Israel: Terrorism Victim Available

Shelter Shock: Iran’s Bombings Force Israel’s Children into Shelters; Trauma Triage Required

War isn’t theoretical for David Rubin, the former Mayor of Shiloh, Israel, who still resides in his hometown there. Terrorists once nearly killed him and his young son, leaving wounds—visible and invisible—that never healed. Today, as children are jolted from sleep by sirens and explosions amid the war with Iran, being forced to run in and out of bomb shelters several times per day, Rubin knows exactly what those moments are planting inside them: trauma that will last long after the missiles stop.

• This war is imprinting trauma, not just memories. Children are being jolted into bomb shelters multiple times a day, conditioning their minds to expect death at any moment—an experience that rewires developing brains and lays the groundwork for lifelong PTSD.

• The damage is invisible, immediate, and cumulative. Each siren compounds fear, panic, and helplessness, creating psychological injuries that persist long after missiles stop falling and headlines move on.

• Adults can contextualize war; children cannot. For kids, there is no strategy, no geopolitics—only terror, chaos, and the belief that nowhere is safe, ever.

• Unchecked trauma doesn’t fade—it metastasizes. Without early intervention, today’s frightened children become tomorrow’s adults struggling with anxiety, depression, and broken trust in the world around them.

• Rehabilitation is not just charity—it is defense. Helping children heal now is essential to preserving lives, families, and the country’s future long after the war ends.

As the world fixates on missile trajectories, air defenses, and what the war between Israel and Iran might mean geopolitically, daily life inside the country has become something far more intimate—and far more harrowing.

Since the war began, civilians have been running in and out of bomb shelters multiple times a day. Sirens interrupt meals, school lessons, sleep, and playtime. Children are jolted awake at night, grabbing shoes and siblings, sprinting to concrete shelters as explosions echo overhead. This is not an abstraction. It is not a headline. It is a lived reality—and for many children, it is the beginning of trauma that does not simply fade when the fighting stops.

David Rubin and Chava Kleinman bring the conversation down from the 30,000-foot view to where it belongs: the psychological battlefield inside homes, schools, and shelters. Rubin urges audiences to pause and imagine what this does to peace-loving families who want nothing more than to raise their children without fear—yet now must calculate how many seconds they have to reach safety.

Rubin speaks not just as a commentator, but as a survivor. Years ago, he and his young son narrowly escaped torture and death during a terrorist attack. Rubin was seriously wounded. His son was critically injured and continues to live with the trauma every day. That experience led Rubin to found the Shiloh Israel Children’s Fund, created for one purpose only: to rehabilitate children suffering from terror-induced trauma.

Today, that mission is more urgent than ever. As missiles fall and sirens wail, children across Israel are being psychologically wounded in real time. These are injuries cameras don’t capture—panic attacks, night terrors, regression, and deep anxiety that can last a lifetime without intervention.

Rubin and Kleinman offer a crucial perspective missing from most war coverage: what sustained terror does to a child’s developing mind, how trauma compounds with each alarm, and why immediate emotional rehabilitation matters as much as physical defense. Their message is clear and sobering—this war is not only being fought in the skies, but inside the hearts and minds of Israel’s children, right now.

David Rubin is the founder of the Shiloh Israel Children’s Fund and maintains the website www.IsraelChildren.org

Rubin is also the author of Trump and The Jews.

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Optional Q&A:

1. How did your own experience nearly being killed by terrorists—with your young son beside you—shape how you understand what Israeli children are going through right now?
2. When air-raid sirens send families running to shelters multiple times a day in Israel, what does that constant state of fear do to a child’s developing mind?
3. As the world focuses on missiles, explosions, and strategy in the war with Iran, what human reality is being missed entirely?
4. What are the early warning signs of trauma you’re already seeing in children living under nonstop sirens and shelter runs?
5. How is today’s situation different—or worse—than previous periods of conflict in terms of psychological impact on kids?
6. Why did your personal attack lead directly to the creation of the Shiloh Israel Children’s Fund, and why is its mission urgent right now?
7. What happens to a society years down the line if children’s trauma is ignored during wartime?
8. What do you want audiences outside Israel to imagine when they hear a siren—especially parents watching from the safety of their homes?
9. Where can we learn more about you and the Shiloh Israel Children’s Fund?
   1. www.IsraelChildren.org (treating the victims of terror)
      www.DavidRubinIsrael.com (to find out more about David’s many books)
      www.ConfrontingRadicals.com (the movie)

ABOUT DAVID RUBIN…
David Rubin, former Mayor of Shiloh Israel, is the author of seven books, including his latest, Confronting Radicals: What America Can Learn from Israel, which has recently been made into a movie. Rubin is the founder and president of Shiloh Israel Children’s Fund, established after he and his then three-year-old son were wounded in a terror attack.
Websites:
www.IsraelChildren.org (treating the victims of terror)
www.DavidRubinIsrael.com (to find out more about David’s many books)
www.ConfrontingRadicals.com (the movie)

ABOUT CHAVA KLEINMAN (HAVE-ah)…

Chava Kleinman, M.S.W., is a social worker with over 25 years of experience in Israel, now serving as vice-president of Shiloh Israel Children’s Fund (SICF). Chava is in charge of coordinating SICF’s vast array of crisis intervention initiatives. Especially since the October 7th massacre of Israeli civilians, but also during previous waves of terrorism, she has been on the front lines, offering critical expertise to support affected individuals and communities.

Chava’s professional expertise is complemented by a personal connection to the challenges of war and terrorism faced by Israeli families. She is a mother and wife of IDF soldiers. This experience has further fueled her compassionate leadership and unwavering commitment to resilience and healing.

In addition to her hands-on work in the field, Chava is also an accomplished author, educator, and international presenter. For more information, www.israelchildren.org

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