Even during a supposed ceasefire with Hezbollah in Lebanon, communities in northern Israel along the border are still under drone and rocket attacks from the terror group. Bomb shelter systems and protective measures have been pushed to their limits. These are not large towns; many are moshavim—small, family-run farming communities. With limited infrastructure to begin with, The Fellowship’s aid is needed here more than ever.
The Fellowship approved a grant to fund the equipping of shelters in 22 moshavim in northern Israel. Initially, many of these shelters were empty reinforced rooms. Now, with the appliances, chairs, tables, and other supplies provided by The Fellowship, they are fully equipped for prolonged stays.
Fellowship staff visited Moshav Dovev in the Upper Galilee when the shelter equipment arrived. Children from the community were already inside when they got there. The equipment includes a TV for keeping up with the news, toasters and microwaves for food preparation, toys and games for children, as well as seating areas with tables and chairs for both adults and kids. There are also cabinets and a refrigerator for storing perishable and nonperishable items. Even the floor has been improved with a new rug.
Sadly, prolonged stays in shelters are common in northern Israel, especially in communities along the border. The goal of equipping these shelters is not to increase their structural security—since they are already sufficient to withstand Hezbollah’s attacks—but to make them more comfortable and homelike, especially for children and families whose communities have been disrupted by war and terror. This was evident as soon as the toys and games were brought out—the children couldn’t wait to start playing.
“Why, my soul, are you downcast? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God” (Psalm 42:11).
