Valentina is 79 years old. Fifteen years ago, she dared to make a fresh start and emigrated from Odessa, Ukraine, to Be'er Sheva, Israel. Her children stayed behind at the time – they have since fled the war in Ukraine to Poland. But now it is her mother who lives with the constant threat of air raid sirens and the imminent danger of war.
By Keren Haysod and Anemone Rüger
Until recently, her daily life was peaceful. Valentina went to the small market around the corner in the mornings, knew the vendors by name, and chatted with her neighbors in the building. But since the start of the latest rocket attacks from Iran, her life has completely changed. In many Israeli cities, air sirens are currently sounding regularly because rocket and drone attacks are expected or are already underway. "When the siren sounds, I only have a few minutes," she says.
Valentina's apartment building was built decades ago and has no private shelter. When the siren sounds, Valentina has to quickly run down the stairs with her walking stick to reach the nearby public shelter. For a woman her age, it's a race against time every time.
The situation was particularly difficult during the first days of the attacks. From Saturday to Monday, Valentina spent the nights in the public shelter because the sirens went off far too frequently for her to keep returning to her apartment. "As soon as I got back upstairs, the next siren started," she says.
Stay or flee?
Many of her neighbors—especially young families with children—have moved in with relatives who have apartments with their own bomb shelters. "I understand that, of course," says Valentina. "It's even more difficult with small children." But that option isn't available to her. And it's not the first time she's been in this situation. Last year, during the twelve-day war between Israel and Iran, the sirens wailed several times a day. Iran had launched hundreds of missiles and drones at Israel after Israel attacked Iranian military targets.
“I knew how dangerous it was,” says Valentina. “But I simply wouldn’t have been able to physically manage to walk to the shelter every time.” So, back then, she sometimes stayed in her apartment. “I prayed and hoped.”
Today, during the sirens, she sits on a mattress in the shelter next to other elderly neighbors. Some speak Russian to each other, share water, or help each other if someone has trouble arriving in time. In the first few days, there were hardly any amenities—no mattresses, barely any light, just cold concrete floors. Then help arrived.
Volunteers brought mattresses, blankets, lighting, and emergency equipment to the shelter. A generator now provides light and electricity, making the hours there at least somewhat more bearable for the people. "It might sound like small things," says Valentina. "But for us, it means everything."
And then she says a sentence that resonates for a long time: "This help may not only protect our lives – it also shows us that we are not alone."
Enabling help
Keren Hayesod, together with the Jewish Agency (both partner organizations of Christians Standing with Israel), local authorities, and the Israeli Civil Defense, is also organizing rapid emergency aid for particularly vulnerable communities. The goal is to equip existing shelters and public spaces so that they can provide protection in an emergency.
The required support includes, among other things:
- Equipping shelters with mattresses, blankets, generators, lighting and emergency equipment
- Establishment of temporary shelters in underground car parks or public buildings
- Psychological support for children and adults after rocket attacks
- Emergency packages for evacuated families who have lost their homes
These measures directly help to protect lives and stabilize particularly vulnerable communities during times of crisis. And they show people like Valentina that they are not alone.
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