N'tivot

As the operation in Gaza was underway, many Israeli cities were hit daily with rocket attacks. Schools were closed, and bomb shelters were opened for public use. Many people gathered in the shelters for community purposes, like praying (Jewish men gather three times a day to pray with 10 or more people together). Living like this is hard, especially for kids who are used to playing in the streets without danger.

Lev Echad is an organization dedicated to bringing a little more joy into the lives of children affected by war in Israel. Many Israelis gather from all over the country and travel to the areas most impacted from the rockets with one purpose: bringing light into the darkest places.

I came to a bus with no concept of Lev Echad or the cities that I would be visiting. After seeing signs on the freeway that said "S'derot" for a few hours, we were given instructions on what to do if we heard a siren. Get to a bomb shelter. Or a downstairs stairway. Or, at the very least, off the bus. At all times spent traveling we were meant to stay in covered areas, particularly in the middlemost part of a building.

After leaving S'derot for our final destination, N'tivot, we were taken to a colony of shelters belonging to Lev Echad. We entered a dining hall with a room full of games in the next room. By the time I got to the game room all the best board games were taken, which was OK with me. I spotted the paint in the first place. What could be more fun than getting messy with kids I have never met before?