On Sunday, March 17 dozens of community members attended a chinese auction at Congregation Ohr Torah in Edison to benefit the Rescuers without Borders (RWB) campaign to purchase a critically needed ambulance for a community in Yesha.

Fifty three offerings were donated to the auction, with values ranging from $50 for a sheitel wash and style to over $1,000 for estate planning services by local attorney Rebecca Strub. Giddy’s Pizzeria donated pizza; Edison Pack and Ship provided heavily discounted flyers to advertise the event; and M Joselit volunteered her much appreciated face painting for the children who attended.

The auction netted over $2,500, bringing the total amount raised since November, with matching, to over $100,000. Most importantly, the auction provided an opportunity for every participant to be a part of saving lives. Even the children participated by writing words of encouragement and appreciation to IDF soldiers.

If you missed the in-person event, you still have the opportunity to make a tax deductible donation while bidding for prizes at the online auction site https://www.letssavelivestogether.com/ where winners will be listed on April 17. Tax deductible donations in shekels, dollars and euros are also doubled at the dedicated campaign site https://causematch.com/rwb and will remain active at least until the $150,000 ambulance is purchased.

This event was organized by Rivka Sonts, a long-time Jewish activist who was born in the former Soviet Union and raised in Israel. Currently the PR director of The Park Med Spa, which sponsored Sunday’s auction, she resides with her children in Highland Park. Sonts has worked for Dov Hikind and organizations including Ateret Cohanim and Americans against Antisemitism.