Houston media personality J.P. Pritchard (of KTRH Radio) joined members of the Jewish Federation of Greater Houston on their Israel Mission in February 2009, and blogged about his eye-opening trip to Sderot and Ashkelon.

Sderot has been the target of as many as ten thousand missiles fired from Gaza over the last eight years. Sderot is less than a mile from Gaza. The rocket attacks have killed 13 residents, wounded hundreds, caused millions of dollars in damage, and disrupted daily life as well as the local economy.

The United Jewish Communities with its Jewish Federation partners, including the Jewish Federation of Greater Houston, has done its best to help the people of Sderot cope with the barrage of missile fire through funding for social programs there.

Missiles fell on Sderot in the days before the Houston federation delegation arrived there. We had the opportunity to see the house where a missile had landed in the yard and then we got to meet the family who lives there. (Click for full text of J.P. Pritchard's blog postings about his Israel trip.)

Videos:

Overview of life in the missile zone

Ofer Baram talks about the mortar fire that reaches the kibbutz he lives on, just a few hundred yards from Gaza

Working at an Ashkelon hospital that treats missile victims, while coming under fire itself

Click here for Houston Federation coverage of the mission.