{"id":179092,"date":"2025-12-11T06:06:17","date_gmt":"2025-12-11T06:06:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/179092\/"},"modified":"2025-12-11T06:06:17","modified_gmt":"2025-12-11T06:06:17","slug":"bars-music-and-hope-on-the-gaza-border","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/179092\/","title":{"rendered":"bars, music and hope on the Gaza border"},"content":{"rendered":"

\u201cThere’s nightlife in Sderot?\u201d \u2013 That\u2019s the standard surprised reaction I got from everyone who heard I was planning to head there on Thursday night to party in the capital of the Gaza border area, have a few drinks, listen to music, and meet new people. We start at Basel Bar, a lively and refreshing student pub, where the smiling face of the founder of the Jewish state is painted on the wall\u2014his eyes gleaming, gazing proudly at the bar coming back to life after the war.<\/p>\n

The stylish container village run by the Ayalim Association in the city of Sderot is a well-appointed student housing complex, where the strong scent of oven-baked pizzas and a sweet tropical cocktail that smells like a vacation in Thailand fills the air.<\/p>\n

Hanging out in Sderot<\/p>\n

(Video: Assaf Kamar)<\/p>\n

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\u201cWelcome to Basel Bar,\u201d greets us Michal Yofedov, a communications student at Sapir College and one of the dedicated entrepreneurs behind the local student pub. \u201cBasel Bar was created by students, for students, but it also welcomes families and the broader community in Sderot and the Gaza border area.\u201d<\/p>\n

The south is licking its wounds and trying to return to normalcy, and the start of the academic year has brought a young and diverse crowd from across the country to the new pub in the Gaza border area\u2014an intimate atmosphere reminiscent of Ko Pha Ngan. They eat pizza, drink beer, smoke nonstop, talk about the best parties in South America, and try to get to know one another.<\/p>\n

A long line forms at the bar as the hardworking bartender keeps up with demand. Yofedov fixes me a yellow cocktail with a sweet tropical flavor and emphasizes that \u201cBasel Bar isn\u2019t just another bar, it\u2019s a social initiative with affordable prices for students, and all the profits go back to them. We host different music nights, stand-up evenings, and local musicians\u2014it\u2019s a really nice vibe here.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Raising a glass with Michal at Basel <\/p>\n

(Photo: Assaf Kamar)<\/p>\n

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15 View gallery <\/p>\n

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Bartender in action <\/p>\n

(Photo: Assaf Kamar)<\/p>\n

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Youthful atmosphere <\/p>\n

(Photo: Assaf Kamar)<\/p>\n

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Container village <\/p>\n

(Photo: Assaf Kamar)<\/p>\n

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Basel bar <\/p>\n

(Photo: Assaf Kamar)<\/p>\n

So, are there any good-looking guys?<\/p>\n

Yofedov laughs: \u201cI think so, there are definitely a lot of handsome singles here, I promise. Sderot is gradually becoming the center of the Gaza border region, and Basel draws a lot of people, especially in the evenings. There\u2019s not much to do in Sderot, and this amazing student pub brings us all together like one big family.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cFocaccia with dips, labneh and olive oil salad, grilled halloumi salad, and a baby mozzarella salad with crispy sweet potato. There are oven-baked pizzas, beer and pasta, mostly Italian food. The menu was designed to give a sense of home, especially for students living far from their families, without inflated prices.\u201d<\/p>\n

Two first-year communications students sitting at the bar offer me a dramatic interview with a scoop, in exchange for free cocktails. Their names are Ofek and Shaked, originally from Petah Tikva, and tonight they\u2019re taking their first steps into Sderot\u2019s nightlife scene. \u201cHonestly, it\u2019s really fun here” Ofek says “Look how many people showed up, it\u2019s a kosher bar with a great vibe, it feels like home, and it really adds to the student atmosphere.\u201d<\/p>\n

We move on to Resek, one of the liberal strongholds in the Gaza border region, bringing together local partygoers, eccentric filmmakers, musicians, and artists\u2014kibbutzniks, moshavniks, and city folk alike. A white light illuminates the ruins of the city\u2019s well-known police station, destroyed in the bloody battles that raged in Sderot. In the freezing desert night, a haunting memorial to the victims murdered in Sderot on October 7 lights up the darkness, colliding with the buzz of the evening and pulling us back into the reality of a wounded city trying to return to life after war.<\/p>\n

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Welcome to Resek bar <\/p>\n

(Photo: Assaf Kamar)<\/p>\n

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Pizza at Resek bar <\/p>\n

(Photo: Assaf Kamar)<\/p>\n

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The memorial to the victims murdered in Sderot on October 7<\/p>\n

(Photo: Assaf Kamar)<\/p>\n

At the heart of Resek\u2019s story is talented filmmaker and local entrepreneur Ela Dagan, who had the courage to open an optimistic and authentic bar last year, in a city under bombardment and in the midst of war.<\/p>\n

\u201cResek was meant to be a refuge for those who live here, to offer something uplifting. That\u2019s the goal, and it didn\u2019t come from a place of naive optimism but from a real need. People had nowhere to go. Nothing to do. We wanted to be together, to find strength, to enjoy ourselves.\u201d<\/p>\n

After everything we\u2019ve been through in the past two years\u2014is it really possible to enjoy life?<\/p>\n

\u201cYes, and even along the way we found moments to enjoy. It\u2019s not black and white, it\u2019s still hard and people are still suffering, but joy, love and togetherness are important at all times.\u201d<\/p>\n

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‘Resek was meant to be a refuge’ <\/p>\n

(Photo: Assaf Kamar)<\/p>\n

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Hanging out at Resek <\/p>\n

(Photo: Assaf Kamar)<\/p>\n

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One more drink <\/p>\n

(Photo: Assaf Kamar)<\/p>\n

At the bar, I meet Shahar Amran, who oversees the artistic side of Resek, including parties, DJ sets, stand-up performances, rock bands, film nights\u2014anything that gets people out of the house in the evening. \u201cI work in the kitchen here and organize the parties and DJ sets,\u201d he says with a half-smile. \u201cI\u2019m the spiritual resident of Resek.\u201d<\/p>\n

When he describes Sderot\u2019s nightlife, it sounds like an authentic community with a deep appreciation for music and contemporary culture: \u201cThere are a lot of parties and a lot of fun. People come here from all over the Gaza border region, and this is where they meet each other. They listen to music; things are happening here. Everyone\u2019s at home, alone, drinking a glass of wine, so don\u2019t stay home alone. Just come here and let\u2019s be together.\u201d<\/p>\n

I ask if it\u2019s possible to find love at Resek, and he laughs: \u201cI haven\u2019t seen it happen yet, but the potential is high.\u201d<\/p>\n

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And then we move into the culinary phase of the evening. After an excellent Negroni cocktail, I dive into a fantastic house-made pizza\u2014and regardless of Sderot, the war, or the spirit of resilience\u2014Resek\u2019s pizza is simply outstanding, on par with Tel Aviv\u2019s best. I also sampled a top-notch pasta dish and went back to my Negroni. In true Florentin-style fashion, a talented young filmmaker\u2014who met her musician partner exactly one year ago at the very table where I\u2019m now sitting\u2014has come down from Tel Aviv for a deliberate reenactment of that romantic first date.<\/p>\n

A young man with a well-groomed beard from one of the nearby kibbutzim joins the conversation about the romance of Sderot\u2019s nightlife and reminds us that just a few days ago, there was a Red Alert here.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re still not at ease,\u201d he shares with a kind of uncharacteristic masculine candor. \u201cWe drink and have fun\u2014but there\u2019s pressure, this lingering feeling that something\u2019s not right. We come to sit together, try to enjoy ourselves, but it\u2019s hard to say we\u2019re enjoying it fully\u2014we\u2019re doing our best.\u201d<\/p>\n

On the other side of the bar, surrounded by friends, local musician and nightlife regular Tzachi Lublin insists that despite everything, the war and what we’ve been through, joy is essential. \u201cAfter a long stretch of hard times, the return to routine brings good things, and Resek is one of them. When the cannons roar in Sderot\u2014the muses roar louder, getting people out of the house to drink, have fun, and connect. Good will always overcome the bad.\u201d<\/p>\n

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15 View gallery <\/p>\n

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‘When the cannons roar, the muses roar louder’ <\/p>\n

(Photo: Assaf Kamar)<\/p>\n

When asked whether it\u2019s really possible to enjoy life after two years of war, he gives an answer that becomes the evening\u2019s motto: \u201cIs it possible? It\u2019s necessary. To truly return to normal life, we need pleasure, joy, fun, and social gatherings that aren\u2019t only about memory and pain. Dear friends, come experience the nightlife in Sderot. I promise\u2014it\u2019s like nothing you\u2019ve seen before.\u201d<\/p>\n

Approaching midnight, we head to the parking lot when my designated driver suddenly starts dancing. We’re drawn in by an excellent live electronic set, like children following the Pied Piper, toward one of the most exciting discoveries of Sderot\u2019s nightlife: The Salon.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s a dimly lit bar with carefully crafted lighting, a vibe straight out of a nature party, and the humble chef from Resek\u2014now DJ SACHNEUMS\u2014is lighting up the night with a live set that feels nothing short of legendary.<\/p>\n

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The Salon bar <\/p>\n

(Photo: Assaf Kamar)<\/p>\n

For me, having a beer and losing myself in good music in Sderot\u2014that\u2019s the ultimate victory.<\/p>\n

Just an hour from Tel Aviv and half a minute from Gaza, there\u2019s an authentic and moving nightlife experience, modest, vibrant and full of warmth. It\u2019s made up of people who don\u2019t want to stay home alone, and despite the war and the pain, they choose to go out, have fun, and try to live.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"\u201cThere’s nightlife in Sderot?\u201d \u2013 That\u2019s the standard surprised reaction I got from everyone who heard I was…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":179093,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[42,43,40,38,41,39],"class_list":{"0":"post-179092","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-headlines","8":"tag-headlines","9":"tag-news","10":"tag-top-news","11":"tag-top-stories","12":"tag-topnews","13":"tag-topstories"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/179092","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=179092"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/179092\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/179093"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=179092"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=179092"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=179092"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}