One thousand bulletproof vests and 255 duffel bags of supplies were sent by the Young Israel of Forest Hills to Israeli soldiers.
The Young Professionals Minyan at the shul initiated the drive. They put out a need for assistance using WhatsApp, Facebook, Instagram, and email on Monday, October 9. More than 150 volunteers showed up to assist on October 10.
The ages of the volunteers ranged from five years old to women in their 80s walking with canes. The children “were the most into it,” said Isaac Wertman, one of the organizers of the event and a member of the shul. The main core was those aged in their 20s and 30s, the young couples at the shul. It started at 5:30 p.m. and completely ended at 2 a.m. the next morning.
Daniel Rosen, a shul member and a director of sales at Bloomberg, raised over $15,000. Isaac Wertman used the money to buy every duffel bag at Walmart, about 50, late at night.
One person donated about 1,000 hand warmers, each with a message inside the bags, like, “Thank you so much,” “We are here for you,” “Am Yisrael Chai,” etc., said Wertman.
Supplies came from a Chabad in Westport, Connecticut, the Five Towns, New Jersey, and Brooklyn, said Gavi Mayer, another organizer and a member at the shul.
The supplies included Gun/Tactical Flashlights, G-Shock Watches, Tactical Glasses, tourniquets, sleeping bags, knee pads, large zip ties, Camelback water bottles, batteries, power banks, protein bars, thick socks, baby powder, Dr. Scholl’s insoles, toothpaste and toothbrushes, and Balaclavas.
“Pods” or stations were set up for each item. Spreadsheets kept track of each item. Two rented U-Haul trucks and volunteers using their cars finished dropping off the items at a warehouse in Lawrence at 1:30 a.m. on October 11.
Later that day, the organization Chayal el Chayal flew the synagogue’s 2,300 pounds of supplies, worth over $40,000, using secured cargo and private planes from Kennedy Airport to the Tel Aviv and Eilat airports, said Gavi Mayer. Teams of people there sorted out and delivered the items to Israel Defense Forces (IDF) bases, which were then given to soldiers.
Gavi Mayer has three cousins in the Israeli Army. One is a paramedic, one is in an intelligence unit, and another is in a combat unit.
Mayer said, “I felt that if we couldn’t be there fighting with them, that at least we should do whatever we could do. I think a lot of the people who put their efforts into this felt the same.”
Gavi Mayer worked remotely at the same time for his job at a private equity group. “I did not sleep the last couple of days.”
Isaac Wertman also worked remotely as director of sales for a heating, cooling, and ventilation systems company during this drive.
“This felt like the least I can do. I needed to make an impact on what’s going on,” said Wertman.
Both Wertman and Mayer say much of the credit goes to the Young Professionals Minyan who have been working non-stop since the Jewish holidays ended. “None of us could have accomplished this on our own,” said Mayer. “I have been deeply humbled and inspired by our collective passion to make a difference.”
Rabbi Elisha Friedman of the Young Israel of Forest Hills is grateful and proud of the Young Professionals Minyan. “It was a grassroots movement. They saw a need and just ran with it.”
Israel and support of Israel “rank very, very high” among the congregants’ values “along with the major values of Judaism,” said Rabbi Friedman. The shul has many Israeli expatriates and young couples aspiring to make aliyah.
Rabbi Friedman lived in Israel for four years as a youngster and spent a year and a half at a yeshivah in Yerushalayim. Two of his sisters live in Israel with another sister in yeshivah there.
The Young Israel of Forest Hills organized another supplies effort this past Sunday, October 14, a mishmar learning on October 12, and “Learning and Davening” on October 10 with Rabbi Elisha Friedman and Rabbi Zalman Mergui of the Sephardi Minyan at the Young Israel of Forest Hills.
Future events “will depend on what Israeli’s needs are,” said Rabbi Friedman.
By David Schneier
