The Whole House Shook: Inside Arad’s Rocket Strike

For Shloma Rivka Levin, a Haredi actress and social activist, last motzaei Shabbat was meant to be another ordinary evening of intense preparations for Pesach.

Instead, it became a moment that changed everything.

A siren pierced the air, followed by a powerful explosion that shook the city of Arad and the walls of the shelter where she had taken cover.

A Decision That Saved Her Life

“I live in Arad, just a five-minute walk from where the rocket hit,” she says.

At the time of the attack, Levin was not at home. She had followed the instructions of the Home Front Command and went to a nearby shelter at her mother’s home.

“That’s what saved me,” she explains. “We went down to the shelter, and suddenly there was a massive boom. The entire place shook. I could feel it through my whole body. I knew it was close, but I didn’t realize just how close.”

Returning to a Different Reality

When the barrage ended and the quiet returned, Levin hurried back to her apartment, not knowing what she would find.

“I opened the door and could barely recognize my home,” she recalls. “Everything was covered in debris. The windows were completely shattered, only the frames were left, and pieces of plaster had fallen from the walls.”

What shocked her most was that this was not even a direct hit.

“This was just from the blast wave,” she says. “And it happened only a five-minute walk away.”

Preparing for Pesach Among the Ruins

The timing made the situation even more overwhelming.

“Try to imagine this,” she says. “It’s right before Pesach. I was in the middle of cleaning and preparing the house, and suddenly everything is destroyed.”

Although temporary repairs were made to seal the windows, the damage inside remains extensive.

“There is glass everywhere,” she explains. “It feels endless. I don’t even know where to begin.”

Pain for Others, Not Just Herself

Beyond her own home, Levin is deeply affected by what happened to those around her.

“People close to me were injured,” she says. “Neighbors I see every day have lost everything. Their homes are gone. In a single moment, their entire reality disappeared.”

Choosing Gratitude in the Face of Destruction

Despite the devastation, Levin chooses to focus on what could have been.

“This is a powerful reminder of how important it is to go to a shelter when the siren sounds,” she says. “People don’t always realize it, but the rocket that fell that night destroyed several buildings.”

And yet, there was a miracle.

“Everyone survived,” she says. “That is something extraordinary.”

She adds, “Anyone who comes through times like these safely should thank Hashem. Nothing can ever be taken for granted.”