Jewish Agency professionals at Amar's home after the attack.
January 27, 2008 / 20 Shevat 5768
It was the first Sabbath eve in January 2008 and everything was ready in the Kabesa household in Sderot. The table was set, the food was heating up and the house was in order. Sixteen-year-old Chen was the last one of the five children to take a shower. Suddenly, the warning siren that signals impending rockets sounded, and as the family ran for cover, a Kassam rocket landed right next to their home. The force of the rocket damaged the childrens' rooms and shattered the ceramic tiles in the bathroom. Chen was injured by the debris, and he is still dealing with the emotional shock.
"I was visiting my ailing father in Rishon L'etzion when my husband called to tell me what happened," says Ronit Kabesa. "My first reaction was to thank God that everyone was alive, but I couldn't stop shaking."
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Ronit Kabesa next to her damaged home. |
Ronit Kabesa is on the verge of despair. The 36-year-old mother of five is a postal worker in Sderot, making a minimal salary. Her husband David works in construction, but with the situation in Sderot he has a hard time finding work. "We live in fear of the rocket attacks and in fear of falling deeper and deeper into debt," says Ronit.
"The pressure here is not normal," continues Ronit. "I can't sleep at night. Every small noise makes me jump. I am on medication all the time and my children are treated by a psychologist for the stress. Our lives are always at risk."
The Jewish Agency for Israel is providing immediate financial assistance to victims of Kassam rocket attacks in Sderot. This emergency assistance is provided by the Jewish Agency's Fund for Victims of Terror, which is underwritten by the United Jewish Communities and Keren Hayesod. A decision taken last month earmarked $300,000 for emergency assistance to Sderot residents, with the goal of providing initial relief in advance of assistance received from the government.
"When Ofer Baram (Southern Region Community Relations Director) from the Jewish Agency came to my home and told me that I would immediately get a check for NIS 4,000 ($1,000) from the Fund I almost cried. It was like a gift from heaven," says Ronit.
Ronit wanted to go out and buy her two younger daughters new clothes and some toys to replace everything that was destroyed by the attack. In the end, she needed to use the money to pay the rent and buy food.
Pinchas Amar, a 48-year-old resident of Sderot, and his family, were terrorized by a Kassam rocket attack, also minutes before the Sabbath began. His wife, Aliza, a victim of multiple strokes who uses a walker, did not make it to the hall, where the family runs for protection in their single-family home. The rocket fell in the kitchen, three feet from Aliza, and she was badly injured in the leg.
Pinchas ran into the smoke-filled room and shouted his wife's name. "I thought she was dead," says Pinchas, his voice quivering with emotion. "Suddenly, I heard her shout in a feeble voice, 'Pinchas, I'm here." The front door was blocked by debris, and Pinchas lifted her up in his arms and ran to the light of the window yelling for help.
"My two daughters, one 13 and the other 22, were in shock. Our youngest, nine-year-old daughter, who is developmentally disabled, was, thankfully, still at her special-ed school."
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Pinchas Amar (middle) and his wife Aliza receive a check from the Jewish Agency's Ofer Baram. |
Pinchas, who spends his days taking care of his wife and family, lives on National Insurance payments. When he received the check from the Jewish Agency he was overwhelmed with gratitude. "Everything was destroyed from the smoke and the debris. We didn't have a cup to drink from," says Pinchas.
He used the money to buy his family new clothes and basic essentials. Until his house is repaired, the family is living in a hostel in Ashkelon. "I want people to understand that the help they give us, the warm words they offer and the good deeds that people are doing here in Sderot, are worth a million dollars," says Pinchas. "It is important for us to know that we are not alone."
Since the immediate assistance program started less than a month ago, the Jewish Agency has awarded over $20,000 in grants to families affected by Kassam attacks. In one week alone (January 10th – 17th), over 160 rockets fell in Sderot and the Jewish Agency awarded nearly $17,000.
"We have people on the ground in Sderot and we are able to award money within 24 to 48 hours – the quick turnaround time is crucial," says Eli Carmeli, director of the Fund for Victims of Terror. The people who are eligible for immediate assistance are those who are physically injured by a Kassam or whose house suffered a direct hit. Carmeli explains that the money is used for urgent needs such as paying for temporary housing, clothing and other incidentals. Most families, like the Kabesa's and the Amar's, receive $1,000.
The deadly fallen Kassam rockets pile up in Sderot.
"We are dealing often with lower income families in a depressed economic environment, who don't have the means to cover immediate expenses they incur as a result of an attack on their home," says Jewish Agency Chairman Zeev Bielski. "I told the people of Sderot that we would be at their side when they are under attack. The whole of world Jewry is united behind them. Just as we did in the North during the war in Lebanon, the Jewish Agency and our partners are standing at their side in times of crisis."