January 21, 2009Comments (0) |
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Hillel at Sapir College in Israel sent an aid shipment to people in Gaza. The sign reads: "Hillel of Sapir – Gathering humanitarian equipment for Gaza."
Eyal Mazliah, director of the Hillel at Sapir College, located in the rocket-damaged town of Sderot, agreed to help an organization reaching across the Gaza border. His kibbutz, Kfar Aza, serves as the local drop-off point for material despite the fact that mortars recently landed inside Mazliah's small kibbutz from Gaza.
Sapir College's Hillel had spent the past month gathering equipment for bomb shelters and running activities for children taking refuge in bomb shelters in Sderot. "When [the Gaza relief group] approached us for help, we already had many blankets and coats collected," Mazliah said.
What did it feel like to help the population on the other side of the border?
"Look, even when your windows shake at night from the rocket attacks, you can see across the border that Gaza is dark for a month," he explains. "You feel the humanitarian situation. Most people here say Hamas brought this upon them, but we're still talking about children who we will have to live with in the future. The people who are closest to this should do the most. It's a basic humanitarian act."
Related stories on Hillel.org:
Hillels Show Solidarity With Israel
Going Home to Ashkelon
Hillels in Israel Respond