Miriam is 91 years old and has been living in Beit Shemesh since immigrating to Israel from Morocco in 1955. Her husband passed away 21 years ago, but her 10 children and many grandchildren keep her company and support her when they can. Recently, she also began receiving help from a caregiver, as her age now requires her to spend most of her time in bed.
Still, every Shabbat, one of her children and their family would visit to care for her. But amid the conflict with Iran, caregivers and families are finding it increasingly difficult to reach elderly loved ones who cannot leave their homes or get to shelters. This was the case for Miriam and her caregiver on March 1, when they were unable to reach shelter as rockets struck Beit Shemesh, killing nine people.
One of Miriam’s sons Moshe recalls, “We saw the interception somehow miss. Then we saw the missile fall—a cloud of black smoke. The blast wave reached us with dust and debris. When I saw where it landed, I said—this is my mother’s house. You don’t understand what goes through your mind in that moment when you don’t know where your mother is. You just don’t. I ran like crazy.”
Moshe arrived to find his mother’s house nearly destroyed internally —everything she had built since making aliyah more than 70 years ago almost completely gone. He feared the worst, but then found Miriam in her bed, covered in blankets and miraculously unharmed.
Unable to reach the safe room, Miriam had told her caregiver to cover her and go herself. “God will protect me,” she said. The layers of blankets had shielded her from the shattered glass as windows exploded inward.
“It’s a miracle. It’s because of her merits—because of the mitzvot (good deeds) she has done her whole life. I have no other words. When I saw all the destruction around, I was sure many people were no longer with us. And suddenly—to see her alive. She was in shock when she saw me. But I just wanted to understand that she was okay. When she started to respond, I told her, ‘Mom, everything is okay. A missile fell near us, and we need to evacuate,’” said Moshe.
Today, Miriam is staying with Moshe at a hotel in Jerusalem. Sirens still sound as rockets continue to fall, though less frequently than in Beit Shemesh. She is recovering after receiving medical care and emotional support.
But that is not the only support she has received. For years, Miriam has been a beneficiary of The Fellowship, receiving monthly food cards to help her afford groceries while continuing to receive the care she needs. The Fellowship also helped clean her home while visiting Beit Shemesh. She and Moshe reflected on the comfort of knowing that there are people who care about them.
