Life In Sderot, Israel

Sderot is best know as the Israeli city that is under a near steady barrage of qassam rockets fired randomly and indiscriminately from the Gaza strip by the terrorists of Hamas. A young lady, Laura Bialis, from LA moved there a year ago to film a documentary about the lives and music of a citizenry under stress and what she finds is quite remarkable. I guess when you live under the constant stress of possible death at any instant life becomes all the sweeter and more poignant. She found love and life in a city under siege and relates her story in this touching must read post.

Sderot is known for being a poor southern development town, for being hit by qassam rockets from Gaza for eight-years with no end in sight, and for being the “Liverpool” of Israel, having bred some of Israel’s most successful rock bands.

Among Israel’s elite and Tel Aviv society, Sderot is known as a “lousy” place… and on the surface it looks run down, unkempt, and unbeautiful. I have noted the shocked expressions of most Israelis when they hear that I have moved from West Los Angeles to Sderot. But in my year here, I have forged an unbreakable connection to this place. Maybe I’m just a small town person who’s been stuck in a big city most of my life, or maybe the artist in me felt constrained dealing with the film industry in LA. All I can report, is that I have learned more in this, my 35th year, than any other in my life.

Israel has become my top destination for an over seas visit, there is simply so much history there and from reading this post Sderot would be a must visit part of the itinerary. I pray my dreams are fulfilled and the mad mullahs' of Iran never are.

Hattip: Commentary's Rich Richman