Rivka Grabovski
Posted on | December 2, 2008 | No Comments
Director of Daycare Center in Sderot
I hear the noise of the Qassam rocket, and the loudspeaker and the red alert, and my heart’s beating quickly, and I can’t catch my breath, and what do I do now? It can happen anywhere. You can be at home, at the center, in the street. I live in fear. I feel I have a sixth sense with which I can hear better, concentrate better. I’m so frightened and tense—but courage is key. Don’t give up, despite everything. I continue to walk for exercise, do my shopping, take classes, visit my girlfriends, and come to work despite the fears, anxiety, and trembling. I tell myself not to give up, but to get up and do the impossible.
Tell us about your career in education.
Before moving to Sderot, I was an educator and preschool teacher. I felt unsatisfied because I had a strong credo about raising children that I wasn’t able to fulfill in my place of work. I had the good fortune to be contacted by the director of the association, who asked if I’d be interested in directing the daycare center in Sderot.
I left the Ministry of Education, giving up my salary and pension, leaving everything. I came here because I felt that their philosophy closely matched my credo about taking care of children. Today, I’m the director of a daycare center.
Thank God, I’ve succeeded. I see the incredible results. A lot of people come to visit us, professionals as well as regular people. There is a contagious feeling of pleasure and happiness in the staff. There’s no anger. The human relations here are amazing—peaceful, calm, and enjoyable. You see it in them, and you see it in the children.
My vision is to enlarge the center and enable most of the parents to enroll their children so that they can receive my approach to education. My approach is focused on giving children tools for acquiring social skills, reaching their potential, and becoming more independent.
What impact have the rockets had on life in Sderot?
7,000 people have already left. People who are strong and able and who hold top positions got up and left. Some abandoned all their furniture and belongings and are renting apartments in Ashkelon. Single-family homes here, left and right, are for rent. This means the town is suffering from a financial cost, in addition to the emotional cost.
My neighbor is right on the firing line. All the houses around me have been damaged. At my house, thank heaven, only a palm tree was damaged by shrapnel from a rocket.
Would you ever leave Sderot?
I won’t let anyone drive me away. This is my home, despite everything. This is my land, where I educated my children. What gives me strength is believing this is my place, and not letting anyone tell me to leave—and we enjoy Sderot. I have a good life apart from the fact that my children don’t come to visit because of the Qassams.
I get a little emotional because my husband and I wanted a tight-knit family that stays together, spends the Sabbath and holidays together. I want my children to come home happily, without my having to tell them, “Open the windows. Be careful. Don’t come this Sabbath, wait until next week when it might be calmer.”
What is courage?
When I’m faced with a challenge that is consistent with my credo, I find whatever tools it takes to achieve it—without, heaven forbid, knocking anyone down along the way. My definition of courage is to see a particular challenge, vision, or goal, and to try to reach it in any way possible.
What would you tell the women of Gaza?
I understand their frustration and difficulty with everything happening there. I really do want them to raise their children happily and in peace. Their children should have the chance to learn, they should have a high level of education, and be able to earn a good livelihood. That is what I wish for them.
Peace between us is possible. It’s true that the larger peace with our neighbors rests on a particular base, but we have to work on that base and create a fresh opportunity for dialogue. We can create peace, why not? They want to live in peace just as we do.
What would you tell the women of the world?
Women are the leaders of their families. Women have been making history since the Biblical era. Look at Yael, Deborah, all the women of the Bible. Look at the women of the world who are also the leaders of their families. Women should bring about something good—peace, friendship, happiness—in their circles.
Part of our being strong is the support around us. Every bit helps, even when people say, “Oh, you’re from Sderot, you deserve a hug.” It really helps us to continue to cope with what’s happening. I’d like to say, “Don’t forget us. Keep sending us text messages. Keep hugging us. Keep supporting us. It gives us fuel and strength.’
Grabovski is Director and Educational Counselor of a daycare center in Sderot, which is a half-mile from the border with Gaza. Sderot is the primary target of Qassam rockets. Grabovski’s work includes protecting the children and ministering to their trauma. Related community programs include after-school clubhouses, parental counseling, a library, and food parcels for the needy.
