So where DO the things I collect for the Army go?

 Great question! Thanks to "AP" for asking it, as I'm sure others are also wondering. 

The short answer is, "I know a guy" :). Moti lives in my neighborhood and we knew each other a bit before the war started as we both have Maltese dogs. 

Leo trying to help pack bags for soldiers (he and Percy really DO look alike, don't they?!)

When the war began, Moti started procuring supplies for local soldiers that he knew, then branched out into assisting low income soldiers (the army gives basic supplies, but, in order to be well tricked-out, soldiers need to chip in on their own) and helping "lone soldiers" (those from overseas who don't have immediate family in Israel. This includes a  LOT of Americans). He does his best now to give to any soldier who contacts him, and has helped thousands of soldiers over this last, crazy year.

He spends time going to the airport to pick up the duffel bags sent to him by US contacts (eight came in yesterday). He's at the airport once or twice a week and each time it takes 5-6 hours to release the bags with all of the forms filled out and any taxes dealt with. Sometimes, people bring duffels to Israel with them, like my friend Temima from NY who brought 7 duffel bags with her earlier this fall (Go, Temima!!). 

Eight duffel bags picked up on Wednesday

Unloading them in his basement, the entirety of which has been taken over as an unofficial Army supply depot:

Look to the side: this was Wednesday night and there are two duffel bags that came back that afternoon waiting to be unloaded :)

And spending time each night giving out items to soldiers. 

Moti has been so amazing putting in hours and hours each day doing this. 

"Are you still able to work your regular job, Moti?" (software, working American hours [4-midnight])

"I am working but it has taken a huge toll of work delays, missed days, etc"

"You once mentioned to me the amount of your own money you've put into this. It's been a while. How much, now, do you think you've put in of your own money?"

"I don't want to know....."

Here's a little tour of their basement by Moti and two of his kids:

When I was in Boston over the summer, people reading this might have donated granola bars and protein bars for me to take back. Thank you! Moti's guys loved them ;)

If you would like to help Moti's incredible efforts, here's the US tax-deductible link to "We In It Together":

https://secure.cardknox.com/weinittogether

And you've got 1.5 more weeks until I show up in the US and start packing up all the things that Moti requested I shlep back. Here's the link to the Amazon registry: 

https://www.amazon.com/registries/gl/owner-view/3M02MX8X2KQG0?ref_=registries_subnav

THANK YOU!!!

"You Give Strength to the Weary"

For a long time, I have maintained that the appropriate prayer for any issue a person is dealing with is found in Morning Blessings.

It is hard to believe that for 404 days, we have been saying the blessing matir asurim --"You release the bound"--with the concept that, yes, our limbs are moving and we can arise from sleeping, but also that there are hostages who truly are bound and need to be released. Every morning I say the name of each one of the hostages and Daven that today will be the day they come home. 

We ask Gd each morning to give us strength ("Please Gd, give all the soldiers who are working so hard, all the strength they need").

But the blessing that is most resonating with me these days is hanoten l'yaef koach, "You give strength to the weary". I try not to speak for everyone, but for this, I think I can truly say that the country is weary. It is hard to believe it's been 13.5 months since the war started. 

When it began, I numbered my blog posts ("War Day 5"), in the innocence of thinking this would be over soon.....

Now, we have my friend's son, who was called up in his Reserve Unit on October 7 and was in the Army until mid-October. That's OVER A YEAR. He's home now, working and getting ready for his upcoming marriage, and just found out that, though he was supposed to go back in the Army in February, it's been moved up to January. His wedding is the 29th of December, so they better not push it back any further....

A video going around shows a restaurant closed as the owner has been called up for reserve duty. "Pray for me" the sign says:

It is soon to be our neighbor Binyamin Airley's first yahrzeit. His mom, Jen, has become a very popular speaker on the English-language circuit (listen/read any of these: she's always amazing). His parents opened Beit Binyamin in his memory, to give soldiers, first responders, war widows and others deeply affected by the war the space to do some healing. 

And each day, each week there are the smiles in the photos of the beautiful soldiers who have been killed in battle. "Approved for release" have become heartbreaking words because they're followed with the names of soldiers who have fallen in battle:

And how can there still be HUNDREDS of missiles being sent to us each day?! Yesterday alone, there were 265 incoming missile alerts. The total since the beginning of the war is 28,000 incoming missile sirens in Israel. 

This is what the middle of the country looked like on Tuesday, mid-day. Menashe, who has started a new job in Tel Aviv, says he's learned his way to the building safe room really well:

We had an "incoming" siren the other morning at 5:56 a.m. The best spin on it that I heard was, "At least I didn't need to wake up my kids for school". 

And here I am, about to make my annual weekend visit to my mother to celebrate my birthday and I truly cannot wrap my head around the fact that I am, again, collecting supplies for soldiers. Last November, I would have said there was no way I'd be collecting again this year. Yet here we are.....

https://www.amazon.com/registries/gl/guest-view/3M02MX8X2KQG0

Still praying for peace and permanent safety for our tiny little corner of the world.