He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will abide in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say to the Lord, “My refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.”
Psalm 91:1-2
Dear Friends,
As June unfolds and another summer settles over Israel, our hearts turn to the families of the north. While much of the world is watching the headlines, the people who live along Israel’s northern border have been living through it. For them, the danger has never truly ended. It lingers in the sky in the shape of rockets and drones, in the sudden wail of a siren, in a question every parent in the region carries quietly through the day: if it happens now, where will we run?
This month, we want to share something with you that moved us deeply.
Recently, we received a formal request from Israel’s Home Front Command, the branch of the military charged with protecting civilians. In their letter, they thanked Vision for Israel for its commitment and its contribution to strengthening the security of Israel’s citizens during the war. They wrote that this protective work is, in their own words, saving lives and serving as a pillar of national resilience for the country. To hear that from the very people responsible for defending the nation is humbling beyond words. And it is possible only because of friends like you.
But their letter carried an urgent plea as well.
Since the war began on October 7, 2023, enormous efforts and resources have gone into protecting the south of Israel, where so much of the early danger was concentrated. Many safety shelters were placed there, and they made a real difference, closing the gaps that had left communities exposed. The north, however, has been receiving less attention. Significant protection gaps still remain across the northern region, where a large civilian population lives near the confrontation line and faces ongoing threats, including drones that can strike with almost no warning. These are people who have endured a complex and frightening reality for a very long time, often with no accessible place of shelter anywhere in their public and civilian spaces.
After a careful, in-depth assessment, the Home Front Command has asked us to help concentrate the placement of 90 safety shelters in the northern region. The directive comes from the highest levels of their command, and they have made clear that this is an immediate, life-saving need. They called it a joint mission, and they are trusting us to help answer it.
We cannot do it without you.
To date, by the grace of God and the generosity of friends like you, Vision for Israel has donated and installed 528 safety shelters across the land. Each one stands today as a quiet sentinel, ready in the very moment it is needed most. Now we are being asked to add 90 more, placed exactly where the danger is greatest.
Each shelter costs $16,400*. That figure represents far more than steel and concrete. It represents a place for a grandmother to reach when the alarm sounds. It represents precious seconds, sometimes the only seconds a family will have, to gather their children and take cover. It represents the difference between exposure and refuge, between fear and protection. For the residents of the north, a shelter is not a convenience. It is the line between life and loss.
Scripture reminds us that the Lord Himself is our refuge and our hiding place, a very present help in times of trouble. When we place a shelter in a northern community, we are doing more than building a structure. We are extending that promise of refuge into the lives of real people. We are declaring to them that they are seen, that they are not forgotten, and that there are believers around the world who stand with them.
Would you help us answer this call? Every gift brings us closer to a shelter standing in a community that has waited far too long. A larger gift might sponsor a shelter in full. It could protect a family, a street, an entire neighborhood for years to come. Whatever you are able to give, every gift matters, and every gift helps shield a life.
Please join us today in bringing protection to the families of northern Israel. To give, click HERE and help us meet this urgent need.
Together, let us be a refuge for those who have waited in the open for far too long. Am Yisrael Chai! The people of Israel live, and with your help, they will live in safety.
With love and gratitude,
Barry & Batya
For you have been a stronghold to the poor, a stronghold to the needy in his distress, a shelter from the storm and a shade from the heat.
Isaiah 25:4
*Price changed due to the low dollar rate.
