Chabad Stays Open, Reliable, As Gaza Responds With Rockets

SDEROT, Israel — Israel’s air strikes on Gaza, aimed at bringing relief and restoring some kind of security to the country’s southern residents, have been greeted with an onslaught of more than 150 rocket attacks, chasing many residents out of their homes and cities, and confining the rest to bomb shelters. Chabad centers in Sderot, Ashkelon and Ashdod remain open despite city-wide lockdowns, providing support to residents and soldiers between sirens that give residents 15-20 seconds warning of incoming rocket.

But despite the chaos, there is a general sense of relief. “Until now people were angry and felt helpless,” said Rabbi Zev Pizem of Ashdod. “The war has made many happy that something is being done, even though things are now harder than ever before.”

Only three miles away from Gaza, Sderot has been under constant rocket attack for the past eight years. Residents have been frustrated with the lack of response and the constant fear that has become a feature of mundane life. At 11:30 am Saturday, in the middle of Sabbath prayers, congregants at Chabad of Sderot heard a series of explosions louder and more intense then the Qassam rockets common to the area.

“I was terrified, shocked that the rockets could get worse. It was so loud, so close,” said Leah Merzachanov, a resident of Sderot. “We went outside and saw the smoke over Gaza and knew it came from Israel.”

Rabbi Pizem estimates that close to half of the city’s residents have left to be with family or in government subsidized hotels. Sderot’s stores are closed, its streets, save for soldiers, are now deserted. Several hours after the surprise attack began, the army sent soldiers door to door distributing beepers for residents to signal for assistance and supplies.

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