Hi, my name is Cassie Berman and I'm a sophomore in high school. As some of you may know, I will be going on Alexander Muss High School in Israel in the spring, a life-changing experience I cannot wait to participate in. The land of Israel holds a very special place in my heart and my goal is to do everything I can to lend a hand to those who's lives have been drastically changed in the past year.

I'm excited to be participating in the Dream Israel Teen Initiative and raising funds that will go towards funding the Sderot Indoor Recreation Center, an indoor playground for little kids. Sderot is just over 12 kilometers from the Gaza border and has been significantly impacted by October 7th. They are a major target of Qassam rocket attacks from the Gaza Strip; so much so that when a siren goes off, the people living there have 15 seconds to get to a bomb shelter. This is a terrifying experience for everyone involved, especially parents worried about their young children. This is where the Indoor Recreation Center comes in. What's so special about this space is that it doubles as a bomb shelter so the young children playing don't have to run to a shelter in time during a siren. This center allows these kids to have fun while also being in a safe space and gives their parents the knowledge that they will be out of harm's way.

If I meet my fundraising goal of $5,000 to help the people of Sderot, JNF will also provide me with a grant towards attending Muss for the spring semester. It would mean so much to me if you contributed to my page to help me achieve my goal. If you have any questions about AMHSI or the Indoor Recreation Center please do not hesitate to reach out.

- Cassie💙🤍💙