Midnight coffee in a bunker – miklatot shape Israeli culture

A new subculture has blossomed in Israel over the past couple of weeks – in its bomb shelters.

Civilians spent much of their time in these spaces while Iran was bombarding them with ballistic missiles, but Israelis have a knack for finding the positive in negative situations. In this case, it’s about getting to know their neighbours all too well and in a new way of being.

Protocols have emerged to make the experience of going to the miklat (bomb shelter) more comfortable for everyone, and the dread of the potential missile damage less poignant.

South African-born Dean Cohen, who lives in Ra’anana, describes his experience as “Milklatot and Coffee”. Cohen told the SA Jewish Report, “We meet at irregular times for a get-together lasting anywhere from 30-60 minutes for an intimate catch-up in a very informal setting.”

He says since there’s little cellphone signal in the miklat, people have been forced to socialise with each other without being distracted by their phones, and no subject seems to be off limits in the miklat. “Kids, babies, and dogs are always welcome. The furniture is eclectic, and some bring blankets and puff cushions to set the environment. We will all try different cool hotspots, but hey, we are creatures of habit,” he said.

Cohen says though the setting of this “coffee shop” is rather minimalist as it’s really only a concrete room, it will soon be very on-trend. However, “the only thing that irks me a bit is sometimes we get a real lack of enthusiasm from patrons acting all tired and stuff, and that can be a real bummer. Also, the outside management tends to be a bit dictatorial, but you know, it takes time to build an underground culture.”

Many people across Israel have found humour in their situation, perhaps to distract themselves from having interrupted sleep for many nights in a row.

Israeli TikToker Alex Porcelain, or @porcedawg, posted a video on TikTok on 15 June saying, “I have a new dating concept app for Jews in Israel. It’s called ‘Miklaty hottie’. Find your match while seeking shelter.”

Unfortunately, the app is available only to those who are in Israel or the United States, so those in the rest of the world looking for their Israeli husband or wife won’t be successful.

Jess Lurie, 24, who moved from Johannesburg to Jerusalem in November 2024, says that though she and everyone on her ulpan campus were in their miklat for long periods, with some taking the opportunity to get some sleep, it was anything but a scene of doom and gloom.

“Every time we went down during a siren, we would all group together and sing songs showing our strength as a Jewish nation as well as our faith,” she says. “We even completed Kabbalat Shabbat in the miklat as we were interrupted by sirens. Our miklat became a place of unity and comfort during these times, a place where no matter how scared we were, we didn’t feel alone.”

Lurie says one of the most important things she always makes sure to bring with her when a siren goes off, other than her phone charger and laptop, is a large number of snacks so that she and everyone else in the miklat don’t go hungry.

“I always have a bag packed with biscuits and chocolates,” she said, “There’s nothing better than sharing midnight snacks with all your friends.”

However, the experience hasn’t been as joyous for others. Olah and social media influencer Michal Greenspan said in a video posted on 16 June, “There’s nothing I’m more grateful for than the fact that I don’t have to go to a miklat where people are playing instruments.”

And in the comment of that video, she said, “If your miklat has an amateur drummer and guitarist – I’m so sorry.”

One South African oleh, who asked not to be named, lives in the Tel Aviv neighbourhood in Florentin, which is known as an artsy area full of young people who occupy the area’s bars, clubs, and overpriced coffee shops. He says he has seen some interesting and disturbing things in the miklat, including a poop in the corner – not sure if it was dog or human; a guy with wheels on his shoes; a pet snake in a cat carrier; a man with two bearded dragons on his shoulders; and a homeless guy begging for money while they were walking in during a siren.

“Walking in the shelter and I see a crap on the floor, I pretty much had the same reaction as everyone else, like OK, there’s shit in the corner, it’s Florentin, like whatever,” he says.

“In my miklat, they don’t bring instruments, it’s not a community one, there are a lot of foreign workers who live and work in the area. It’s not one of the romantic ones.”

Though he tries to bring everything recommended, like phones and chargers, irreplaceable documents, keys to all vehicles, wallet, and prescription medications needed for the next 24 hours, it can be hard to remember it all when you are being woken up at 03:00.

“I should take all my documents and laptop, but at 03:00, you don’t tend to focus too much,” he says.

“Although this all sounds terrible, the Israeli spirit goes from strength to strength, with people stepping up to help wherever they can by clearing rubble, assisting the elderly, donating blood, and checking in on friends and family,” he says.