45 Degrees Celsius
The last two days have been the hottest of the trip; they have also been some of the busiest. On Wednesday morning we went to the Sderot Playground. Sderot is a city located next to the Gaza Strip. The indoor playground, constructed only a year ago, provides children with the opportunity to socialize and play without worrying about the ever-present threat of rocket attacks. The Sderot Playground acts as a bomb shelter in case of emergencies. The playground provides the children of Sderot and their parents with a variety of services. Recognizing that most of the children in Sderot have Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, the facility works with volunteer psychologists to provide family therapy. The playground also partners with local university students to ensure that the children of Sderot have access to tutors in the subjects they are struggling with. Most of the children use the space to play basketball, air hockey, video games, and fussball. They also have a climbing wall and a few bounce houses. The playground was full when we arrived and it was incredible to see the children at play with their parents and peers. After a brief tour, we were given time to play with the children and familiarize ourselves with the space. It is difficult to imagine growing up in a place like Sderot where you practice getting to a bomb shelter in under seven seconds and hear the sounds of rockets on a regular basis. Prior to the completion of the indoor playground, children had to remain close to their homes and most parents feared bringing them out to a public park. Watching the children play, it struck me that the playground had quickly become an intergral part of the Sderot community; it is a place to feel safe, a place to meet other children with similar experiences,a place where parents can take a break from worrying about their children's safety, and a place where the whole family can begin to address the effects of repated trauma. The visit was followed by a discussion about the Gaza Strip, including a question and answer session. Many of us continued the conversation during our coffee break (and break from the heat ) at a local mall.
After cooling off, we made our way further into the Negev for camel riding and Bedouin hospitality. Riding two people to a camel, we briefly caravaned around the property before meeting in a tent to learn more about Bedouin life. We listened to Bedouin music, drank coffee, and talked about Bedouin life in the past and the present. Unfortunately, our conversation was cut short, so that our Bedouin guide could prepare for Ramadan. We spent the evening in the desert where our Israeli companions taught us Israeli games, shared Israeli junk food, and played the guitar by a campfire.We then slept in the Bedouin tent (or outside the Bedouin tent for those who were willing to brave the bugs) and woke up in the morning prepared for a hike.
Our hike was incredible. The rock formations were breakthaking. We took two minutes to listen in complete silence to the sounds of the desert and it was an amazing way to take a break from our busy trip. I loved hearing just the occasional bird in the distance and realizing how silent it was without the noise of cars, cities, or Birthrighters in constant conversation. We stopped for lunch and made our way to the Dead Sea. Although I was initially excited for the Dead Sea, the 45 degree (close to 113 degrees farenheit) and the sun from the morning hike lessened my enthusiasm. Once there, however, I was overwhlemed by the beauty of the setting and the amazing water. It is difficult to describe how much fun it was to float without any effort and to be able to walk out to where I could no longer stand and still have my head and shoulders above the water. We will have to post pictures of us floating and putting on the Dead Sea mud later. I'd better go to bed now, since we leave at 3:00 AM for Masada in the morning.
-Deanna
