Chabad of Western Monmouth County welcomed 10 girls from Sderot, who are staying at the homes of community members while they enjoy summer fun at Camp Gan Israel in Englishtown. Two Israeli camp counselors accompanied the girls on their trip.
Photo by Jill Huber
July 22, 2008
When 10 teenage girls from Sderot arrived in Monmouth County on July 2, it marked the first time they were beyond the range of the Kassam rockets that threaten their daily existence in their Israeli town.
The 10 Sderot youngsters, who are 12 to 15 years old, are spending the month of July with families from the Chabad of Western Monmouth County. They also are enjoying summer activities at Chabad’s Camp Gan Israel in Englishtown.
The teens, who were accompanied by two camp counselors who live in a Chabad village near Tel Aviv, are among 110 youngsters from Sderot attending Chabad day camps throughout the United States and Canada.
Since 2002, the residents of Sderot and other western Negev communities have been living under a constant barrage of rocket fire from the Palestinian-controlled Gaza Strip. Whenever they hear the red-alert siren, they have 15 seconds to reach a miklat, bomb shelter, before the rockets start to fall. As a result, the teens’ transition to a life without the threat of violence has been challenging.
During their first few nights in Monmouth County, they related stories of fear and distress to Chanie Piamenta, 19, and Sara Maudah, 20, the Israeli camp counselors who came with them.
“They’ve never been able to live like typical teenagers,” Piamenta told NJ Jewish News. “Many of these girls have seen their friends get hurt and their homes and schools damaged by rockets. They needed to express their feelings and get them out into the open so we all could understand what they have endured all these years. We’re trying to help them forget all that while they’re here.”
Some of the teens also have been plagued by nightmares, during which sirens blare and bombs fall. But the bad dreams are subsiding as the girls become more accustomed to a safe environment, Piamenta said.
For 12-year-old Noa Amsalam, just leaving her home in Sderot can be dangerous.
“When you leave the house, you have to be sure you’re near a miklat,” Noa told NJJN. “If you’re not and the siren goes off, you have to drop to the floor wherever you are and put your hands over your head. It’s so frightening.”
Many apartment buildings, private homes, and public buildings in Sderot are now equipped with reinforced rooms; because the rockets are often launched at night and in the early morning hours, many families sleep in these shelters. During one attack, a rocket landed near Noa’s house, and the flying shrapnel damaged two nearby homes.
“No one was physically hurt that time, but we felt such trepidation and fear,” she said. “Even here, in this beautiful place, I sometimes imagine that an alarm is going to go off and rockets will fall.”
Because rockets also have damaged some schools in Sderot, many parents chose to keep their children home for several months. When the schools were repaired, some of the classrooms were reinforced and designated as safety rooms.
‘Without the fear’
Lior Azran, 13, and Stav Cohen, 12, were at school one day when a rocket hit the building.
“After that, my parents were afraid to send me to school,” Stav told NJJN. “I stayed out of school for two months.”
Lior’s father owns a shoe store in Sderot that has been hit by rockets on two occasions.
“Now his business is very bad,” Lior told NJJN. “People are afraid to go out and shop. I know I’m safe here, but I worry about my family.
“But when I talk to them, they say that everything is okay and that I should enjoy myself while I’m here.”
And the 10 visitors certainly are enjoying their summer respite. In addition to regular camp activities, they have taken a cruise around Manhattan that provided a close look at the Statue of Liberty, dined in New York City, climbed to the top of the Empire State Building, and were dazzled by the activity in Times Square. There also have been some serious shopping excursions and a trip to Six Flags Great Adventure and Liberty Science Center.
In addition, many community members are helping the girls to create tote bags, scrapbooks, and beaded jewelry that they will take with them when they return to Sderot.
They also will take the love and support of the American-Jewish community, said Rabbi Boruch Chazanow, director of Chabad of Western Monmouth County.
“We hope to raise awareness of the plight of the families living in Sderot,” he told NJJN. “These children spend most of their time indoors because of the constant rocket attacks. But by bringing them here, they have the chance to live and socialize like any other children, without the fear. They’ve had to grow up too fast, and we want to show them that our Jewish community cares about them.”
And the Sderot teens say they feel the community’s love and support.
“I’m so grateful that American Jews care about us and know what’s happening in Sderot,” said Noa. “Because of this, I’ve been able to forget the bad memories for one whole month. And I can sleep quietly in my own room without worrying about my safety. I want to say thank you.”
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