Executive Director

I have been to Israel numerous times, and this is my fourth time as a volunteer for the IDF, but this time it looks and feels different. While the flight was full, which was nice to see, I was surprised how deserted Ben Gurion airport was when I arrived last week. It was empty. Individual posters of each hostage lined the hallways between the terminal and customs. There are signs throughout the airport pointing you towards the nearest bomb shelter, and there was no traffic when leaving the airport. 

The army base they sent me to is in the south, about 20 miles east of Gaza. The bus driver gave each of the volunteers a pocket size version of Tehilim (Book of Psalms) to ensure our safety. The ceasefire ended just as I arrived, so the rockets started flying again. Many reached as far as Tel Aviv, but Iron Dome is doing its job and is intercepting most of the missiles. The sirens and explosions are loud. The soldiers, and Israeli civilians, are very appreciative of our presence and our support, but the mood is heavy. The shock and sadness of October 7 remain, along with the anxiety about the fate of the hostages who are still in Gaza and the IDF’s expansion of ground operations throughout Gaza.

My previous jobs over the years volunteering on IDF military bases included the inventory and transportation of ammunition and explosives, preparing the backpacks for combat soldiers, loading magazines for rifles, unloading equipment from tanks returning from battle, and packaging and storage of medicine and medical supplies. Help is needed right now in so many different areas. This week, me and dozens of volunteers assembled almost 100,000 packages of food for the soldiers in Gaza. 

Every volunteer is required to sign a waiver which includes language that states: “Having been fully informed of all the inherent risks of the ongoing conflict in Israel, and by choosing to volunteer, I hereby declare that I assume all risks and danger involved.” Now I know why. I’m getting the full experience: sirens, bomb shelters, rockets, Iron Dome, F16’s. All of these things all around me. Don’t worry, I’m safe. And there is no place I would rather be. 

I brought Hanukkah candles with me to the army base, not just to celebrate the holiday with the soldiers, but to assure them that we will endure, we will be victorious, and we will continue to be a light unto all nations, even during this time of darkness. I will bring these stones (my makeshift Hanukkiah) home from Israel to place on the headstones of my Israeli parents’ graves on Long Island. And I will leave the wax on them to commemorate my mom’s favorite holiday. 

Wishing you a Shabbat Shalom. See you next week.