In Beer Sheva we met with Avital Sandler Loeff, director of Israel Unlimited, the JDC Israel's division for disabilities and rehabilitation. We learned that for the past 3 months, Avital and the team at the Beer Sheva Center for Independent Living, had been planning for a possible emergency situation/s and how to help the disabled community. I was in awe of the work that they do. First of all, as someone without a disability and who does not have someone in my immediate family with a disability, I never would have thought about what those who are disabled would need during a rocket crisis. We had already heard from so many that when they tzeva adom alert came out, depending on where they were, they had anywhere from 5 seconds to a minute to get to a safe space, yet if one is wheel chair bound and the alert comes during the night when one is in bed, it takes more than a minute to get out of bed, into a wheel chair, and then to a safe space. This is what Avital and her team dealt with. Many spent their time in their ma'amad, their safe room, or some even had to sleep in their hallways. Avital was able to send some people up north to some of the other Centers for Independant Living in Israel. Her team, while taking care of themselves and their families, also regularly checked in with those from the center. They took groceries, needed medications, and spent time on the phone helping to keep people calm. They also regularly checked in with the Bedouin communities near them, whose buildings are not secure like the everyone elses.
We heard from a young Bedouin man who is wheelchair bound. He was driving one day when the sirens went off (In Beer Sheva they have sirens instead of the tzeva adom). When this happens, one is supposed to pull over, get out of the car, and lie on the ground with your hands over your head. He could not do this, because he would not be able to get in and out of the car to lie on the ground. So he stopped the car and mentioned the feeling of seeing the rockets through his front window headed toward him. He then saw them blow up in the air. I couldn't even imagine.
One of the beautiful things about this center in Beer Sheva, is that it serves the whole of the Israeli population, Jews, Muslims, Bedouins, Arabs, etc. . . Avital mentioned that they have figured out peace where they are, as often they come together as a community to celebrate holidays, each other's events, etc. . . They come together in community to run a restaurant on the premises, to do art projects, and they recently put together a cook book which they are now selling.
This center and the JCD with Avital's expertise are doing incredible work!
Next we went back to Sderot to see the work of the Israel Trauma Coalition Resilience Center and heard from Talia Levanon, Director of the Israel Trauma Coalition and Esther Marcus, a social worker and ITC recipient.
The Israel Trauma Coaltion brings together numerous agencies doing incredible work. Instead of each agency working on their own, the coalition brings everyone together to figure out how best to work together and help everyone. They are no only helping those who receive a direct hit from rockets, but they are there to help everyone. This is where groups came together to help with respite days to get kids away from the rockets, this is where support is given to families whose homes are hit. They have social workers and psychologists who can meet with kids at school to talk about what it going on, etc. . . This group, the ITC, even does work outside of Israel. I was amazed to hear that they sent a small group to New York to see how they could help with Hurricane Sandy recovery. In the midst of their own crisis, they reached out to help the American community, and to them it was no big deal, as the American Jewish community helps them so why would they not do the same?
Esther Marcus, lives on one the kibbutzim on the border of Gaza. They have been there for 12 years, and her youngest has only known rockets falling and the tzeva adom. She mentioned that after Operation Cast Lead, many of the kids quit wearing red, would refuse to use the color red in school, and association red with the rockets and the tzeva adom. She shared with us a beautiful book that she wrote about all the colors gathering for a yearly gathering to share their stories and crown the color of the year. Each color shared their story and what they have done and when it came time for red to share, she just cried. She mentioned making kids cry and that kids are afraid of her. She talked about how they are afraid her because they associate her with rockets when she is only trying to help keep them safe. The other colors tell her how wonderful she is and that her color, red, has helped to save so many lives. So, red is crowned the color of the year. This book has been used to help kids understand that they tzeva adom is not meant to be a bad thing, yes it is scary when it goes off, but it is a good thing because it helps to save their lives.
From Sderot we headed back to Tel Aviv to meet with Ambassador Dan Shapiro. To say that I was shocked when he walked in would be an understatement. The Ambassador walked in and I thought he was another aide. I asked someone who he was because everyone got excited and shook his hand and was told he was the ambassador. Why was I shocked? He is my age! I said to my husband later, now I know how people feel when they learn that I am the rabbi at UH.
I was expecting an older man, not someone my age, so I was quite surprised. We had a wonderful visit with him and talked about America's support for Israel. We also talked about how he and other diplomats in Tel Aviv experienced the rockets first hand. They had to go into safe rooms and wait until the alert was over. The one rocket that hit the water was not so far from the embassy. We learned that he had just visited the south and saw some of the destruction and met with people to hear their stories. I learned from others that many in Israel really appreciate Ambassador Shapiro. He speaks Hebrew and will often give briefings and speak to the media in Hebrew. His family is in Israel with him, and they too experienced the tzeva adom, but they understood and are doing well.
Finally, we ended our evening hearing from Yarden Vatikay, Director of the National Information Directorate in the Prime Minister's office and then from Brig. General (res) Asaf Agmon, CEO The Fischer Brothers Institute for Air and Space Strategic Studies.
Yarden talked about the communications office that he oversees. His office was a part of the conversations that were had, along with the military, as they prepared for and went into Operation Pillar of Defense. Israel is working on how they communicate better what is going on.
Brig General Asaf Agmon spoke about the operation and also spoke a little about Iron Dome. He talked about how it worked and how successful it was. I asked him if they were worried that people would become complacent because of its success. I mentioned how in St. Louis we have tornado sirens and many of us ignore the sirens and don't go to our basements and then asked if this might become a problem with Iron Dome. Would people ignore the tzeva adom because of an assumption that Iron Dome works and would keep them safe? He agreed that this could become a problem. We also learned that people were relying at times too much on them. For instance, the sytem is moveable and gets moved around because you don't want those who are shooting rockets at you to know where it is. However, during this Operation one mayor publicly threw a fit that the iron dome was moved away from his city. Sadly, he did not realize that Hamas would be listening to Israeli news and of course the rockets were then shot directly at that city. So, Israel now has to teach their citizens to think strategically about Iron Dome and not rely solely on it. They also cannot talk about it publicly, lest they give away where it is and open up other places to rocket attacks.
Overall, this was an amazing trip. I visited places in Israel that I had never been to before, specifically this area so close to Gaza. I had been to Beer Sheva but never to Sderot or Netivot.
As always, I was and am amazed by the resiliency of Israelis. The cease fire had already been in effect for a week, and they had already moved on with their lives. They were thankful for the respite and holding out that the cease fire would continue but certainly ready should the rockets start falling again.
I was also amazed at the work being done to help. I have always understood that Federation dollars were allocated to Israel but I guess I never fully realized how they were being utilized. It was great to see where they money is going. But I think more important than the money and allocations, I was simply in awe of the amazing work being done by the Federation, the Jewish Agency, the JDC, ORT, and so many others. Most of all, I am so proud of how they have all come together. Each of these organizations does amazing work on their own, but working together, they are doing incredible work.
In thinking of Chanukah, one light is bright, but many lights together not only brings a greater light but also warmth. What I saw gives me hope. I am hopeful that here in St. Louis we can think about what they are accomplishing as individual agencies but also what they are accomplishing when they work together!!
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