Amkha Yisrael

A caravan of cars set off from Modiin to Sderot on Tuesday. It took us a long time to get there, but the drive normally takes just a bit more than an hour (when you're not in a convoy....).

One hour away from us, there are thousands of Jews under enemy rocket fire. And we worry about.... what?

I experienced what it means to be in Sderot when a Kassam hits and I saw some of the destruction. I visited with an older lady and her neighbor and heard their stories from the front - the front yard, that is: you see, a Palestinian Authority rocket struck the yard in front of their building last week.

When the "Color Red" alert was sounded, we took refuge in Shoshana's dining room. There was a span of 10 seconds - who had time to get to a bomb shelter? - then the rocket slammed into the city. It sounded as if the city itself should have shook, but we only heard the very loud impact. Then the ambulances....

I got a haircut, ate a shwarma, bought some basic supplies for volunteers to distribute, and brought some food to a lady unable or unwilling to venture out to the market.

I left feeling that we had done something - something small, but at least we had not allowed Sderot to remain "over there" and "someone else's problem" in our own minds and for all with whom we share this story.

Mostly, however, I admit I felt anger - at the enemy, of course, but also at a government that allows its people to live under artillery fire for SIX YEARS and does not put an end to it.

I felt frustration, knowing that the same roads we drove on to get to Sderot were plastered with bitter posters saying "Prepare for the coming of the Kassam" in the months leading up to the expulsion of the Jewish towns in Gush Katif. And, like night follows day, the number of Kassams on the western Negev tripled in 2006.

See and read more about our Modiin=Sderot trip in the form of news at http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/122586 and here http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/122582

For those of you who live in Israel - organize your own such "soldiarity shopping convoy" to Sderot. And tell me and the media about it.

For those of you who live overseas, how about arranging a fund to help those who do make the trip down south to purchase supplies and support local Sderot businesses?