By: Fern Sidman

In the narrow residential streets of this densely populated city east of Tel Aviv, the wail of an air-raid siren has become an all-too-familiar summons to urgency. On Saturday afternoon, that piercing alarm once again sent families scrambling for shelter. Moments later, a large piece of shrapnel from an Iranian missile tore through the roof of a residential building on Donolo Street, punching through two floors and leaving a trail of destruction that could easily have claimed lives.

Yet, in what relatives and neighbors are calling nothing short of providential, the 12 family members inside the building at the time emerged physically unharmed.

According to a report on Saturday at VIN News, the impact occurred at approximately 4:35 p.m., when a fragment from an intercepted Iranian missile struck the structure with tremendous force. The shrapnel penetrated the roof, ripped into the fourth-floor apartment, and continued downward into the third floor below, causing extensive damage to both residences. Windows were shattered, ceilings collapsed, and personal belongings were strewn across the rooms.

Inside the building at the time were members of the Gumbo and Luria families. Among them was Rabbi Tzvi (Hershel) Gumbo, head of a kollel at the Makowa synagogue in Bnei Brak, who resides on the third floor. His daughter’s family lives in the apartment directly above. Together, a total of 12 individuals — adults and children — were present when the siren sounded.

As reported by VIN News, when the warning system was activated, the family reacted immediately. Without hesitation, they descended from their apartments to the building’s stairwell, which, while not a formally reinforced safe room, offered more structural protection than the interior living spaces. There, as the seconds ticked by and the tension mounted, they recited Psalms, seeking comfort and protection amid the uncertainty.

Then came the blast.

Those in the stairwell described a deafening explosion reverberating through the building, followed by the unmistakable sound of debris crashing and walls cracking. The building shook under the impact. Dust filled the air. For a moment, it was unclear whether the structure itself had been compromised.

When the family cautiously returned upstairs after the all-clear, they encountered a scene of devastation. The roof had been punctured, and the projectile had carved a destructive path through both the fourth and third floors. VIN News reported that the damage to the two apartments was significant, with ceilings torn open and furniture destroyed. The trajectory of the shrapnel underscored how narrowly tragedy had been averted.

Relatives later said that there is no fortified safe room within the apartments, a reality common in many older residential buildings in Bnei Brak. The decision to move quickly into the stairwell, they believe, was decisive.

“It was a Purim miracle,” family members told VIN News, invoking the Jewish holiday that commemorates deliverance from destruction in ancient Persia — modern-day Iran. The irony was not lost on residents: a fragment from an Iranian missile, launched amid escalating hostilities, had struck their home on a day when themes of survival and salvation are woven into communal memory.

The emotional aftermath unfolded later that afternoon at the Makowa synagogue on Rabbeinu Tam Street. During the Mincha prayer service, Rabbi Gumbo publicly recited the traditional blessing of thanksgiving, known as “HaGomel,” which is said by those who have survived life-threatening danger. The VIN News report described the moment as deeply moving, as congregants responded “Amen” with palpable emotion.

The incident in Bnei Brak is one of several reported across Israel amid the intensifying exchange between Israel and Iran. While Israel’s missile defense systems have intercepted numerous projectiles, debris and shrapnel from those interceptions can pose grave risks on the ground. Saturday’s strike underscored that even successful interceptions are not without danger.

Emergency services responded swiftly to Donolo Street, assessing structural integrity and ensuring that no residents were trapped. Though no injuries were reported in this case, the visible damage serves as a stark reminder of the indiscriminate nature of falling debris.

Neighbors gathered in the aftermath, some embracing family members, others surveying the impact site in disbelief. Bnei Brak, a city known for its close-knit religious community, has been under repeated alerts in recent days. The shared experience of sheltering during sirens has deepened communal bonds, even as anxiety remains high.

VIN News has consistently documented the resilience of Israeli civilians under fire, and Saturday’s episode adds another chapter to that chronicle. The sight of children hiding under stairwells, reciting Psalms as explosions echo overhead, is both harrowing and emblematic of a society accustomed to balancing routine life with sudden threat.

For Rabbi Gumbo and his family, the physical destruction of their home is secondary to the gratitude they feel for having survived. Repairs will be made; walls will be rebuilt. What cannot be reconstructed, they note, is a life lost.

In the hours following the strike, volunteers arrived to assist with cleanup and temporary arrangements. Community members offered lodging, clothing, and meals. The response reflected a broader ethos of solidarity that has characterized Israeli society during periods of conflict.

As night fell over Bnei Brak, the building on Donolo Street stood scarred but intact — a testament to both the destructive capacity of modern warfare and the narrow margins by which catastrophe can be avoided.

For the Gumbo and Luria families, the events of 4:35 p.m. will long be remembered not merely as a brush with disaster, but as a moment of deliverance. In a season marked by remembrance of ancient salvation, they experienced a modern echo — a “Purim miracle,” as they call it — amid the reverberations of a conflict whose outcome remains uncertain.