SHINGLE SPRINGS, Calif. (October 9, 2023) – Brad Waldow recounts –
“I woke up to some sirens, but I thought it was an ambulance. But then I kept listening and it did not sound like an ambulance at all. And then I started hearing the iron domes start shooting rockets down. That is when I grabbed my family, and we ran.”
Waldow, together with his wife and young child, experienced the alarming spectacle of rocket strikes heading towards Ashkelon, Israel, a mere distance of fewer than 10 miles from the border with the Gaza Strip.
Waldow expressed his astonishment at the onslaught of hundreds of rockets launched.
“We were kind of expecting something like this to happen, but we were told by some of our teammates that usually happens around the springtime and it’s usually just a few missiles”
Presently, the family finds themselves entrenched in an ongoing military and political conflict, seeking refuge inside a bomb shelter for most of their daily activities.
“One time, it was only half a second, but usually, we have a good four or five seconds to try to get somewhere safe,”
Waldow mentioned the small window of time between the warning sirens and the potential impact of a rocket.
“You hear these explosions, and you are thankful at first that is not me,”
Waldow said, reflecting on the explosions.
“Then you sit there and think… somebody just lost their life tonight over senseless acts of violence. You feel almost guilty that you brought them (his family) here and put them in a situation.”
The Waldow family relocated to the southern part of Israel in order for Waldow to pursue his basketball career with the Eito Ashkelon, an Israeli professional basketball team. Waldow completed his education at Ponderosa High School located in Shingle Springs, close to Placerville. Prior to becoming a professional player, he began his journey as a basketball prodigy at St. Mary’s College situated in the Bay Area. Reflecting on their current situation, Waldow expressed the challenges he faces as both a husband and a father, emphasizing the desperate desire to ensure his family’s safety. Consequently, they are currently taking refuge in hiding.
Despite their attempts to leave the area, the family encountered numerous hostile encounters between the Israeli military and Hamas fighters along the highway leading away from the conflict. This is not the first time the El Dorado County native has experienced the horrors of bombings. In 2016, he was merely a few hundred feet away from the Brussels Bombing attack in Belgium, resulting in deep-rooted post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) which took several years to overcome. Nowadays, even the slightest sound of an explosion from a few miles away sparks immediate thoughts of fleeing.
Currently, the family finds themselves physically unharmed, yet the emotional trauma is overwhelming. They are fervently hoping to escape the region before the situation escalates further, constantly praying for peace as they witness rockets illuminating the sky. Waldow laments the loss of life, recognizing its heartbreaking nature. He strongly believes in the futility and senselessness of war, emphasizing that nobody emerges victorious; everyone ultimately suffers.
Waldow’s wife originates from Poland, and the family is actively seeking assistance from the American and Polish consulates. However, they remain in the dark, yearning for additional information and guidance on how to escape the war-stricken area.
