Hashomer Hachadash said on Thursday that it had begun the first phase of an emergency crowdfunding campaign to place 60 bomb shelters in agricultural fields and ranches across Israel. According to the organization, the shelters are being deployed in partnership with the Harvey and Gloria Kaylie Foundation to help protect farmers, farm workers, and volunteers operating in exposed rural areas during Operation Roaring Lion.
The campaign is being conducted in memory of farmer Omer Weinstein, who was killed in October 2024 by rocket fire while working in an orchard near Metula, according to the organization. Hashomer Hachadash said it aims to fund 100 to 120 shelters in the near term, after what it described as an ongoing shortage of protected spaces in agricultural areas.
First phase of deployment
Organization staff began placing the first shelters on Thursday in open agricultural areas and on farms, the statement said. The group said the additional protection would allow farmers to continue working more safely during missile and drone alerts and would also help restore volunteer activity in the fields.
Yoel Zilberman, founder and CEO of Hashomer Hachadash, thanked donors who joined the campaign and said their support would allow more farmers to work alongside standard shelters that could protect them, their employees, and volunteers during rocket and UAV attacks. He added that fundraising would continue alongside the current deployment, with the goal of reaching as many farmers and ranch owners as possible in the shortest time.
Onn Rifman, co-founder of Hashomer Hachadash and the organization’s deputy CEO of education, said the shelters would be delivered to dozens of farmers from Thursday onward so they could continue agricultural work even during Operation Roaring Lion. He said the organization was also continuing to assist with other national missions, including support at impact sites, agricultural volunteering, activities in shelters, and food distribution for elderly residents.
Safety in exposed agricultural areas
The organization said the shortage of protected spaces has made it harder not only for farmers to remain in the fields but also for volunteers, maintenance crews, and other essential workers to reach remote agricultural areas. In the north in particular, farms and ranches have faced repeated disruption during wartime, raising wider concerns about resilience and food security.
Israel Reznik, a farmer from Metula quoted in the statement, said the campaign was also intended to preserve the memory of Weinstein, whom he described as a friend and a symbol of the risks faced by farmers near the Lebanon border. He said Weinstein’s story reflected the reality of Israeli farmers who continue working the land while under fire.
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