Israeli twins undergo circumcision in a bomb shelter

Despite the constraints, neighbors became part of the event after the couple alerted residents through a building group chat.

By Shula Rosen, United with Israel

A couple in Holon held a brit milah for their premature twin sons in a bomb shelter last week after ongoing security conditions made a traditional celebration impractical, turning the event into a shared gathering for residents of their apartment building, Ynet reports.

Sahar and Omer Shashua marked the circumcision of their six-week-old twins, Ari and Yar, underground as air raid sirens and repeated runs to shelter continued to shape their daily routine.

The ceremony took place in the building’s shelter after the couple concluded there was no feasible alternative.

“It was a difficult decision,” Sahar told Ynet. “You want to hold a normal celebration for the whole family, invite people and celebrate properly, but then you realize you have to make do.”

Since the start of the war, the couple said each siren triggers a rapid descent from their 12th-floor apartment, with their newborns and pets, into a crowded shelter. Those conditions led them to scale back plans and limit attendance.

Despite the constraints, neighbors became part of the event after the couple alerted residents through a building group chat.

Omer said neighbors responded with messages of congratulations, and some came down to the shelter to briefly take part in the ceremony.

Residents also helped prepare the space, assisting with lighting and organization, as the event took on a communal character involving the entire building.

The ceremony took place amid ongoing alerts, and the couple said repeated sirens the night before left them with little sleep, tempering what would normally be a celebratory occasion.

Sahar described the event as both a small personal milestone and a reflection of the broader challenges shaping daily life.