Living with Rockets: Sticking it out

I lived on Kibbutz Saad (7 minute drive from Sderot) for three months during the spring of 06', volunteering with kids in the elementary school and in after-school activities.

I got a call from my "Kibbutz Mom" while I was on my way to Jerusalem Thursday evening, that two kids I know from Saad - Roe and Rome - were entering Rome's house in Sderot (they're neighbors) when a Kassam fell on Rome's house (5 minute walk from me).

Rome and Roe are alright. But Rome's mom was the 40 year old woman lightly-moderately wounded by the Kassam. Their house is not protected from rocket fire; the usual in Sderot.

Hey Olmert you home? Some people I know need a little help, care at all?

I saw Roe yesterday on the Kibbutz playing with his friends - and he just witnessed a rocket fall right in front of him three days ago. What a guy (I mean 8 years-old boy).

The madness just gets worse. Yesterday,  The Jerusalem Post reported:

A rocket fired by Palestinian terrorists from Gaza wounded a two-year-old girl in a community on the Gaza-Israel border, Israeli police and rescue services said Sunday.

The toddler was injured by shrapnel and taken to hospital, and her mother was being treated for shock, police spokesman Micky Rosenfeld said.

Pictured to the right is the Kassam fired today on the Kibbutz near the Gaza border. On it is written " Qudz" (Jerusalem in Arabic).

I wonder why terrorists would write Jerusalem on their rockets? Is it because they want to wipe out the Jewish people and take over all of Israel? No, couldn't be, could it? That's just not nice...

While in Jerusalem and Tel Aviv this last weekend, people kept asking me - why are you staying in Sderot if you're so anxious about the Kassams? I replied:

Yes I am anxious; the rockets consume my daily thoughts - when I sit in my room, when I walk around the city, when I go to the bathroom. But, I'm only here three more weeks. The other 20,000 people in Sderot are here to stay forever. I think I can stick it out for a little bit.

So, I'm sticking it out.

But don't be surprised if I'm on Lexapro pretty soon.

Benji Davis volunteers at the Sderot Media Center, directed by Noam Bedein.