeli news stories, but I have never really seen the town itself.

Most people when they hear the name Sderot expect a town of ruin and ruble, but the truth is that it is a beautiful vibrant town. Most people don’t know that Sderot is located only 840 meters from the Gaza Strip, in the south of Israel and since Israel pulled out from the Gaza Strip in 2001 there have been thousands of bombs fired on this civilian town. With over 2,000 people in the town and twice as many bomb shelters, there are only a few signs that this town is constantly bombarded with bombs.

The individualized sirens, the bomb shelters at every turn, and the protected playground that has bomb shelters throughout the park. The mind set of the town of not wanting to give up their lives and their routine is so commendable, but it is also very difficult to handle. Watching films of little kindergartens dealing with the red alert bomb alarm was really eye opening. When I was 4 or 5 years old I didn’t have to deal with the constant threat of a bomb dropping on me multiple times a day. The worst part of the story is that these children will never know a world without war and bombing, in this world they were born into.

The Blue Star group standing in front of a bomb shelter shaped like a caterpillar at the protected play ground.  

- L.A.