The Sderot Media Center is an organization of citizen journalism that also serves as a news agency.  The Center was founded with the purpose of uncovering and publicizing the voices of a population marginalized by the conflict: the residents of Sderot and the Western Negev who suffer daily from the terror of Kassam attacks.    We give tours to members of the media, diplomats and students with the goal of spreading awareness of the situation in Sderot, and the routine of everyday life for people living with the reality of impending Kassam attacks.  We encourage groups to volunteer and engage in projects to help the citizens of Sderot.

All of our tours are given by professional guides, fluent in English and Hebrew, who live in the neighborhood of Sderot and areas surrounding Gaza.  We offer tours Sunday through Friday, geared towards both small and large groups, and can accommodate individual group needs.

Kassam Gallery

-Located at the Sderot police station

All of the Kassams that have fallen on Sderot and the areas surrounding Gaza are brought here.  Each Kassam is marked:  where it fell, the date, and the distance it traveled.  Each Kassam has different color depending on who fired it.

Tour of the City

Secured shelters are scattered throughout the city; while the standard is a 40-centimeter thick cement wall, many are only 20-centimeters.  In the schools, only 1^st through 3^rd grade classrooms are fully protected.  In other instances, schoolrooms are protected while the hallways are not, meaning students leaving their classrooms are forced to run between classes.  On particularly difficult days, students are unable to have recess.  Every family, residential building and neighborhood has had at least one Kassam fall in its immediate area.

Observation point at Kibbutz Nir Am

The distance between Sderot and Gaza is approximately 1 kilometer (.6 mile).

The red and white antennas at the right are heat-activated sensors that detect Kassam fire and transmit a warning signal to the sirens. Occasionally, multiple rockets are fired simultaneously, while the siren only goes off once.  In poor whether or on foggy days, the sirens don't always work.

From this point one can see Gaza, Beit Hanun and Netiv HaAsarah – a Jewish settlement - and appreciate their proximity to one another.

The Visitors Center

We offer a screening of videos made by the Sderot Media Center, as well as a presentation about the geography of the region and the effects of the situation on everyday life for the local population.

We offer a selection of tours:

Tour of the city of Sderot

On this tour we view the "Kassam gallery" at the police station; we visit a house which was destroyed by a direct hit from a rocket; we explore the center of commercial activity in Sderot; we travel to a viewpoint of Gaza at Kibbutz Nir Am; and we screen a selection of videos made by the Sderot Media Center as part of a general presentation on the situation here.

Duration:  Approximately two and a half hours

Car or Bus required

Tour for Journalists

On this tour we view the "Kassam gallery" at the police station; we visit a house which was destroyed by a direct hit from a rocket; we tour a local school and meet with the principal, and have a chance to talk with residents of Sderot; we also travel to the viewpoint at Kibbutz Nir Am.

Duration: Approximately two hours

Car or Bus required

Expanded Tour of the City of Sderot

On this tour we view the "Kassam gallery" at the police station; we visit a house which was destroyed by a direct hit from a rocket; we travel to a viewpoint of Gaza at Kibbutz Nir Am; in the latter half of the tour, we explore the center of commercial activity in Sderot and have the opportunity to shop at the local markets and stores.  Available by prior requests are:  the opportunity to meet with local youth groups, children, and other residents of the city and work with them on various projects.

Duration:  Approximately half a day