In spite of the recent spike in daily terrorist attacks in Israel there are still people who come to Israel to experience the land and also to volunteer and share the love and support for the Jewish people.

This month we have been privileged to have four different groups of people come and help out in very special ways. Some came to help make home repairs, some came to pack food bag and others came to show their love and support.

Their love, compassion and support was greater than their fear and so they came. We want to express our gratitude to them all, invite them all back and extend the same invitation to you as well.

Andreas, Matthias, Albrecht and Hermann Came from Germany to do home repairs for people who have no way to pay for these professionals to make the needed  repairs. They stayed busy painting, repairing wall, repairing door, repairing tile and leaking plumbing pipes.

 When it was time for them to go back home, their list was smaller but even at that, it is still pretty long. When they come back next month they will pick up where they left off. Somehow I have a feeling that between now and then their list might grow again!

  When they come, not only do they supply all the labor and material to make life a little nicer for those in Sderot who could never have these types of repairs done professionally. Not only are homes made more beautiful but more important than that,  it’s their love and compassion that leaves an even bigger mark behind as well.  As if all their work and material they provided wasn’t enough, they left us with a donation on top of it all!

Arve and Nina spent two weeks out of their time in Israel with us in Sderot helping us pack food bag, making home deliveries and helping us move furniture around to people that needed it.

 When they weren’t helping us Arve was out helping anyone who looked like they needed help. Whether it was the little old ladies that he helped with the agalas (pull Cart) full of groceries, that he pulled home for them and then took them up the stairs or the elderly person carrying a roll of carpet that he put on his shoulders and carried it home for them.

 When not visiting Israel, Arve and Nina live in Norway. We are thankful for the time they spent with us; it is not their first time here and I hope it is not their last time here. Before leaving we were able to spent a wonderful Shabbat evening with them. We are thankful for the love and support and we look forward to their next trip to Sderot.

Wolfgang and Brigitte live in Germany. Their stay started with Shabbat dinner on Friday night and they were our guests for the next 4 days.

 They came to Sderot to give a helping hand. Although they came at the end of the food cycle for the month we were still glad to have them and just their presents and support meant the world to us.

This was the first time ever that we had no one to translate for us but that we worked through… it’s called Google translate; a bit slow but it works just fine. We promised them that the next time they come we will keep them busy and make up for last time.

Conrad and Heide live in Germany, they came last week to help us pack food. The day they came our shipment of supplies came late in the afternoon the day before we were to be open. Because it was the day before Hanukah we knew many more people would come in than normal.

 By five that evening the food had arrived and was put away and now it was time to get to work… and work they did. With three of our volunteers sick we knew we were going to be shorthanded so Conrad and Heide’s timing to come help was just perfect. By nine thirty that night 200 sets of food bags were packed and on the shelves awaiting delivery the next morning.

It is always a privilege to take  first time visitors around town and show them Sderot first hand. Many time they might have seen a place in a picture but when you are there and you take your own picture you look at it in a different way; when you see the Gaza border and its proximity to Sderot it seems to put things into its proper prospective.  

Friends and supporters are always welcome to experience Sderot and Hope For Sderot first hand… keeping in mind that part of that experience is also some of the anxiety that comes from never knowing when the next time we will hear “Tseva Adom” or hear the Iron Dome activated; but that too is just part of the reality of living in Sderot.

So if you come to Israel and want to experience Hope For Sderot first hand just click here and we will see what we can work out.