An Intense Friday Evening

Due to the rising conflicts at Gaza starting on Wednesday some events happened on Friday that were very intense, but not as intense as it seems...at least for us here in the Jerusalem Center. We had the sirens go off  around 4:50 pm. We had to all evacuate into the bomb shelters here. I had just woken up from a long nap because we were not allowed to go out of the center due to the conflict and the Friday prayers. I was halfway into playing a song on the guitar still half asleep in my undies when I heard one of my professors in the hallway intensely yelling and i thought, "Someone is getting reamed!" Then the air raid sirens went off and I realized things were serious. Immediately the head of security came over the loud speaker saying "This is not a drill, head to the nearest bomb shelter!" So I threw on some clothes and ran down into the shelter as my teacher was screaming at everyone to get to the nearest shelter, waving us in like a third base couch sending us to home plate. I was half asleep and out of breath as I entered the bomb shelter (which is also where we do our laundry and play table tennis). We took attendance as the teachers were figuring out where everyone was, there were still students out in west Jerusalem, which we later found out made it into bomb shelters in the city. Our Branch President said a prayer. We were only in their for about 30 minutes before they told us that its safe to come out, and we had a forum where the security and administrators addressed us. It was crazy, it was the first time students had to evacuate into the shelters, actually the first time Hamas has aimed an attack on Jerusalem. They told us it was more a symbolic war, they are just sending messages to the Israeli Government that they are serious. I really feel bad for the Palestinians who are in Gaza, it will not be pretty as Israel retaliates. We were kept safe, I feel very secure here in the Center, our security is amazing. Though it was crazy when the sirens went off, it added that much comfort to the experience that I knew the voice of the head of security, Tarek. He is that man!!! There were two rockets that landed 10 miles South of Jerusalem, they landed in empty fields south of Bethlehem. We are all safe, it was pretty intense for a little bit. I really just feel for the families and innocent people in Gaza, after getting to know the Palestinians here and Arabs in general I am even more sympathetic towards the plight situation they are in the middle of. Pray for ceasefire, peace, and Gaza.