Ashkelon, Israel (September 30) — Two women, two stories, but one outcome—courage to help the children of Ashkelon in the face of great evil.
Tslil Elmakiyas
Most people would be thrilled to experience one miracle. Tslil Elmakiyas has experienced two.
Tslil, a 34-year-old social worker with Chimes Israel from Kibbutz Gevim, about 2½ miles away from the Gaza border, was not at home when terrorists attempted to break into her community on October 7.
But her husband, Emmanuel, a police officer, was among the first responders at the Sha’ar HaNegev junction, where he survived heavy fighting that claimed the lives of many colleagues.
“It was a double miracle—that the terrorists did not break into our kibbutz, and that my husband survived,” Tslil recalled.
The weeks and months that followed were filled with displacement, fear, and emotional strain. Evacuated with her young daughters, Tslil gave birth during the family’s separation from their home—a symbol, she says, of resilience and hope.
“Life triumphs; the Jews will endure,” Tslil said. “They did not want us to survive, but here we are, bringing more children into the world.”
Despite the trauma her family experienced—including her husband’s diagnosis of PTSD—Tslil quickly returned to her role at Chimes Israel’s Ashkelon day center, where she supports people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Ashkelon is about eight miles from Gaza and was the target of hundreds of Hamas missiles during the October 7 attacks.
“Helping others is healing. Supporting someone else, lifting them up—it heals you too,” she explained.
“Because I, too, had lived through trauma, some of my clients felt I truly understood them. That created a special, healing bond.”
Lilach Tanami
On the morning of October 7, Lilach Tanami, her husband, and their three children awoke to the wrong kind of alarm: the sound of sirens and gunfire. At first, they assumed the attack would end quickly. But as the hours wore on, they realized the danger was unprecedented.
“The silence between the attacks was unbearable,” Lilach said. “Toward evening, we saw black smoke, still not grasping what it meant. After the Sabbath, we finally understood the full horror.”
The Tanami family fled their home the next day with small bags of clothing, expecting to return in 24 hours. Instead, they were displaced for months before returning in February 2024.
Despite being an evacuee herself, Lilach continued serving as a social worker with Chimes Israel, a nonprofit helping people with developmental disabilities and their families. She reached out to families in Ashkelon, one of the hardest hit cities, only eight miles from the Gaza border.
“Many children with developmental disabilities could not stay in their homes during constant sirens,” Lilach said. “I coordinated with a colleague and with the city for support and relocation. We also began remote therapeutic work: Zoom sessions, home visits by staff, and parent guidance.”
Lilach now works for the Negev Resilience Center. She knows that many still struggle. “I see many children with trauma and anxiety—refusing to leave safe rooms, terrified of booms. Parents suffer from anxiety, too, and need resilience programs. The scars are deep.”
She approaches her own suffering through faith. “My faith in God has always been my strength,” she said. “If He gave us this trial, we must endure it together.”
To learn more about Chimes Israel, chimesisrael.org.il/en.
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To schedule an interview with Tslil or Lilach, email Clem Boyd, director of public relations, at clem@infinityconcepts.com, or text or call him at 724.930.4003.
About Chimes Israel
Chimes Israel has been helping people with disabilities use their own abilities and skills to lead a life of dignity, independence, and community participation since 1991. Chimes Israel serves more than 1,400 clients ranging in age from infant to elderly with cognitive disabilities, autism, developmental delays, genetic syndromes, and mental health issues. Their 26 rehabilitative facilities were closed at the beginning of the war, but they responded with innovative in-person and tech solutions. They seek to construct a fortified early childhood development center in Ashkelon, about eight miles from Gaza, offering an expanded safe room for shelter during missile attacks and the highest level of rehabilitative care.