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Shalom and blessings, my beloved friends around the world,
Warm greetings from the hills of the Galilee, the Land of Zion and Jerusalem.

In the previous update I shared with you about the children who remained
in the boarding school during these difficult days of war. Today I want to tell you about another group of children in a school that Sabra supports and helps.
On the surface it may seem that some kind of routine continues.
Classes take place through Zoom, children connect from their homes, and teachers try to continue teaching.
But the truth is – it is not really routine.
A siren suddenly breaks the silence of the night.
A child wakes up in fear. He jumps out of bed, quickly puts something on, and runs with his parents outside.
Many of the children in this school do not have a protected room in their homes, sometimes not even in their building.
This means running down the stairs quickly and rushing to the public neighborhood shelter.

Sometimes one hundred meters away. Sometimes even three hundred meters from home.
It can happen once during the night. Sometimes twice. And sometimes three times or more.
Now imagine that same child in the morning.
Very little sleep. A heart full of tension.
What does a morning look like for a child who did not really sleep at
night?
Yet he must sit in front of a computer and try to study on Zoom.
But even here the reality is not simple.
Some children have very old computers. Some are partially broken.
Internet connections are not always stable.
There are also children who are afraid to return home at night after the sirens.
Sometimes the parents must return home for various reasons, and the child remains sleeping in the public shelter.
A few days ago the principal of this school came to Sabra House.
He came to collect the sweets and gifts that Sabra prepared for the children for the Purim holiday.
He was very emotional.
He told me that he is visiting the children and their families at home,
nearly two hundred children — to see how they are coping in these days.

And during those visits he brings them the Purim gifts to bring a small
moment of joy to their hearts.
During one conversation a child told him something that remained in his
heart.
The child said:
“At night I am afraid, but in the morning I try to be strong so my mother will
not worry.”
A small sentence from a child – yet filled with a world of emotion.

After many conversations with the children and their parents, the principal
met with the educational staff.
They understand that many of the children will need emotional support to
help them process this difficult period.
Yet despite everything, one thing is deeply moving to see:
The dedication of the teachers. The concern of the school principal. And
the determination not to give up on a single child.
“All your children shall be taught by the Lord,
and great shall be the peace of your children.”
(Isaiah 54:13)

“The Lord watches over you;
the Lord is your shade at your right hand.”
(Psalm 121:5)

“There is hope for your future, says the Lord,
and your children shall return to their own land.”
(Jeremiah 31:17)

Dear friends,
Please continue to pray for the children of Israel.
Pray for their safety, for strength in their hearts, and for peace in our land.
My prayer is that the God of Israel will guard these children,
strengthen their spirits, and bring them days of quiet, security, and joy.
And soon — may the nights be filled with peace instead of sirens.
There are children in Israel who cannot yet explain the war — but they already know what hope is.

Warm greetings from the hills of the Galilee, the Land of Zion and Jerusalem,

Your brother in Israel,
Mordechai ben Yaakov