As I write these words, life here in Israel has changed.
Since June, families across the country have been living under a new reality one marked by sirens, seconds, and the urgent need to run. Missiles with unprecedented impact have turned ordinary moments into moments of decision. Conversations stop. Sleep is interrupted. Parents gather their children and move as quickly as they can.
When the siren sounds, there is no time to think. Only one question matters:
Is there a place that will hold?
The Reality Beneath the Surface
In Kibbutz Nahal Oz, there are multiple underground shelters spaces meant to protect an entire community.
But when we first arrived, many of them were not ready.
They were dark. Neglected. Damaged.
Some had no proper lighting. Others lacked ventilation. Some had broken doors or failing plumbing. In certain shelters, water had accumulated underground, turning the floors into mud making them unsafe at the very moment they were needed most. And yet, this is where families must run. A mother carrying her child. An elderly neighbor moving as fast as possible. Young people trying to stay calm for others. In those seconds, uncertainty is not just uncomfortable it is dangerous.
What We Are Doing
We could not stand by and do nothing. So we began shelter by shelter.
We entered these underground spaces and started restoring them to what they were always meant to be: places of protection. • We cleaned out years of neglect • Repainted walls to bring light into darkness • Restored electricity so no one enters in fear • Installed ventilation systems because in those moments, air becomes life
• Fixed plumbing and restored dignity to these spaces • Installed and repaired water pumps to prevent flooding • Reinforced doors and access points for real safety Every detail matters. Because every second matters.
More Than Infrastructure
What is being rebuilt underground is not just concrete. It is trust. A mother knowing exactly where to run and believing it will protect her child. A father no longer hesitating when the siren sounds. A child learning that even in uncertainty, there is a place of safety. In a reality where not every missile can be stopped, the shelter becomes the final line of defense.
We Are Only Halfway
Today, we are still in the middle of this work. We have restored several shelters, and the impact is already visible. Spaces that once felt abandoned are becoming places of order, dignity, and protection.
But we are only about halfway through. More shelters still need to be restored. More families are still waiting. More work remains beneath the surface so life above ground can continue.
Why This Matters Now
In recent days, the urgency has only increased. The escalation continues. Sirens sound again and again. Families run again and again. And each time, everything comes down to the same question: Is there a place that will hold? This work ensures the answer is yes.
Not someday. Not in theory. Now.
How You Can Help
This is where you come in. Every restored shelter directly impacts lives. Every repaired door, every light installed, every ventilation system put in place becomes part of someone’s survival.
Your support helps us: • Restore additional shelters faster • Equip them with proper safety systems • Ensure no family is left without a place of refuge
Stand With Us
Sometimes hope is rebuilt in the lowest places underground, hidden, unseen. But from those places, life rises again.
We will continue, shelter by shelter, until every family has a safe place. Stand with us. Help us finish the work.
