A mamad in Hebrew means safe room. It is called mamad because its an acronym for Merkav Mugan Dirati meaning an “apartment’s protected space”.

Since the start of the Israel-Iran war which began on Shabbat Zachor, families throughout Israel have spent more time sleeping in their mamad then in their own bedrooms.

This sad and harsh reality was due to the continuous targeting and indiscriminate barrage of Iranian ballistic missiles on Israeli population centers.

From the moment a warning siren is heard throughout the community, to the time people take safe refuge in a mamad, our hearts pound, and or minds race as we are mitpallel to HaShem that the missiles launched from Iran will be either intercepted or land in an open field.

As we know, one of the most moving defining moments one can imagine during this war took place in Israel during Chag Purim.

As millions of Israelis were seeking refuge and safety in mamad facilities, we were hearing and seeing social media feeds showing thousands of Israelis who were listening to the reading of Megillat Esther while crowded together in these safe rooms.

This incredible image was truly an amazing testimony to achienu bnai yisrael and to their unswerving strength,........

© The Times of Israel (Blogs)