(Yad Ezra V'Shulamit)

Yesterday they were dropping their children off at school and checking in at work. Today, thousands of civilians are held hostage in their homes under unrelenting rocket fire. But they are not alone.

It is no longer breaking news: Israel is under fire. With hundreds of rockets intercepted over civilian cities, and places with a high Arab population — like Acco and Lod —suffering violent protests, civilians are cowering indoors.

“There were so many rockets raining down, we were afraid to go outside’, says Esther Ansbacher, who was pushing her two-year-old child on a swing, while watching her three-year-old on a carousel when the first sirens went off with a petrifying wail. “We made a mad dash for home as fast as we could, and haven’t dared to go out since…”.

Yad Ezra V’Shulamit is a high-profile charity that distributes 10,000 food baskets each week to Israel’s needy. Under the currently volatile situation, and with many segments of society feeling particularly vulnerable, the organization is now busy getting food to those under fire.

Aryeh Lurie, the founder of Yad Ezra V’Shulamit, has a history of rescuing civilians under attack. Sadly, over the past 10 years he has provided food to residents huddled in bomb shelters on numerous occasions.

“In a crisis, people need food. They need to know that they are not alone — we are with them 100%. I call on every person who cares about Israel and the Jewish people to join us in giving a helping hand to people under fire.”

With a frightening 800 rockets fired over Israel in 48 hours (!!), and several civilian casualties already registered, this is your opportunity to do something for the people in the south who are being bombarded with deadly missiles.

For children and families suffering who have already witnessed the sizzle and booms of exploding rockets, every additional siren is traumatic. The heart-pounding run for shelter. The frozen wait while not knowing what they are waiting for for — will it be a distant thud, a crashing boom, or G-d-forbid, a life-threatening disaster?!

The least we can do is alleviate their insecurities and provide needy civilians with comforting, nourishing food.

Recognizing the need, Yad Ezra V’Shulamit is partnering with Tnuva, Israel’s largest dairy company, to bring thousands of free dairy products and food baskets to the bomb shelters of Sderot, Ashkelon and Netivot.

Tnuva has come forward with the milk products, and Yad Ezra V’Shulamit is putting together food baskets and delivering them to hundreds of families trapped in shelters.

But we need your help.

This Sunday night is Shavout, the holiday when the Torah — which is likened to life-sustaining milk — was given to the Israelites as we stood, united, by Mt. Sinai.

Let us come together once again and bring joy to the parents and children who are suffering from unrelenting missile attacks.

Stand by Israel in this time of crisis! Send a food basket to civilians under threat.

To show them you care, please click on: www.yadezra.net/warbaskets