With the IDF’s largest ever mobilization—over 450,000 Israeli soldiers on active duty—in the war between Israel and Hamas, and to secure Israel’s northern border and Yehuda v’Shomron, in a way the whole country is fighting. Citizens of all ages and types are doing what they can to help our soldiers and give them physical, emotional and spiritual support.

From collecting sealed food, supplies and toiletries to sending goodies in the form of barbecues and pizza, Israelis who aren’t directly fighting on the battlefield are contributing what they can.

One civilian project which the local Jerusalem community has taken on is “Mitzvah Tziziyot”— Operation Tzizit.

Run by the new Yeshivat Eretz Hemdah community, it took place from Oct. 16-20 at Horev boys school in Katamon, south Jerusalem. For a whole week, from early morning until late at night, the whole spectrum of Am Yisrael was represented, sitting and tying tzizit on special green cloth for soldiers on the front line.

Mitzvah Tziziyot is the brainchild of Baruch Toledano, originally from London.

He told The Link, “On the second day of the war, I called my friend Alex Katz, founder of the (new) Yeshivat Eretz Hemdah, and asked him, ‘what are we doing to help the war effort?’ He said Kehilat Eretz Chemdah started delivering packages to soldiers down south.

“I immediately drove to Eretz Chemdah, filled up my car and delivered the packages to the soldiers. There by chance I met Rav Biton, one of the rabbis of Eretz Chemdah. One of the soldiers by a tank shouted out to me [what I thought was], ‘Do you have a metzit (cigarette lighter)?’” I asked around and got one for him. He then said, ‘No, I don’t mean a metzit, I meant tzizit.’” I gave him my tzizit but then he said he couldn’t take them as army regulations are you can only wear green garments.”

Toledano continued, “As I drove back up to Yerushalayim, my mind was racing with how I can help the soldiers I had just seen and I came up with the idea—we need to provide them with special green army tzizit.

“When I got back, I started to reach out to various organizations who would be interested in getting involved in the tzizit project.”

“Within hours, I got over 2,000 green garments and tzizit strings which needed to be tied. With the help of Kehilat Eretz Chemdah, we got together a massive group of people to make the tzizit. We delivered them to the army base, which delivered them to the soldiers. I then got a call from Rav Atlas, head of Rabbanut IDF, who wanted to be involved in the project. Rav Atlas then sent us 22,000 green garments and tzizit strings to make into tzizit. Every day this week we made between 3,000-5,000 tzizit and we sent them to the soldiers on the battlefield,” Toledano concluded.

Rabbi Dr. Benjy Levy, from the new Eretz Chemdah community, told The Link, “These spiritual vests also protect the soldiers. All forms of Jew—Sephardim to Ashkenazim, young and old, religious and secular—came together this week. There was a real sense of togetherness and community at this difficult time. It was so special to feel we were making a difference in the current war.”

Asher Neuman, a freelance content writer who made aliyah from New York in 2019, told The Jewish Link, “I joined this tzitzit making event because this was something I can do to join in on the tremendous chesed coming out of Jerusalem. When you’re living here there’s always something you can do for the war effort.

“I was talking with people who live in America and the feeling there is closer to panic and anxiety, especially when you’re staring at the news. But here it’s been far from that. There’s a collective of kindness and care …”

Noam and Avital Hayman, olim from Sydney and London, spent their Tuesday evening sewing tzizit. Noam told The Link, “I want the tzitzit to provide each soldier moral support and encouragement each time they look at them, reminding them what they are defending and why they are fighting.”

Tova Kramer, originally from South Africa, told The Jewish Link, “It’s so amazing that Am Yisrael is coming together at this difficult time. So many people involved. Soldiers really want these tzizit. Every time I wind the tzizit and say “leshem mitvat tzizit.” I think, ‘Please Hashem, look after our soldiers and bring them back alive, as soon as possible.’ We are one people and one nation— we need to give back to them how we can—all feeling pain—our hearts are with them.”

Eric Merritt, who made aliyah from Chicago, told The Link, “There are many projects going on to help our chayalim, but this one is unique in that it is spiritual. Here in Jerusalem we also find this equally as important; this will give them spiritual protection and remind them at all times that Hashem is with them when they are fighting and protecting us. Today we worked from 10 a.m.-midnight; kids, boys and girls, people 10-85 years old are all here.”

The civilian population here has also been mobilized in doing everything they can to raise the spirits of the soldiers: this Mitzvah Tziziyot is a perfect example.

The entire Jewish world is concerned with the developments in Israel, both on the southern border with Gaza as well as their northern border. We all hope and pray that our soldiers will return back home soon.

Benjy Singer lives in Jerusalem and is a freelance journalist covering Jewish world and Israel stories. He can be reached at [email protected].