Shy Dogs of Sderot

by Jerry Waxman
Sderot Israel

A Best Friend Is Hard To Find:
Before Malka came to Israel, my social life was pretty nil. True, I was never much for going out, hanging out, or visiting people’s houses. Also true that before Malka came here, my appetite for socializing was hardly voracious. Nevertheless, I welcomed company if it came to me – in the form of a bird or a cat or a dog.

Of course, birds are really hard to get to know. They don’t hang around the same trees for too long. While they might be curious about humans who try to talk with them, they aren’t anxious to meet them.

Cats on the other hand relate to people a little differently. The ones in Sderot live side by side with humans, even while they follow a policy of separation. In Sderot, maybe throughout Israel, it is a rare cat that allows itself to be pet by a person. They may stare straight at you, and you might think it is an overture to friendliness. But don’t be surprised – or overwhelmed with grief – if every cat you ever see runs away the second you get close.

A true friend once lived next door. Think Rich – Get Rich Fast! A new website on taking charge of your life. Dogs of Sderot are different still. Not just different from cats. They’re different from dogs in other towns. It’s in their nature to be friendly with people, but some of their spirit has been taken away. They are shy. They keep their distance from people they don’t know. Someone once told me it’s post traumatic stress syndrome because of the rockets that have fallen in Sderot. Maybe there’s some truth to that. More likely, they have learned to distrust humans. The way many people treat dogs in Sderot, it is no wonder they don’t smile when people show up. There are exceptions: A few dogs around town let me past their anti-human prejudice. When I would approach them they would approach me, instead of run away. Within minutes they’d put their head conveniently under my palm to be pet, as if we were old acquaintences. While it’s comforting to be trusted by a dog here and there, these dogs never think of playing with a human. In fact, they hardly ever play with each other. In fact any suggestion of play gets greeted with a look that says, “When are you going to take life seriously?” The dogs of Sderot are different. Think Rich – Get Rich Fast! – A new website on “making money fast.” With all this going on, you can imagine my delight when I finally met a dog who was normal. A big white puppy who has not gotten to know the kassams or the warning signals. When I first met this dog – whose name I never learned – she was always with an older dog. I supposed they were related, and I supposed the older dog protected the younger one. So it could be that my friend never was too mistreated by humans. Of course she was constantly wary and suspicious of people. But she came to accept me as a friend. More than once, I would be walking merrily along, when all of a sudden I’d feel something attack my hand or my leg from behind. Just as I’d turn to see who it could possibly be, that white dog would jump in front of me, and then jump on me, grabbing my hand in mock battle. That white dog knew how to play like a dog. Well, I looked forward to introducing that dog to Malka when she came to Israel. But the dog must’ve moved. She’s never at the park, and she’s never out in her front yard. She must’ve moved to a different neighborhood. So my best friend isn’t around here any more. Yet, I’ll be thankful to her for waiting until Malka got here. Not an exact replacement, but Malka more than makes up for her canine deficiencies.

The Truth in Rainbows and Funerals

by Jerry Waxman

It’s easy to not like Sderot. Wow, what a thing to say about this town that I chose to live in. The sad truth is I haven’t met anyone who is in love with the town. People here have shown me reasons to believe that there are better places.

The most pungent reason is that Sderot literally smells bad. The original sewer system was not meant to service more than a few thousand residents. Sderot has an estimated 20,000 people who live and work here. The trouble with sewage often expresses itself in little streams of water crossing the streets. It more often expresses itself with an odor that pervades the air particularly in my neighborhood.

Another thing about Sderot is the people. On the whole you’d have to say they are a friendly bunch. However, when you see them in action everyday, facades of friendliness somehow disappear, and people let their stress out on one another.

Enough said about the negatives. More than enough.

The real point is, I have been trying to find a way to stay here and am failing to find even a good reason. Nobody answers my applications to work. The only reason that comes to mind is they only hire people they know, regardless of qualifications.

Reminds me of last year’s political campaigns, when I went to Davidi’s campaign headquarters twice to get involved. Nobody even approached me to ask me to vote for Davidi. When I approached them, the attitude was, “I don’t know you. Not gonna talk to you.”

Okay, enough with the negatives. My mind has been plagued lately with thoughts of leaving Sderot. Even of leaving the country if I get a decent job offer.

This last Shabbat was Parashat Noach, the story of the ark, the animals, and the flood that destroyed the world. It was also a yahrzeit weekend for me, which is always a reminder of my obligations to those who came before me. Even before the Shabbat, I was in a supermarket buying, amongst other things, a memorial candle. And it crossed my mind, “Only in Israel will you find a supermarket like this.”

I went to the Bukhari synagogue and they gave me the fifth aliya to the Torah. It was kind of a short passage. I noticed it mentioned a rainbow, G-d’s sign to Noah. And I thought, “What a beautiful way to remember those who have passed on.”

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After the service my friends taught me that the rainbow is not a good sign at all. It is beautiful to look at. But a complete rainbow is a reminder of the flood that destroyed the world. We’re not supposed to stare and marvel at it.

A hard truth. But truth is truth, whether you like it or don’t. Besides, it never rains in Sderot. I haven’t seen a rainbow since I’ve been here.

Yesterday, a funeral was held a block away from my apartment. I went because the deceased was somebody from the Parsi (Iranian) synagogue, where I often go. I didn’t know the man. But in Israel, when someone dies, it’s family, no matter who you are. In this case, he was a well respected man who came from Iran, and kept all the Jewish traditions, and went to synagogue every day.

During the funeral, which was attended by a couple hundred men and women, including several Torah scholars and rabbis, I sat on a nearby bench and observed. While eulogies were spoken, I could see comic-strip-like balloons over everybody’s head. They all had the same words, “When my time comes, what will they say about me?”

Will they say I left Israel to find a job? Will they say I left Sderot because it smells bad?

Truth is truth, and we live with it in Israel perhaps more than any other place in the world. Where else would we find people leaving their workplaces in the middle of the day to attend a funeral. Where else would a neighborhood build a tent in a parking lot and lead a procession down the middle of the street to honor one of its elders?

The truth is, a rainbow is a beautiful thing to behold, but it has a horrible episode behind it. Sderot may have its outward ugliness, but it has some beautiful lives and stories inside of it.

I don’t know if I’ll end up staying here or not. One thing is for sure, though. No regrets about being here. There are more positive things about Sderot than negative; just that the positive things tend to stay quiet.