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Volunteerism has been the great untold story of Israel’s response to Oct 7. While CNN focuses on bombs falling in Gaza and urban warfare, much of the real action that has enabled a small nation to continue functioning even with a massive call up of reserve soldiers has been the incredible number of people who have stepped up.
From housewives baking cookies to people bringing washing machines on pickup trucks so soldiers can wash their clothes, the response has been incredible. Reserve soldiers have gone away only to have neighbors run their businesses and take care of their homes. And there have also been a lot of volunteers coming from abroad.
The ‘cowboys’ visiting Israel made headlines, but there have been plenty of volunteers, Jewish and non-Jewish, coming over.
Recently, Polly Levine, the daughter of longtime David Horowitz Freedom Center supporter Tammy Steinsapir volunteered in Israel, and wrote about her experiences for the Jewish Journal.
On the Wednesday of my week-long volunteering mission, I found myself back in southern Israel, near Be’er Sheva, at an IDF base preparing food boxes for the soldiers in Gaza. I was surprised to see hundreds of volunteers from all over the world: Australia, Great Britain, South Africa, France, Mexico and beyond. It was quite heartwarming and only confirms my belief that we are a people of unity and problem solvers.
Everyone volunteering at the base worked together on an assembly line, making boxes, adding stickers, and filling them with canned food and dried soup. Never one for self-pity, we Jews do what must be done – a spirit that has sustained us for 4,000 years.
On my last morning, I arrived on the bus with my eyes half closed, only to learn I would be heading to a farm near Haifa to plant broccoli. Immediately, I perked up as being in an open field on a warm day was most certainly my happy place. We ended up planting broccoli seedlings. It is laborious yet gratifying. The sandy earth was a gorgeous color and had a soft smell. Surrounded by cypress trees, I literally felt as if I was in an impressionist painting.
It’s a lovely story and well worth reading in its entirety, but it’s also one of many such stories.
By focusing on the war, Hamas supporters have made that the story in order to make the terrorists into the victims, but a big part of the story, the real untold story, is how Israelis and people from around the world pulled together in the face of evil.
Domenic Pepe says
The Biden Stab-in-the- Back policy against Israel and Jews is well under way.
And the Biden Stab-in-the- Back policy against America and US citizens is also well under way.
Volunteers can counter and circumvent the evil destructive traitorous policies of the government ruling class.
Atikva says
I wish I still could volunteer in Israel . My first time, I was working in a kibbutz north of the Negev, in summer time, the only Christian among a group of young Jewish people. Some of them kissed the ground upon arrival at Lod airport. As Archie bunker used to sing: “Those were the days!”
STJOHNOFGRAFTON says
A heart-warming story. Most welcome in these perilous times blighted by relentless cold-hearted journaille.
jeremiah says
Thank you. Story is just what I needed.
David Gin says
We just left Israel after volunteering for 6 weeks one of the places Moshav Hatzva packing cauliflower and pumpkin, the Jewish country is hurting and needs help desperately. We are leaving after we came to volunteer for 5.5 weeks in agriculture where needed. Volunteer possibilities are endless. This is the time to join with other volunteers and show your solidarity. We are both 70 I am overweight but had no problem picking avocados, clementine’s, packing all kinds of fruit and vegetables. Yes there were aches and pains, but we realized everyday do something different and pains will be in another place. To all who can afford, the young, the retired, come you won’t be disappointed, you will get to taste what fruit and vegetables really should taste like.
Atikva says
“Over 70” – I tip my hat to you!
Kevin says
Great stories and praise be to the people who are willing and can go to Israel to help them.
Nicolas Carras says
We should not hear beautiful stories that could inspire young people. You have to hear horrible stories with evil Zionists killing innocent children in Gaza.
Atikva says
These are indeed.. ‘stories’ and stupid ones.
If they were true, Hamas and other jihadis wouldn’t use their own children as shields; they do it because they KNOW that Israelis would never hurt children, whether theirs or other peoples’ on purpose. Same as hospitals or schools: jihadis use them to stack their weapons and hide their leaders because they know and they have known for some 80 years, that Israelis would NEVER deliberately hurt the most vulnerable among us humans.
danknight says
G-d bless Polly and all the other volunteers in Israel …
Most Especially … bring them home safe and sound!