What do you think of when you hear the words “Sderot,” “Kassam” and “Tzeva Adom”?

Until a few months ago, I had no idea what those words meant. I didn't know that the small Israeli city of Sderot, with a population of 25,000, has been bombed by more than 5,500 Kassam missiles over the past six years, with more than 1,200 hitting in the past 15 months. I didn't know there has been an average of three missile attacks per day. I didn't know that when the people of Sderot hear the siren “Tzeva Adom” (a signal meaning “color red”), they understand they have 15 seconds to take cover—only 15 seconds to find shelter, protect their children, their families, the elderly and themselves from being wounded or killed.

But now I know. I know there's a city in Israel called Sderot, which is fighting a deadly, unfair and gruesome undeclared war. I am aware of the heartbreaking and tragic lack of shelters in Sderot that could potentially save thousands of innocent lives.

This past summer, I was blessed to be the counselor of six girls, who, with a group of 14 others, came to the United States from Sderot to have their first worry-free, safe and fun summer at Camp Sunapee, in New Hampshire. I have the mother-daughter team Inessa and Masha Rifkin to thank for this—they started the “Children of Sderot” project.

While in Sderot, Masha sent an email to her mother, director of Camp Sunapee, explaining her idea. She wrote: “These kids are strong; they'll gain strength from this summer, and they'll come back and reinvigorate their exasperated friends and parents—they'll force a surge of energy through the town. More than anything though, they'll get to say they didn't miss out. We owe it to them, Mama. I can't just walk away from them, I need help to do something.”

And so together, with the help of the Russian Jewish Community Foundation and hundreds of generous donors, they raised over $62,000 to bring 20 children out of Sderot to give them a summer full of safety and happiness.

These kids have taught and showed me so much over the past five weeks of camp. They've taught me how to appreciate life and not take what I have for granted. I know I'm privileged, but the depth and darkness of my campers' experience truly hits me when I hear them describe how sirens, bombs, danger and terror are part of their daily routines; how each lives in constant fear for her own safety and the safety of her family.

All of these kids are stronger than any of us could ever imagine. In the third week of camp, one of our evening activities was called “Sderot Night.” During the activity, we learned about the situation in Sderot and heard stories from the Sderot campers. One camper named Slava told us that while he was walking down the street with his aunt one day, a Kassam rocket crashed 20 meters away. The rocket killed two young children and Slava witnessed their deaths.

The children of Sderot have seen the unthinkable. The only thing that separates these kids from adults is their age. “They have been forced into adulthood, making decisions and thinking about things they should not have to think about,” Masha Rifkin says. This was one of the biggest motivations that inspired her to start the Children of Sderot Project, to raise money for these kids and to give them a chance and opportunity to be kids again—at least for one summer.

I was proud that Masha, Inessa and all of Camp Sunapee were able to give these kids a summer of childhood. They got to worry about crushes and the way they looked for the dances; about how their clay pots would turn out in ceramics; and about the steps for a hip-hop dance performance.  

The Children of Sderot project was a huge success, thanks to all the people who made it happen. The Israeli campers made new friends, participated in activities they could only dream about back home, learned how to swim, grew up, and most of all, were able to live the lives of children. On the last day of camp, one camper from Sderot came up to me and said: “There is something different about me. I have changed, grown up and become a better person.” These words are just one of many examples that prove the dream of the Children of Sderot came true.

But the work is nowhere near complete. The Russian Jewish Community of Boston is now trying to raise money to build a sheltered after-school center in Sderot so the children don't have to sit alone at home, afraid of the Kassams. This will be a place where children can go after school and feel safe. Let's all come together and help make life easier and more enjoyable for the people of Sderot. We can make this happen, and we will.

To donate to the cause, visit: http://www.rjcf.com/.