Protecting Children in Tzfat with Bomb Shelters

Shayna Paquin, co-founder of the non-profit organization Sparks to Life, lives in Tzfat (Safed), Israel, a city in the northern part of the country near the Sea of Galilee. The mother of seven children, ranging from 15 months to 20 years old, has lived on three continents, in four different countries and moved 28 times before settling in Tzfat with her husband, Yishai. “This is the most amazing place I’ve ever lived in,” she told The Journal in a phone interview. “And I have plenty to compare it to.”

Tzfat is situated high in the Upper Galilee, home to approximately 40,000 residents, many of them Orthodox Jews. This demographic contributes to the city’s abundance of young children and numerous day care centers and preschools. Unfortunately, not all of these facilities are equipped with bomb shelters, leaving parents to face the difficult choice of sending their kids to preschool and risking their safety or keeping them home.

This is why Paquin is dedicated to raising funds to install bomb shelters in every preschool. She aims to build 35 shelters, at an estimated cost of $20,000 each. So far, she has secured funding for 20. 

Five years ago, Paquin co-founded Sparks to Life with her friend Klara Levy. Initially, their projects focused on visiting individuals with disabilities and supporting single mothers by providing nutritious food and companionship, among other things.

When the war in Israel expanded last year, Paquin became aware of deaf and hard-of-hearing residents who couldn’t hear the sirens and thus didn’t rush to the bomb shelters.

“We only get 30 seconds of warning and they need to react quickly,” she explained. “That’s why we distributed over 100 smartwatches that provide vibrating alerts.”

One pressing issue that arose was the lack of a bomb shelter at her son’s preschool. She also learned about a preschool for children with autism that had been evacuated and crammed into a small room in another center.

At that moment, Paquin and Levy decided to take action and ensure every preschool in town had a bomb shelter. “We saw the suffering of the kids and the anxiety of the parents. Some schools struggled to find teachers willing to take responsibility in places without shelters,” she said.

The first shelter they purchased was for a special needs preschool, followed by others with inadequate protection. Before these shelters were installed, children would rush outside when sirens sounded, ducking down and covering their heads for 10 minutes.

“During winter, when it was raining and cold, kids didn’t have time to grab their coats because they only had 30 seconds to find cover,” Paquin said. “But staying inside was too dangerous due to metal shards from the roof and glass from windows.”

Obviously, being outside poses a great risk as well, no matter where you duck.

When asked why the government doesn’t provide bomb shelters for preschools, especially in areas targeted by Hezbollah in Lebanon, she responded, “If they can’t afford helmets or updated gear for the soldiers, I guess they can’t afford bomb shelters in Tzfat either.”

The shortage of bomb shelters (in Hebrew: migunit) is not unique to Tzfat, but Paquin argues that the situation is particularly severe there, in part because 46% of the population is under 18.

“Our schools are growing so fast that the city can’t keep up, resorting to bringing in trailers for classrooms. Plus, being up in the mountains makes it harder to build shelters. Tzfat has a lower socio-economic status and our economy depends heavily on tourism. The city is struggling with debt from the pandemic and the war,” she said.

Sparks to Life recently also worked on installing playgrounds with bomb shelters. With over 16,000 children living in Tzfat — many from large families living in small apartments — there’s a pressing need for safe spaces for them to play outside of school hours. Sheltered playgrounds can provide a secure communal space for families to meet, share resources and support one another. When equipped with shelters, playgrounds become places where families can reclaim a sense of normalcy and stability.

“We got our first three shelters at playgrounds this week and are hoping to do more very soon,” said Paquin.

“We got our first three shelters at playgrounds this week and are hoping to do more very soon.” –Shayna Paquin

Israel is perhaps the only country in the world where you’ll find playgrounds with slides right next to bomb shelters, but this is the reality of life there. Paquin, who was born in Virginia and grew up in Texas, doesn’t regret her decision to settle in Israel for a moment.

“I love it here,” she said. “Tzfat is an amazing place with all its ups and downs. It’s big enough to offer conveniences, yet small enough that you can walk down the street and know every shopkeeper. You can’t take five steps without running into someone you know. It feels like one of those small towns in a movie where everyone knows everybody.”

To sponsor a shelter, contact Shayna Paquin at +972-50-424-2268 or sparksisrael@gmail.com