Continuing to Support Kiryat Shmona as Communities Begin to Reopen

With the current ceasefire in place, restrictions across northern Israel have begun to lift. In Kiryat Shmona, daily life is slowly resuming, but uncertainty remains. Families are returning to routines while still carrying the weight of the past weeks of heightened instability. Dror Israel continues to work closely with the municipality and local community to support this transition with care and consistency.

During the height of the attacks, Dror Israel educators and partners helped cultivate community life inside shelters. Our musical ensemble, HaShayara, performed several concerts for residents in bomb shelters. With instruments in hand, they brought music, connection, and a sense of relief to those spending long hours under fire.

“Music connects people, lifts the spirit, and gives hope,” shared Gilad Perry, Dror Israel educator and HaShayara musician, “Kiryat Shmona was the place that needed it more.”

A bomb shelter concert in Kiryat Shmona.

Together with the municipality and the local Matnas network, Dror Israel produced and distributed activity kits to 20 public shelters, alongside training sessions for neighborhood activists. These local leaders organized educational and community-building activities, turning shelters into spaces of mutual support during long and difficult hours. At the same time, Dror Israel joined a national initiative led by the JNF to provide restorative trips for 5,000 northern residents, offering families a short but meaningful break from the constant threat of rocket fire.

Games, discussions, and even puppet shows gave residents a chance to connect and find support.

Now, as communities cautiously reopen, new needs are emerging. This week, in coordination with the municipality, Dror Israel is distributing kits to mark Yom HaZikaron within residential buildings. With large public ceremonies still limited, these kits, facilitated by trained neighborhood activists, allow residents to gather in safe, smaller, meaningful ways to remember together.

Even as the situation evolves, our work continues: supporting communities not only in moments of crisis, but also in the fragile process of returning to everyday life and rebuilding.