Israel Bomb Shelter Project

As many of you know, Anne and I are lovers of Israel and the Jewish people. Our most recent trip to Israel was in 2015 when we spent 50 days. Our only goal was to encourage the people, both Jews and Arabs.

While we were in Israel, we met Orthodox Rabbi Shumel Bowman who heads Operation LifeShield, a non-profit humanitarian organization that builds bomb shelters for those who live in the “most dangerous zones” of Hezbollah rockets in Lebanon and missiles from the Gaza Strip. Thus far, his organization has built over 300 shelters across Southern and Northern Israel.

For this reason, Anne and I are partnering with Shmuel and LifeShield to build a bomb shelter with donations from the Shoals area and beyond. We are asking 170 persons to contribute $100 each toward the Bomb Shelter which costs $17,000. We are asking you to be one of the 170.

These are bell-shaped concrete bomb shelters with steel reinforcement which are placed above ground in the areas most needed. The smaller shelters hold from 15-20 people and the larger ones from 20-30. While some homes in Israel do have safe rooms inside their homes, none of these shelters are placed at private homes. These shelters are placed in areas such as school playgrounds, parks, bus stops, at Senior Citizen’s Centers, and along the busy streets where people are walking.

The rockets and missiles have a 25 mile range within Israel’s borders. Over 1.5 million citizens of Israel live within the 25 mile range. Once the alarm sounds that a bomb has been launched, the people have 15 seconds to get in a safe place. Can you imagine trying to get 20 pre-schoolers off of a playground and into their school in 15 seconds? That’s impossible! That’s why many of these shelters are placed on school playgrounds.

Both Operation LifeShield and CSR Ministries are 501c3 non-profit organizations in the U.S., therefore your donation will be tax deductible. CSR is the ministry of encouragement that provides our covering and will serve, along with Anne and I, as the sponsors of the project. Your donation will be placed in a Bomb Shelter fund with all monies donated to be given to Operation Lifeshield for bomb shelter efforts in Israel. (If we are able to raise more, we will aim for a $35,000 shelter which is larger and holds more people.)

Should you choose to be one of the 170, please, send your check, made out to CSR to PO Box 1555, Florence, AL 35631, marked for the Bomb Shelter. We hope to complete the shelter and its placement in 2018. A donation of any amount will be appreciated.

Feel free to contact me by cell 256-335-8288, or email me at jim.bevis@csrministries.org. We hope to hear from you soon.

Prayerfully and Expectantly,

Jim Bevis

President, CSR Ministries

P.S. We were encouraged when Florence Mayor Steve Holt committed the first $100, and Adolph Abroms, my Jewish friend, committed the second $100.