Trip to Sderot and Netivot

Map: Haaretz


B"H

Together with a friend, I traveled to Sderot a week ago. Although the small Negev town is famous all over the world, hardly any tourists or visitors go there. Maybe more journalists as soon as there are more Kassam rocket attacks. The last Kassam alarm (Zewa Adom - Colour Red) took place about four weeks ago. Since it has been relatively quiet but you never know. The whole situation can change within minutes when the Hamas in Gaza is freaking out again.

Sderot is the only place in Israel where the alarm "Zewa Adom" is given. During the past Gaza War, cities like Ashdod, Beersheva, Ashkelon or Netivot had sirens going off as soon as more rockets and missiles were flying in from Gaza. In Sderot, however, a female voice is just saying repeatedly "Zewa Adom, Zewa Adom …". Then the inhabitants run into the bomb shelters (Miklatim), ignore the alarm or lean against a wall protecting their faces with their arms. Nevertheless, after more than eight years of Kassam terror, the people in Sderot seem to have got used to the alarm.

We left Tel Aviv early in the morning and were surprised finding a direct bus going down to Sderot from the Central Bus Station. The bus is not run by Egged but by the private bus company "Metropolin" and a ticket to Sderot only costs 16 Shekels (approx. 3 Dollar). The bus ride usually goes through towns like Yavne (south of Rehovot), Sderot, Netivot until the final stop Beersheva.

The bus left Tel Aviv half empty but, after a while, more and more people got on. Especially in Yavne where many Ethiopians live and wanted to travel to the next market. Some soldiers were among the passengers. I heard one of them saying that he is stationed in Kfar Aza (Gaza Village near the border to Gaza). The landscape we saw was also surprising. It may sound naive but I had expected sand and desert just like around Beersheva. I was wrong and, instead, everything was green. We passed fields and lots of green. It was a hot sunny day with a temperature of 35 degrees Celsius. Maybe something like above 90 Fahrenheit.

The Negev town Sderot is not as small as many people think. It includes many new neighbourhoods with nice houses surrounding the city center. Many palm trees and lots of green right next to countless bomb shelters.




Bomb shelter in Sderot

Before we got to Sderot I had thought about what would happen if there was a Kassam rocket alarm. Would we know where to go to ? As soon as you get to Sderot, you know exactly what to do and where to go, and you don't need to ask. The bomb shelters are just everywhere. Even the bus stops are bomb shelters. In case an alarm is taking place, you just go inside the bus stop consisting out of concrete.

We were told that some of those bunkers were financed by American Christians. Those calling themselves "Friends of Israel" who are as fanatic as the Evangelists and whose only goal is to proselytize Jews. It is a shame that Sderot is accepting their money and should rather refuse it, as fundamental Christians always have a vicious goal in mind.

As you can imagine, there is not much to do in Sderot. They have a small shopping center but my favourite "Aroma Cafe" was not at sight. Instead we walking into an Aroma imitation called "Coffee to Go". We called our friend David who has been living in Sderot for quite a while now. David is an American writer who had made Aliyah some time ago and sometimes published in the "Jerusalem Post". He also wrote a book about Dutch and Russian prostitutes.

Actually my friend and me had hoped that Sderot was much cheaper than Jerusalem or Tel Aviv. Beforehand, we had considered some shopping but prices turned out to be almost the same as everywhere else in the country.
David arrived at the "Coffee to Go" and told us about the daily life in Sderot: Since the Kassam terror has started more than eight years ago, eight people were killed by the rockets. Being directly hit by a rocket is very unlikely; especially when your drive in a car. However, once it happened and a car got a direct hit. The driver was killed on the spot. Otherwise people are more afraid of shrapnel's flying all over the place after a Kassam is exploding. As soon as Zewa Adom is given, you have 12 - 15 seconds finding shelter. Sometimes less and sometimes more. The children of Sderot are suffering most from the rocket terror. Bedwetting is not an unusual sign of having a trauma.




The three of us went to the local market and along the streets near the police station. We passed the Hesder Yeshiva and David explained us where Kassam rockets his houses.
If you just come to Sderot in order to see damages caused by rocket hits, you are at the wrong place. Damaged buildings are repaired immediately but then the inhabitants are facing another obstacle called bureaucracy. Until the State of Israel is finally paying for the damage, it will take a while.

The city center has quite a few snack bars, restaurants and mini markets. Later on, we went sat down to have a Falafel. Afterwards we were passing a park where David showed us another spot where a rocket had hit. The hole is now full of concrete but we could still see the signs of the shrapnel's. The most favourite site for foreign visitors to Sderot (especially journalists) is the local police station. They have a huge collection of Kassam rockets but what we didn't know is that you have to book a visit in advance. As a result we didn't get to see the collection but pictures are on the Internet anyway.


Collection of Kassam rockets at the police station

After more than three hours of walking around in the sun, we left for Netivot. My friend and I stood at one of those bomb shelter bus stops and took a Sherut to the 11km far away town Netivot. The place where the famous Moroccan Rabbi Israel Abuchazera (the Baba Sali) is buried.

We got off the Sherut far too early and had to walk down all the way to the grave (Kever). Of course, we got lost on the way but what we found was our bus stop for the way back to Tel Aviv. Never forget, there is a reason for everything; there is even a purpose for you getting lost.

We asked some people and finally got on the right track.
The grave is inside a building complex. There is a bigger yard in the middle, surrounded by the building complex. Some Sephardic families were holding their barbecues and we sat also sat down. Totally sweaty and exhausted having some water. A French Sephardic family sitting next to us invited us for a cold coke, water melon and even for a whole meal. Sephardic Jews are very into food and offer it to anyone. We took the coke and the water melon and moved on to the Kever. I was in pants but had brought a skirt. Just in case ! However, the Sepharadim are different and, in some cases, more open than Ashkenazim. I saw quite a few women running around in pants and thus, I didn't change my clothes.


Left: The Baba Sali, Rabbi Israel Abuchazera.

We took the women's entrance and walked along a long alleyway to the room with the huge tombstone. Chairs were set up and several women sat and said Tehillim (Psalms). We started doing the same, as suddenly a woman came up to us and offered more food. Nuts, raisins and I don't remember what else. Cold drinks were passed and as we didn't take enough food, the woman squeezed more raisins into our hands.


Netivot


Next to the Baba Sali grave, in a separate room, was the grave of Miriam Abuchazera, the Rabbi's second wife. On our way out, we passed a Rabbi sitting in a small office - like room who gave out blessings. My friend got excited and asked for one. The sign outside said that the Rabbi was a grandson of the Baba Sali.I translated the blessing for he, as she doesn't know Hebrew and the Rabbi didn't know any English. Suddenly he ran after her and said that he can see something hidden in her. A problem ? He would make a special Tikun (soul rectification).


The building complex of the Baba Sali grave


My friend got totally carried away and had one of these mystical experiences. I am not really into those blessings or easy to impress. So, I made a joke about it but she claimed that something took place and the Rabbi really got her.

Outside was a small souvenir shop and people had warned me before the trip that the Baba Sali's weird son, the Baba Baruch, was in charge of the grave and it's surroundings. He would sell water which would be a fraud. Nevertheless, we bought some of the "blessed olive oil" in a little plastic bottle. It was only 6 Shekels ( a little more than a Dollar). Not for eating but for health purposes.



The women's site

I immediately started putting some blessed oil on my face, as I was burnt from the sun. And guess what !
It helped ! I am not saying it was holy but rather refreshing on the skin.

By the way, water was not sold but only oil, Arak and tiny Tehillim books.

Afterwards we went back to Tel Aviv having the blessed olive oil in our pockets. In the end, we were glad that we went and the trip was great. A great experience (spiritual for my friend) and a lot to see.

What else do you want ?

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Link:

Sderot Media Center