In the Heart of Crisis: Dror Israel Educators Respond in Be’er Sheva

In the aftermath of Iran’s missile attack on Israel, Be’er Sheva was left shaken, with sirens, evacuations, and tragic destruction and deaths. As the city scrambled to respond, Dror Israel educators stepped in where they were needed most, bringing calm, care, and connection to children and families reeling from the chaos. 

Drawing on experience from past emergencies, including months of work with evacuees after October 7th, educators from Dror Israel’s Beer Sheva Educators Kibbutz knew how to create safe, structured, and uplifting spaces for children, even amid crisis. On Tuesday morning, just minutes after a missile hit their own neighborhood, they teamed up with the municipal and civic first responders to help evacuate families from buildings that were hit by missiles. They transformed the corner of a local community center into a welcoming environment filled with games and caring figures. Having organized donations at that same community center only days prior for evacuees in other locations, our educators knew exactly what was present and where to find it.  

Dror Israel educators provide support and stability for traumatized kids.

When families were relocated to a hostel hours later, our team packed up the space and moved with them, ensuring continuity for the children. Within minutes, the activity corner was up and running again, providing a familiar routine and a place to feel safe for these traumatized families. The effort continued well into the evening, with Dror educators rotating shifts to provide consistent support. 

“The social workers started calling it ‘the fun corner,’” said Shula Smith, an educator from our Beer Sheva Educators’ Kibbutz who led the initiative.  

“One of the girls really stuck with me,” Shula shared. “Her family had just moved here from Argentina, and even with everything going on, she told me she loves it here. We sat together, and I showed her how to drink chocolate milk from a bag, a little Israeli tradition. Her younger brother didn’t speak Hebrew, but right in the middle of a game, he started telling me in Spanish how their home had been hit by a missile, how they were led out through the rubble, and how their neighbors probably didn’t make it. Then he just went right back to playing.” 

Games and group activities give kids a safe space to process.

Shula, who previously spent three months in Eilat supporting evacuees after October 7th is all too familiar with the quiet balance of heartbreak and resilience when working with children through trauma. But this time was different.  

 “It’s different to come to be a first responder in your own neighborhood,” she reflected. “It doesn’t feel like volunteering — it’s just our lives. This is the plate we were served today, and so that’s what we have to deal with.” 

Our team of Dror Israel educators working tirelessly to support Beer Sheva's evacuees.

As a result of their trauma-informed training and experience, our Dror Israel educators in Be’er Sheva and across the country are able to show up where they’re needed most and create spaces where kids and teens feel safe enough to share, process, and simply be kids in an unimaginable reality. While the immediate Iranian threat has subsided and the war in Gaza continues, our educators remain steadfast, committed to being present with affected communities and continuing the long, vital work of healing and rebuilding.