We Are All One – In the Streets or in the Shelter

Today marked the first nationwide siren since the war began. Every city, every region, every corner of Israel was told to take cover. From the north to the south, the east to the west, we were all under attack at once.

This time, the threat came in the form of new missiles with cluster capabilities. These rockets open midair, 7 kilometers above ground, scattering smaller warheads over an 8-kilometer radius. No one is safe under that kind of assault. And yet, despite it all, we do what we always do—we come together.

Since last Thursday night we haven’t slept. We haven’t sent our kids to school. We haven’t dared to leave the country. But we are united through the sound of a siren.

As the song goes, “What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger,” but at this point, it’s hard to say whether it’s strength, resilience, or simply numbness. People often ask us, “How do you live like this?” And the answer is: we just do. We live in a country where, despite the politics, the disagreements, the constant pressures, we share a core set of values. We take care of each other. We stand together.

Today, our son turned 12. He was out with his cousins, grabbing pizza and watching a movie, just 10 minutes from us. When the alert came, the pizza shop owner calmly made sure the kids knew where the bomb shelter was. They went together. When the all-clear was given, their biggest concern was that their pizza had burned. And amazingly, we weren’t afraid for them. Not because the situation wasn’t dangerous, but because we knew instinctively that someone would look out for them.

That’s the Israel we live in. When the sirens sound, we bring strangers into our shelters. We make room in parking garages. We watch over children we don’t know as if they were our own. We don’t ask questions. We just act.

So while today’s siren sent an entire country underground, it also sent a powerful message above ground. We are one. One people, one voice, one heart. In the face of terror, we’re not only surviving, we’re showing the world the strength of our unity.

For our children. For our grandchildren. For all of Israel.
Am Yisrael Chai.