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Location: In the Chabad House Square in the Founders’ Neighborhood and on the rooftop of the Hesder Yeshiva in the center of the city.
In the last 20 years, terrorist organizations in the Gaza Strip have fired more than 15,000 Kassam rockets at Sderot. At first, the rockets were made by primitive means, but they have become much more sophisticated in recent years. They are now made on production lines, with explosive warheads of 5 to 10 kg.
In Sderot, a decision was made to take the lemon and make lemonade, and to prove the advantages of light over darkness. This is how we did it: Two different, private, projects used Kassam rockets to make chanukiyot – Chanuka menorahs. Throughout the year and particularly during Chanuka when candles are lit, the chanukiyot prove that Sderot is alive and kicking – and that nobody can squash the spirit of the heroic people in this city.
Fifteen years ago, the first chanukiya made of Kassam rocket fallout was placed on the rooftop of the big Hesder Yeshiva, Afikei Da’at, at 923 Moshe Zerach St. From the rooftop, you can get an overview of Sderot spanning 360°.
The second chanukiya was publicly displayed for the first time on Chanuka in 2020 at Sderot’s Chabad House Square, at 11 Givati Brigade St. The eight arms of this chanukiya candelabrum are made from eight rockets. An intercepting Tamir missile from the Iron Dome system fills the spot of the shamash on this chanukiya.
The adjacent building serving Sderot’s Chabad community has recently become a tourist attraction in its own right, after an investment of over ILS 150,ooo by the municipality for renovating its exterior. As a result, its appearance is now identical to the Chabad Lubavitch World Headquarters at 770 Eastern Parkway in Crown Heights, Brooklyn.
How to get there: On Waze, look for Chabad House, Sderot and/or Afikei Da’at Hesder Yeshiva, Sderot.
