Sderot, Israel - Under Siege

“How was school today kids?”

 

 

 

 

The children & families of Sderot have been under missile attack by Hamas since 2001. The attacks intensified after the Israeli withdrawal from Gaza summer 2005. Hundreds of missiles have hit Sderot. Prior to this week, 7 Israelis had been killed and scores maimed and injured. Several thousands of kids and residents struggle with ongoing traumatic stress disorders.

The week ending 5/18/07  marked the most devastating assault against this community yet. 
JPost.com cites 20 missile hits alone on Wednesday 5/16/07. Other accounts cite more.
 

Helping Sderot Children & Families

As casualties continue to mount, a fund has been established by one of the early advocates of this community, Noam Bedein (www.SderotMedia.com) of Sderot.  Funds raised will go directly to retreats for kids, a 2 week summer camp vacation in New Hampshire, as well as counseling services to treat young trauma victims.

}  Send your tax-exempt donations marked for

“Sderot Children’s Relief” to:
The Center for Near East Policy Research
POB 1783, Brookline, MA 02446-0014



NEW: See visiting Sderot children's play July 25th & 26th - Click Here


Solidarity with Israel in Sharon Center - July 19, 2006



Proud & Loud for Israel

 "Can't you just do this in a synagogue?" -- unnamed town employee

Over seventy five members of the Sharon community attended a Pro-Israel Rally on Wednesday evening, July 19. Standing near Starbucks, the Sharonites, wearing blue & white clothing, held banners showing unswerving support for Israel. Israeli & American flags were in proud display. Honking from passing cars indicated strong support. The spirited group of Israeli supporters included members of all seven synagogues in Sharon: Adath Sharon, Chabad, K’lall Yisroel, Etz Chayim, Temple Israel , Temple Sinai & Young Israel, as well as the unaffiliated. Also of interest, representatives from the Christian Zionists of America displayed a large banner of support. One attendee with a t-shirt "Liberal" said this war of self-defense by Israel is "the only war I have ever publicly supported."

The grassroots South Area Israel Action Team (SAIAT), organized the event which was originally intended to be a smaller vigil. Remarked the groups co-founder Andrew Warren: "We were really not expecting this kind of turnout. We came prepared with placards and tributes to all the Israeli (Jewish & Arab) victims of the Hezbollah and Hamas missles, but people really wanted to be much more vocal."

Warren later indicated: "I think part of the motivation is the sense that most major media outlets are not telling the full story. We don't here anything about the devastation of Israeli's northern towns and their victims. Over a half-million (500,000) people have had to flee their homes and another half-million (500,000) are in bomb shelters. Since Israel left southern Lebanon (it’s buffer zone) in 2000, the U.N. has turned a blind-eye to the Hizbollah build up of 13,000 rockets and past firings on northern Israeli communities. People feel the Hizbollah attack and kidnapping of two Israel Defense Force (IDF) soldiers, from the Israeli side of the border (UN acknowledged), was the last straw. We are are now seeing the unfortunate results for the whole region ultimately from Hizbollah's utter rejection of the Jewish State." -- Shirley Miller Stein