Children Drawing at War

light monster fights the darkness monster, saying "we will win"

For the past 4 weeks I've been driving down to the Dead Sea, every Tuesday, to draw with the kids.

The hotels in the Dead Sea area have become a refugee camp.
Entire towns were evacuated from their homes near the Gaza strip, and are now living in hotel rooms.

Normally, this area is a lovely spot for rest and a spa day, but this is extremely hard. They've been there for two months now, and going back home anytime soon seems unlikely.

Local council with the help of charity organizations have put together a school for the kids, 4 hours a day, where they can have some semblance of a daily routine and structure, rather than run around the hotel at the end of their wits.

Children's War Drawings Tell the Truth

Even if reluctant at first, how we really feel eventually comes out on the page.

This was drawn by a young teen, maybe 11 years old. 
She didn't want to draw anything. 
I asked her: What's on your mind?
her reply: "My phone."
so I said to her, draw your phone.

This is what she drew:

The Darkness in the Dream, Drawing by a young teen girl from Sderot, after being evacuated from her home following Hamas brutal attack on Oct. 7

I was recruited by Koftzim Kadima ("leap forward) to give drawing and comics classes and activities.
I teach school kids in the morning, and give an open activity in the afternoon and evenings, going from hotel to hotel.

Makeshift art camp in the hotel lobby

The kids amaze me, with their creativity and resilience.
I'm also deeply impressed with the staff, from teenagers to retired teachers so many people are coming to help.

The children draw their soul. It's how it is with kids. no matter what I teach them to draw that day, they will draw their heart onto the page.

Light monsters beat the dark monsters, texts about being at the dead sea but the heart is back home in Sderot, the darkness in their dreams, and the light that is home.

Art is healing. I'm just glad to have a way to help.

Darkness is a monster. The light is HOME.

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