Ashkelon Residents Take Refuge From Gaza Missiles in Chabad Bomb Shelters
It’s the third day of “Operation Shield and Arrow,” and children are engaged in activities and entertainment in the bomb shelters of the Chabad Houses of Ashkelon. While there are sounds of song and laughter, there are signs of anxiety on everyone’s faces.
More than 800 rockets aimed at civilian centers in Israel have been launched by terrorists in Gaza over the last 36 hours. In Ashkelon, sirens have been ongoing, giving residents a 30-second warning to reach shelter—the approximate time it takes for a rocket launched from Gaza to reach the coastal city. With sirens so frequent, most residents prefer to stay in the shelters and only leave for short, urgent needs.
Chabad-Lubavitch of Ashkelon , directed by Rabbi Menachem M. and Yehudis Lieberman, was well-prepared for this crisis. Its network of 37 emissary couples swiftly mobilized as soon as the Israeli military operation commenced on the morning of Lag BaOmer . Lag BaOmer parades were transitioned to a nationwide online “parade,” which soon reached Zoom’s maximum capacity. Chabad centers promptly opened their bomb shelters, stocking them with essential supplies and offering a safe haven for children and their parents. In the shelters, children have been enjoying art projects, fun games and a show called “Class King,” performed by the children themselves.
In Ashkelon’s Neve Dekalim neighborhood, Rabbi Chaim Atias hosted an impromptu Lag BaOmer parade inside the Chabad House shelter—children took turns going up to a makeshift stage with their drums, signs, and chants of the 12 pesukim , or Torah verses. They then marched around the bomb shelter, exiting one door and walking the few steps to the shelter’s second door. It was a very minimized version of what had been planned, but still gave the children a feeling of empowerment and expression amidst the unpredictable.
“There’s nothing like Chabad!” wrote one parent, after forwarding a photo of the children relaxing in the bomb shelter to her local parents’ WhatsApp group.
