Living Under Rocket Fire: A Mother's Tale of Miracles and Survival

Romi Sussman, a mother of six, faced every parent’s worst nightmare during the October 2023 Hamas attacks. Her 17-year-old son and his friends had gone to Sderot for Simchat Torah, intending to uplift the community during the holiday. However, the day of joy quickly turned into one of terror. At 6:29 AM on October 7, the first sirens blared, and rockets began to fall.

Eighty boys, including Romi's son, were crammed into a bomb shelter built for just 15. With no food, no water, and no bathroom, they spent over 30 hours enduring relentless sirens and the terrifying sounds of gunfights outside. “There were constant sirens, rockets constantly falling, and the constant sound of gunfights outside,” Romi writes. Her son and his friends held their breath each time the soldiers protecting them exited the shelter to battle terrorists, praying they would return safely.

When he returned home after more than 30 hours out of contact, Romi’s son later recounted how he scooped up a still-hot missile fragment. He had the missile fragment in his hands and questions no 17-year-old should ever have to ask. That missile fragment now sits by their front door, a constant reminder of the miracles experienced that day and the strength of the boys who survived it.

But as Romi shares in her article, the fragment symbolizes the tragedy of others who did not experience such miracles. “It reminds me of the miracles that so many others did not experience that day,” she writes.

This story, of both miraculous survival and deep loss, is a powerful testament to the resilience of Israeli families living under constant threat. For Christian Women For Israel, Romi’s account serves as a reminder to continue praying for Israel’s safety and families like Romi's. 

Read Romi’s full story here.