The siren has sounded again. The first warning that another alarm will sound in a few minutes. We need to be prepared, get dressed or cover our pajamas at nighttime. Our shelter is in the building’s basement. It’s a good public shelter, with room for about 120 people. A large water tank in one corner and several doors closing off the restrooms. Lots of chairs around, close to the walls. White plastic chairs bought at the hardware store on the corner, wooden chairs brought from the dining room table, folding beach chairs, office chairs taken from some storage room. A variety of chairs as diverse as the people sitting in them. Parents with children in their arms, children playing, a young male playing guitar, a group of elderly Germans in a circle talking in German. A couple in their nineties reading in French. A young man, who looks like he just stepped out of a yeshiva, in a corner. A young soldier with his service weapon who’s come for a couple of days’ leave to visit his parents. Men wearing kippahs, men without. Women with their heads covered and women with their hair uncovered. Secular and religious. A glimpse into Israel. Most people........

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