People are coming back Home
Some are coming back to their homes the way they left it, others are coming back to a damaged home
Sderot’s residents are still coming back, but slowly. There are still a lot who are afraid to come back.
They want assurances that Oct 7th will never happen again and that Hamas will be taken care of once
and for all. Their fears are understandable and very valid. The sad reality is, there is no, nor can there
be any guarantees or that we will never hear “Tseva Adom” again. As hard as the IDF tries to eradicate
Hamas and their terrorism they are a worldwide problem that will not be going away anytime soon
unfortunately. At best we can hope for a few good years with peace and quiet.
In the meantime those who want and can come home will. Some that want to come home can’t
because their homes have been damaged. There are an estimated 250 homes that have been damaged.
The quiet is just as unnerving
Since our last update Sderot has seen fewer Kassam rockets and the outgoing artillery booms have also
subsided a bit but still ongoing is the 50-caliber machine gun fire. We all pray for peace and quiet, but
sometimes the quiet is even more unnerving than the booms we have all too often had to live with.
You can look towards Gaza anytime and see dark smoke plumes rising to the sky as Israel tries to cripple
Hamas.
Dog rescue
People feel free to call us and ask for any help they need and if at all possible, we will do our best to
help them. We got a call from a soldier’s sister asking for some help. Her brother’s unit had rescued five
dogs from the battle field and they were asking if someone could get them 5 collars and leashes so they
could be evacuated out of Gaza to an animal shelter. We were in the car when we got the call. Within
minutes we were at our pet store which is now open and, on our way, to drop them off. The pet store
owner gave us some dog treats for them as his gift.
Interview
We were contacted by Scott Thuman of FullMeasure and asked if we would be willing to be part of a
Zoom interview addressing what it is like to live in constant fear here in Sderot. Here is the link or just
click on the picture to view the interview.
Adele’s birthday wish
Adele lives on Kibbutz Nir Am, which is just on the other side of separation fence and just on the other side of the road from Sderot. Since October 7th she has been displaced and unable to come back home. Here is her birthday post.
Today was my 69th birthday. It’s the saddest birthday I have ever had.
Not at home.
Not with any of my children around,
or grandchildren.
With this war raging,
dear friends still held as hostages – I have lost so many people lately.
But I also have much to be thankful for: my family survived, they are alive and physically healthy. I am alive. I am thankful for my community, for my friends, my people, my country.
For my birthday, I just want this nightmare to end: for all the hostages to come home safely.
NOW
I just want to be able to drive home, through twin rows of date palms, to see the wheat sprouting in the fields rather than tanks. through the yellow gate with no soldiers – just Eden waving at me with her smile.
Till then, I will have to make do with other sights, different sounds, different smells, and breathe, while I wait for the healing to be able to begin.
Pizza Request
A few weeks back Eti made Pizza for one of our units. Apparently, all of them did not make it back to the unit; they got devoured along the way! She got a phone call asking if she would be willing to make them pizza again. Needless to say, there were five pizzas made along with baked good and other treats.
This time it all made it back to their camp, but they said within ten minutes it was all gone. It is a joy to give back to these kids that are putting their lives on the line for us.
Soldiers’ Supplies
We were able to fill a request for the platoon we went to visit on the Gaza border. They needed long sleeved thermal tee shirts and warn jackets. We started looking for them but by the time we found them they were called to go back into Gaza. Unfortunately, we didn’t make it in time, but we are looking with great anticipation to go and deliver them as soon as they are on this side of the Gaza boarder. We will also be taking with us a Pizza, which was a gift from a friend and her family in San Diego.
Packing food
It has been a while since we last packed food bags and the first time, we had none of our volunteers to help us; understandably they have, like so many others were afraid to stay and have left town.
As families begin to come home the food will be there for them. For those we give hot meals to on Friday, we will be giving them to them as well.
We have been making daily shopping trips to those who are in need, picking up prescriptions and made some minor electric repairs and installed a new light fixture.
With every world power drawing his or her “red Line” it seems that the world is on very thin ice. Here in Sderot we too have no idea what tomorrow holds for us, but there is this one thing I know.
You, over the past ??? days have made an incredible difference in the lives off the people of Sderot through your love and support for them. We will continue to be your delivery person here in Sderot as long as we need to be and as long as you are there for them.
Yes, things are uncertain, things are scary but you have calmed the nerves of the scared, and taken away some of that uncertainty through your love and support. Thank you falls short, but that is all I have. To know that while we are going through this hard time there is someone there alongside you, is a comfort and a relief. For Hope For Sderot, our soldiers and our residents THANK YOU!
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