HOLLYWOOD, FLA. (WSVN) - A woman shared a first-hand account of what she’s seen and heard of the realities of war. 7News reconnected with her after meeting the woman in Israel earlier this year.
Talia Levenon deals with people, especially children, who’ve tried to deal with the ongoing conflict very close to Gaza.
“This is beyond my understanding,” said Levenon, who works for the Israel Trauma Coalition.
It is something that those living in Israel said they have never seen before.
When sirens began wailing across the country back in April and then the next day, it was to honor Israel’s war dead.
Cars pulled over to the side of roads and highways so drivers could pay their respects.
“I’ve been so many times to the south of Israel when there were rockets,” said Levenon. “This was different.”
7News spoke to Levenon this past spring in Sderot — just about ten miles from the border with Gaza — where the coalition runs an animal-assisted therapy center to help residents deal with the stress of ongoing conflict.
“When all this happened, I was on my way to Tel Aviv and there were rockets on the way… And when the siren happened, I stepped out of the car and moved away,” she said. “Usually you lie on the road on the side.”
Back in Sderot, the police station has been destroyed, not far from the peaceful therapy center.
“The director of animal-assisted therapy was, I would say little because I don’t think I should say more, but yes she was kidnapped and she managed to escape,” Levenon continued.
Many families she said remain locked in their homes after militants roamed the streets and into homes, killing civilians and taking hostages.
“One of our therapists was hiding in a closet in the shelter room because she was afraid that the shelter room would not defend her enough,” she said. “Another of our therapists, her husband was wounded. So you think of how these people are part of the reality it’s their reality, but they need to provide services, so it’s just very difficult.”
Levenon said that there are no words to describe the fear children there are facing.
Back in April, 7News watched a teacher at the therapy center at work, helping children deal with the realities of nearby, ongoing rocket attacks.
This teacher has been reported safe.
The status of the children she worked with, however, is impossible to know according to Levenon.
“Let us pray that they’re ok,” she added.
Even in lockdown, the therapists were reported still trying to serve and help people via Zoom and over the phone.
South Florida has hosted several events in support of victims in Israel.
Half a world away from the war, children and families in Hollywood watched over by police, prayed together on Monday night at a vigil for those living the unimaginable.
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