Sderot: Our Southern Front

Sderot has been bombarded for the past seven years, to an extent that it can no longer be dismissed as just a 'matsav.' A few Israelis got together for a solidarity campaign that combines economic, political and moral support to the beleaguered southern city. We got in the cars at 8:00am on a Friday morning. It was important for us to see the city in the morning as it was getting ready for Shabbat. The small city was quiet but by 11 am it was awake and active. One could see the spirit of Israel on the streets, especially since hundreds of Israelis from all parts of the country had turned out on that day to support Sderot. Looking around, the first thing we noticed was a strange looking structure that, after talking about it, we realized was an ad hoc bomb shelter. The city is dotted with these huts of concrete slabs for residents to run to during the daily barrages of rockets from Gaza. Most of the shelters are brightly painted, some even with graffiti art. We made a point to shop in the local stores and eat breakfast and lunch there. We visited the police station and fire station where we saw a 1950s era firetruck, which is likely to be the city's primary emergency vehicle. The residents of Sderot were thrilled that other Israelis had shown up in support of them. A number of them expressed their thanks, saying "Kol ha'kavod" as we walked by. There is still plenty evidence of recent attacks, as the city and its residents can't afford to either protect themselves against the rockets or repair the damage they cause. Gashes in rooftops, burnt buildings and, of course, the bomb shelters, gave a glimpse of daily life in Sderot, even though there wasn't an attack while we were visiting. We returned to the car in th early afternoon to get ready for Shabbat. Israelis had gathered in the main section of the town and were dancing together to a DJ's mizrahi music.