Simchat Torah morning. We’re huddled in the shelter with the kids, fear gripping our hearts. Under an attack unlike anything we’ve ever experienced in our country, we don’t understand what’s happening. Rumors are spreading—about casualties, many casualties. We sit, reciting Psalms, trying to find hope, but deep inside, there’s no real comprehension of the horrors unfolding outside.

We arrive at the synagogue, seeking comfort. Suddenly, the mayor enters, accompanied by a Home Front Command officer. He delivers devastating news: They’ve taken over a military base, there are hostages, and terrorists are roaming freely. The fear intensifies. We’re told to go home. Each of us returns to our homes, waiting for the holiday to pass.

Then, the dreadful realization comes. We turn on the news, and what our eyes see is simply unimaginable. Hundreds of casualties, our land bleeding. It feels like our world is collapsing. I look at my wife and say with a trembling voice, "I can’t just sit here quietly; I have to do something."

On the morning of October 8th, I go to pray. After the prayer, I see a Hasidic Jew loading his car with many items. I approach him and ask, "Where are you going?" He responds simply, "To pamper the soldiers and help with whatever is needed." The battlefield is still chaotic. I reply with determination, "I’m coming with you."

And that’s what we did. On the eighth day of the war, we got into the car together and drove towards Sderot, where we found soldiers who had been fighting since the seventh day. We provided them with water, food, clean clothes, tefillin, and Chitas books for protection. Since then, there hasn’t been a day or week without action.

We’ve organized over 160 events for soldiers.

There isn’t a post or base in the South where we haven’t been to strengthen soldiers.

We’ve put tefillin on about 900 soldiers and distributed enormous amounts of food for Shabbat, ensuring they had kosher food.

On Hanukkah, we handed out hundreds of sufganiyot and organized lighting ceremonies, distributing dozens of Hanukkah kits to soldiers.

On Purim, we held a feast for 400 soldiers and dozens of Megillah readings and delivered Mishloach Manot.

On Pesach, we held a Seder for 500 soldiers,

distributed dozens of boxes of matzot,

ensured kosher food for religious soldiers, and gave away about 10 pairs of tefillin as gifts.

We brought every piece of equipment we could get our hands on.

But the war is far from over. Every week, we receive dozens of requests from soldiers. Some are broken, some are dealing with severe trauma, and all of them need support. They ask us to come, to bring them joy, to give them the strength to keep going.

We cannot remain indifferent to this situation. We must continue to strengthen them, in the North, in the South, in Judea and Samaria. This is a mission that the Holy One, blessed be He, has given us, and we must not stop. Open your hearts and your wallets, help us continue so that we can keep protecting our people. The pictures, they tell it all.

Please help us give the soldiers the strength to keep going until redemption comes.

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