I mentioned last week how our son Mordechai decided (one of thousands to do so) that he needed to be in Israel. He closed his business, sold all his assets, etc., and got a one-way ticket home. Because he felt the pull of home in this time of crisis.
He wanted to serve. But, having not yet done any reserves duty, he had no job to go to. Didn’t matter.
Within days he was called up and reported for requalification with a weapon and some training drills. And last Wednesday (10 days ago, by the time you read this) he began serving, doing patrols throughout the Yerushalayim area (including the Old City, where a border patrol officer was recently killed).
We are proud of his decision and of course, concerned for him. No, he is not in Gaza. But yes, he is still doing his part and, in his words, “This is what I came for, to protect people.”
I am sure you have heard the many calls for assistance for the soldiers. With 400,000 or more reservists called to active duty, there was simply no way the military had planned to logistically equip (and supply) the needs of all these new soldiers. Notwithstanding all the supplies and equipment we’d sent to the Ukraine. And so people stepped in, and stepped in big.
I have shared Goldie’s experiences volunteering at the local Aroma Cafe that provides 10,000 or more sandwiches every day to soldiers throughout the country (including inside Gaza). I had a day off last Friday and joined in myself. There are people picking produce at farms because most of the foreign workers have fled. People working dairy farms. People volunteering all over.
And yes, there are many, many people who have jumped in to help provide needed safety equipment for the soldiers.
That hit home for us last week, when Mordechai came home and told us that he was a bit nervous, because while he was issued a weapon to patrol in, there were simply no bulletproof vests or helmets to be had. And he was going to serve without protective gear.
That’s a sobering thought, especially knowing that attacks on soldiers have been happening. Not just in Gaza. And so we started reaching out. And discovered how he was not the only soldier with this concern.
Within 12 hours, a hero came through. Mordechai got safety equipment. Not only Mordechai, but we helped connect another soldier to get some equipment as well. That soldier’s father was in tears of gratitude when he came to collect the gear from Mordechai in Jerusalem.
How did it happen? YOU!
International donors have been sourcing and sending gear continuously since this started. Local volunteers have been working tirelessly to see that the soldiers get what they need. And if you have been looking for an opportunity to participate, read on.
The source that provided vests and protective gear for several soldiers we know was connected to us through a neighbor. She has been very active in organizing food and basic supplies. And a couple of weeks ago she went to the park for a breath of fresh air. At the park, she met the wife of Shilo Kramer, whose foundation, The Chaya Israel Foundation, has committed to sourcing vests and helmets for soldiers who do not have this gear.
You can contact Shilo via WhatsApp at 917-915-6106 or via chayaisrael.com/support-the-idf.
As the parent of a soldier who was provided gear by these donations, as the parent of children who helped Shilo get gear to other soldiers, as the neighbor and friend of many, many families whose children are serving, in various capacity, we are extremely grateful to those who have already donated and encourage you to participate, if you can.
Shmuel Katz, his wife, Goldie, and their six children made aliyah in July 2006. Before making aliyah, Shmuel was the executive director of the Yeshiva of South Shore in Hewlett. You can contact him at shmuel@katzfamily.co.il. Read more of Shmuel Katz’s articles at 5TJT.com.
