An event celebrating the resiliency of the city and people of Sderot was held in New York Tuesday night. The event also raised money to support the city's famous Hesder yeshiva.
The hall used in the event was packed with American Jews who came to show their support for Sderot and its residents, who have been targeted by thousands of rockets fired from the Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip,.
The event was attended by Justice Minister Ayelet Shaked. Dr. Joseph Frager spoke with Minster Shaked about Sderot and the upcoming visit to Israel by US President Donald Trump.
"I came here to salute the residents of Sderot and to raise money for the hesder yeshiva in Sderot that contributes a great deal to the city," Shaked said.
She said that she hopes that President Trump will visit Sderot to learn about the Arab-Israeli conflict from the people who have persevered through it.
Shaked said that her advice for Trump in his peacemaking efforts would be "to think outside the box" and not to be stuck in the same paradigm as the previous US administration.
"Rabbi David Fendel, the head of the Heser yeshiva in Sderot and recipient of the Moskowitz Prize for Zionism, was moved by the love he felt from the American Jews at the event.
"There's an awesome outcry of love and generosity," Rabbi Fendel said. "We really have to learn from these guys. "