Terror and tranquillity: Gaza-envelope teenagers tell it like it is

Only 800m from the Gaza Strip, 15 year old Sara* lives on Kibbutz Nachal Oz, the same place where four-year-old Daniel Tregerman was killed by mortar fire during Operation Protective Edge in 2014.

Yet, Sara and her family will never leave as this has been their home for generations, and they have a great quality of life – when rockets aren’t raining down.

She is part of a group of ten teenagers and two madrichim (youth leaders) who are in South Africa from the “Gaza envelope” (the region of Israel surrounding the Gaza Strip, which includes the town of Sderot and many kibbutzim and moshavim). They have been given a respite from living under the constant threat of rocket attacks to go to Habonim machaneh, have a holiday in Cape Town, and even a trip to the Aquila Game Reserve.

This is the second year that this initiative has taken place. It was arranged and sponsored by Silvio Joskowicz (the chairperson of the education department – World Zionist Organization), Habonim Dror Olami, Habonim Dror Southern Africa, and the South African Zionist Federation (Cape Council).

“We hope that one day, you will come here out of choice, not as a respite,” said Tamar Lazarus, who hosted the teens at her home for a braai on the evening of their arrival. She recalled how the Women’s International Zionist Organization evacuated families from this area during Operation Protective Edge (2014). A video was made, and one young girl, Ariella*, was featured in it. Now, this same young teenager is part of this group in Cape Town on another break from her scary reality.

As they enjoyed their first South African braai, the teens shared what life is like living in this volatile part of the world. Their parents asked that they not be named in the press.

“I honestly don’t know anything different,” said Sara. Only open fields with an iron fence in the middle separate her home from the Gaza Strip. Her parents grew up in this region, and she was born here. “My mom tells stories of going to the beach in Gaza, which is only about 6km away. So much has changed since then. It’s actually a very quiet and peaceful place when there are no rockets. But most importantly, it’s my home, and it always will be.

“We have only about eight seconds to get to a shelter when the siren sounds, so yes, it’s scary. But no matter what happens in Gaza, this is where I feel most safe. It’s where I grew up, where family and friends are. And if we evacuate, we go together as a community,” she said.

Ariella, age 16, lives on Kibbutz Kfar Aza, about 5km from the Gaza border. “I love it. It’s very quiet, and I love the freedom of walking around the kibbutz. It’s especially beautiful in winter. And it’s our home,” she said.

Along with the other teens, she emphasises that a key strategy of living here is “taking control and being prepared for the possibility of rockets. You just get used to it.” The group says they refuse to let the situation “get to them”, and they mainly use humour to do this.

“We love joking about it. When we go to Be’ersheva or Arad, we laugh about how much time they have to run to the shelter compared to us!” But only they can joke about it. If other people do, it’s not funny. They recall humorous anecdotes: Sara said she once slept in her sister’s room, which was one of their “protected rooms” (bomb shelters) because the threat of rockets was high. And yet, when the siren went off, she automatically ran to her own unprotected room as she was so used to running from one room to another.

She said that all homes in the area have at least one protected room, and some have two. Her house has two, and her younger siblings’ bedrooms are in these rooms. Sometimes the family will split up between the two rooms, and then check on each other.

The teens said that no one actually uses the underground bomb shelters as they are dark, scary, and often dirty. When they were younger, they saw these times in the protected rooms as a fun sleepover. Looking back, they realise how hard it must have been for their parents to keep their kids happy in one room for days on end. They also said that when they were evacuated, they first saw it as a holiday, but before long they really missed home.

Ariella said there was a dog on her kibbutz that ran to the shelter before it even heard the siren – he was so tuned in and trained to do so, and heard it before they did. At the same time, this dog once had a panic attack and ran 46km away before he was found. In spite of their tough outlook, the story encapsulates what the teens go through on a daily basis.

But unlike the dog, they refuse to run away. “I will continue to play lacrosse, I will continue to live my life – nothing is going to stop me,” said Shira*, age 16. “Yes, if there is a loud noise nearby, I do get a fright. It can be hard, but it’s a good life.” She and her friends emphasise the freedom they have to be out until 05:00 and feel safe, and live in such a beautiful part of the country. They all say they hope to one day raise their own families there.

Ariella said that while Israelis in the north might not understand exactly what life is like in the Gaza envelope, they “always care when there is a situation, and offer to help every time”.

Esta Levitas of the South African Zionist Federation Cape Council thanked all the sponsors and role-players who made this trip possible, including Aquila Game Reserve and community members who showed the young people true Capetonian hospitality.

The organisation DIVOTE (Durban-Israel Victims of Terror Enterprise) sponsored backpacks for the teens, spoiling them with apparel, gifts, and essentials for their trip. DIVOTE was started by prominent Durban community member John Moshal to support victims of terror in Israel.