By Adina Teibloom, made aliyah with HDNA Bogrimot, Madricha at Mitzpeh Ramon Youth Village

I was in Yafo when the rocket fire started and rushed to the safe room where we were staying. We turned on the TV and were just shocked. Since then we traveled home to Mitzpeh Ramon, where there are almost never rocket attacks or sirens. The drive was a bit harrowing, though we did not encounter any sirens or make any stops. Once getting to Mitzpeh we said goodbye to our friends who were called up as reservists. In my normal life I am the madricha for a kvutzah in a boarding school in Mitzpeh so for the first two days I mostly worried about them and called to check in on them. 

Mitzpeh is a known safe place from rocket fire in the south and so many citizens from the Otef are used to coming here for a break from rocket fire. Within a few hours on the third day we turned our boarding school into apartments where we could take in families. I was asked to become the contact person and host to all the families that would arrive. There are now 22 men, women and children staying in our boarding school. They had their first night of real sleep since Friday and got a chance to shower without the fear of having to run to the shelter. 

We also took in 48 families from Kibbutz Erez but they are sleeping in another location in Mitzpeh and my friends are running activities for kids from birth to age 18. We converted our boarding school’s cafeteria into a center for those staying in Mitzpeh to get a free hot meal whenever they want. The families I am responsible for keep strict kashrut so I have been connecting to the religious community here in Mitzpeh to get them food for every meal.

All I can say is I guess that I wish people knew what an amazing People we are. Literally one week ago the entire nation was embroiled in a political disagreement that felt like it might do permanent damage to our democracy. And now, for now, everyone has come together to help each other. I know that a common crisis is an easy reason to unite but it is still unexpected in my eyes after the year we had politically and pretty amazing to witness.

Also about the families from Sderot - they arrive here absolutely terrified and traumatized. They can only leave Sderot with an armed escort and it’s the first time they left their homes since Saturday, most likely the first time they left their safe room for more than a few minutes. Within 24 hours they are like new people, their faces glow and they return to some semblance of normalcy.