Former Englewood resident Elliot Auerbacher was in shock when he learned that there are Israeli soldiers who are so hungry that they call home asking their parents to send them food. It was the year 2020 and the son of his friend Dave Kaplan was serving for three-and-a-half-weeks near the Gaza border. He was sleeping on the floor and was getting only a few hours of sleep each night. But it was his lack of a good meal—beyond bread smeared with chocolate spread—that was his greatest struggle. When Kaplan relayed this to Auerbacher, the latter became uneasy. The two decided they would drive to an army base and prepare a hearty and unexpected multi-course barbecue for a group of soldiers to give them a few hours of respite and a boost of morale that would last much longer.
Despite logistical challenges, the event was a success and the feedback the two received was very positive. News of this barbecue quickly spread, and Auerbacher and Kaplan began receiving requests from commanders of other units around Israel to pay them a visit and feed their hungry soldiers. Thus, Grilling for IDF was officially born.
The meal offerings on IDF bases vary and some bases, particularly smaller ones, provide low-quality foods devoid of nutritional value. When soldiers are in the field carrying heavy weaponry and exerting themselves, they can go days without eating a proper meal, sustaining themselves on canned foods and chocolate spread.
“I think it was hearing that my friend’s son was literally calling his mom everyday crying that he’s hungry,” Auerbacher explained. “For me to sleep comfortably in my bed at night and to think that these young kids who are out there protecting us are hungry doing it, didn’t sit well with me.”
In 2022, Grilling for IDF provided barbecues for over 5,000 men and women of the IDF. An average of 125-150 soldiers attend each one. Grilling for IDF has gone as far south as Mitzpe Ramon and as far north as Metullah, as well as many places in between. Over 100 volunteers are currently in the organization’s database. They contribute to the efforts by baking desserts, slicing vegetables and working the grills. They are out barbecuing approximately once per week. Auerbacher says with more funds, they could reach more bases.
The soldiers are often dumbfounded when they see a group of mostly English-speakers pull up at their outpost or encampment and unload dozens of packages of high-quality meats, and begin setting up grills. There are always vegan offerings as well to cater to soldiers who don’t eat meat. “Those moments are really special because you can see the look on the faces of these kids,” Auerbacher said. “When you’re out there in the middle of the night and you’re hungry, the only thing you’re thinking about is food. You’re thinking about having a bowl of cereal at your mom’s kitchen, you’re thinking about having a falafel somewhere.”
A few months ago, Auerbacher organized a sheva brachot barbecue on an army base for a company commander who had just gotten married. Auerbacher asked if he could deliver food to the approximately 50 soldiers who were off the base and in the wilderness. He and the other volunteers climbed into some jeeps and were driven to what Auerbacher described as the middle of nowhere. “We handed them everything that we were serving at the barbecue, steaks and burgers and hummus and drinks and salads, and they thought that we had fallen from the sky.”
Last week on Yom Ha’atzmaut, Grilling for IDF partnered with Nefesh B’Nefesh and The Michael Levin Lone Soldier Foundation to provide a barbecue in Jerusalem to 800 lone soldiers that was full of food, music and dancing. Traditionally, many Israelis celebrate the holiday with a family barbecue. Though far from home and without first-degree relatives living in the country, these lone soldiers were able to enjoy Israel’s 75th birthday in typical Israeli style.
It’s not only the soldiers who express their gratitude to Auerbacher, but also parents. One parent of an IDF soldier told Auerbacher, “You never want to hear your children say they’re hungry.”
Particularly meaningful for Auerbacher are the times when a volunteer runs into a soldier he or she knows from back home. Recently, a teacher from Yeshiva of North Jersey in River Edge volunteered at a barbecue. One of the soldiers on the base is a former student that she taught, and the two could not believe that they were meeting under such circumstances. Sometimes Auerbacher sees soldiers from his community of Reut. “They’re not expecting you, you’re not expecting them and they are in full combat gear ready to go out and protect the country. And that’s a kid that you saw in shul for years. That’s pretty special,” he said.
Most of the soldiers Auerbacher meets during his barbecue expeditions will never meet him again. He arrives with his crew, stays a few hours and after feeding a few dozen soldiers, drives away. It is the satisfaction that he was able to put a smile on a soldier’s face when he or she was cold, lonely and hungry that stays with him. “Those are moments you take home with you that make you feel good,” he said. “I’m too old to serve. I can’t do what I can’t do, but you have to do what you can do. If this is something that we can do, then we should do it.”
Alisa Bodner is a Fair Lawn native who immigrated to Israel a decade ago. She is a nonprofit management professional who enjoys writing in her free time.
