The night I arrived, my Couchsurfing host, Roee, made homemade Shakshuka while I watched a football game between Haifa and Tel Aviv. There could have been a no warmer welcome.
The following day I spent hanging out with Roee and his friends in open field near the kibbutz Nir Am, which is just one kilometer away from the border of Gaza. Upon leaving for Sderot my friend Sam, who spent time volunteering there during Operation Cast Lead, said that the area is relatively safe, but I shouldn't go "hanging out in any open fields." It just so happens Roee's photo shoot that I was helping with was set in an open field-an open field quite close to Gaza.
Of course, nothing happened and I spent the idyllic day having my photo taken in awesome hippie, Israeli clothing.
The next day I was fortunate enough to meet with Jacob from the Sderot Media Center. Just by entering Sderot, anyone can notice that this is no "normal" city, with its bountiful bomb shelters and cement-walled schools. But, Jacob and the Sderot Media Center offered a more comprehensive and thorough understanding of how constant attacks from Gaza affect the daily lives of those living in Sderot. He took us to a viewpoint with a clear view of Gaza, and to a street where nearly all of the houses had been hit by qassams. Insane.
Shell of a Qassam rocket that hit Sderot
Smile, you're one kilometer away from Gaza!
Sderot: where the bomb shelters are nicer than the houses
Childrens' playground/massive bomb shelter
Here's a video produced by the Sderot Media Center. It offers a glimpse of the psychological trauma that Sderot residents face because of the constant threat of rockets.
The final afternoon in Sderot was spent hitchhiking to Zeqeem, a beach Roee recommended.
There, me and my travel compadre, Hannah, spent the afternoon enjoying the view of Gaza on this seemingly private beach.
Overall, my week of Couchsurfing, hitchhiking, shakshuka-eating, picture posing and conflict understanding offered a deeper experience and understanding of Israel than sitting in a classroom could have given me.
Think of this as an ode to class skipping and my bout of senior-itis.
