For Heaven's Sake Thoughts from the Shelter
Mar 1, 2026
Two thinkers describe the surreal routines of rushing into shelters and compare private safe rooms with public shelters. They trace how past wars erased the line between home and battlefield and wrestle with the moral language used for enemies who seek annihilation. Religious themes surface as they link Purim, providence, and resilience to Israel’s present vulnerabilities and responsibilities.
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Life Repeatedly Spent In Stairwell Shelters
- Donniel Hartman describes repeatedly rushing into an underground stairwell shelter with pillows, chargers, water and his wife Adina during sirens.
- He recounts the surreal routine: prepping quickly, sitting on steps, and realizing this is an abnormal way to live.
Fortified Room Doubles As Workspace And Shelter
- Yossi Klein Halevi shares his fortified room doubling as a workspace and confusion over an unused air purifier meant for chemical attacks.
- He notes many Israelis without home shelters camp in Tel Aviv underground train stations like the London Blitz analogy.
When The Homefront Became The Frontline
- Yossi traces Israel's shift from homefront safety to frontline vulnerability to the 1991 Gulf War and the Second Intifada.
- He argues those events normalized periodic shelter rituals and blurred front/back distinctions in Israeli life.