Please click below to read more......!
A little history: a few years ago, the JNF people came to
Sderot and realized that, due to the regular mortar fire then, there were no
kids playing on the street because they were too scared to play outside.
According to the JNF, almost 75% of the children in Sderot suffer from some for
of post-traumatic stress. The JNF countered that by building a
fully-underground and fully-protected, missile-proof play area; with birthday
rooms, computer rooms, moonwalks, rock climbing wall, etc. it is literally
and figuratively, a safe haven. 
SFW was asked last year by the
JNF to run a carnival in their Underground
Playground Recreation
Center in Sderot. The
administration there was impressed by our girls’ energy; without any
hesitation, they asked us to come back this year.... and we did!
They and we had an outstanding
time! Families from Sderot and the surrounding areas were invited to join the
fun and they came in droves!
In addition to the families of
Sderot, the following were invited to Sderot and joined us in the fun…..
- David Bouskilla, Mayor of
Sderot
- Caspar Veldkamp, Holland’s Ambassador to Israel
- Families of the guards at the
Ketziyot Prison
 |
(L
to R) - Yossi Swissa,
Menahel of the
JNF Sderot Recreational facility,
Rabbi Yamin Goldsmith,
SFW Menahel, David
Bouskilla, Mayor of
Sderot |
 |
Yossi Swissa, Menahel of the Sderot facility
addresses the SFW
students |
All of the activities were completely
designed and operated by the wonderful girls of SFW. For example, we brought a
lot of booths with us to Sderot (Pin the Gimmel on the Draidel, Spin the
Draidel, Find the Gelt, Douse the Chanukiyah, Knock the Greek, etc.), activities
(basketball, bowling, etc.), arts and crafts (make your own necklace, decorate
the sufganiyah, color your Chanukah scene, etc.), a magic show and many, many
prizes!
 |
Caspar Veldkamp,
Holland’s Ambassador to Israel (red tie) |
Kol hakavod and thank you to our
Director of Student Activities, Elisheva Frist who planned and organized the
entire day with the help of our outstanding madrichot!
Many of the expenses of the
carnival were defrayed by the generosity of the following families……
- The Fersel Family in honor of
Danielle and her Bubbie and Zaydie, Esther and Mordeci Friedel
- The Landa Family in memory of
Amy's grandfathers both of whose yahrzeits are in Tevet: Rabbi Samuel Landa and
Nathan (Leo) Silber
- The Penn Family in honor of
Aviva’s uncle and aunt, Ari and Batya Jerenberg of Ramat Bet Shemesh
We thank them! Tizku l’mitzvot!!
The kids of Sderot - and the
girls at SFW - had an outstanding time!
Yossi Swissa, the director of the
center, told the SFW girls at the end of the day: “The terrorists in Gaza have one goal in
mind: to wipe the Jews off of the map. They do that by trying to wipe off the
smiles from the faces of the children in Sederot and nearby cities. You, the
girls of Sha’alvim for Women, have done the opposite: you have brought smiles
to the faces of the children here. May Hashem continue the strength to bring
smiles to Jewish children everywhere!” 