On Nov. 16, 2024, amid Shabbat observances, the Avot Ubanim synagogue in Haifa’s Carmel neighborhood suffered a direct hit from a Hezbollah-fired missile from Lebanon. According to reports from the ground, the missile attack was the most destructive impact in Haifa since the war started. The synagogue sustained heavy damage.

According to Hilla Perlman-Pniel, director of CJP’s Haifa-Boston Connection, the synagogue was filled with worshippers just an hour before the strike nearly leveled the building.

“An hour before the missile hit, the prayer ended,” Perlman-Pniel said. “The destruction is severe, so the residents of the nearby buildings are being evacuated.”

As tensions with Hezbollah across the Lebanese border increased, CJP’s Israel Emergency Fund Task Force granted $500,000 to partner organizations in Haifa. And with the relentless rocket attacks—culminating with the strike on the synagogue—those funds were put to immediate use, including using the structural assessment tools that ensure that those who lived near the blast site could have reassurance that homes and buildings were safe.

Although Hezbollah has been firing rockets into northern Israel since the start of the war, the intensity of the attacks escalated significantly this past September in and around Haifa.

Activities and gatherings, ranging from education and work to food, leisure, and entertainment, are restricted as rocket fire from Hezbollah terrorists in Lebanon has been almost constant in recent weeks. In just one day in early November, Hezbollah fired more than 100 rockets at the city in 30 minutes. A few days later, a drone from Lebanon infiltrated Haifa airspace and crashed near a Haifa-area kindergarten. The children, who were moved to shelters just before the strike, were uninjured.

CJP’s continued support for the city now totals over $3.7 million since Hamas’ deadly attacks on Oct. 7, 2023, ignited the region.

Officials say it will take months to repair the synagogue. For Perlman-Pniel, however, the close calls at Avot Ubanim and the kindergarten were reason to remain hopeful.

“It is yet another miracle,” she said.

Learn more about CJP’s work in Israel since Oct. 7 at our Israel Emergency Fund page.