Community members came out to Edison’s Cong. Ahavas Yisrael (AY) on Sunday night, Nov. 3 to hear a talk by Dr. Adi Vaxman, founder and president of Operation Israel, on “From Heartbreak to Hope: Israel’s Journey since Oct. 7.”
Operation Israel is a volunteer driven nonprofit organization dedicated to providing critical, non-offensive equipment to IDF soldiers and first responders. Since Oct. 7, Operation Israel has raised over $9 million and delivered essential gear directly to the front lines.
As AY Sisterhood President Sara Culang told The Jewish Link: “Vaxman shared with the crowd the horror she experienced as the events of Oct. 7 unfolded and a close friend, a resident of Kfar Aza, spoke with her on the phone as the friend struggled to survive the attacks. The next day, Oct. 8, Adi’s brother, a husband and father, was called up by the IDF to head south to Aza. He told Adi that he and his unit were missing safety equipment like ceramic vests. Adi was moved to act and called on her network of contacts in Israel and a few months later was able to secure vests for his unit.” The first purchase of ceramic vests was obtained for the unit of a friend’s son, a lone soldier in Givati.
Every day since, she has been receiving calls and WhatsApp messages from other soldiers and units, and now commanders of IDF battalions and divisions for ever increasing technical support items such as drones, GoPro cameras, laryngoscopes and stop bleed bandages. She and her family and volunteers spend their days finding, buying and shipping supplies to Israel to protect the men and women fighting for their homeland. Her brother has been fighting since the first day except for about 20 days spent with his family, and is now reassigned to Lebanon. Winter gear is now especially in demand there.”
AY event organizer Barbara Frisch shared: “What began as a desperate attempt to help lone soldiers access basic protective gear has evolved into a sophisticated operation that provides critical tactical, medical and protective equipment to IDF forces. Operation Israel, granted 501(c)(3) status just 10 days after the attack, has become known for its ability to rapidly respond to urgent needs on the front lines.”
To support Operation Israel’s mission or learn more about their work, visit www.operationisrael.org. Direct donations can be made at www.operationisrael.org/donate. For speaking engagements or volunteer opportunities, contact the organization through their website.
Harry Glazer is the Middlesex County Editor of The Jewish Link. He can be reached at [email protected] and he welcomes reader feedback.
