“Beef Up Our Boys” is an initiative started by Chaim Rutenberg of Beit Shemesh last October, right after the war started. When Rutenberg learned from his nephew in Gaza that the soldiers were often hungry, he started organizing the packaging and distribution of beef jerky to bases in Gaza and in the North. Rutenberg and volunteers have been continuing the effort full-time since then, supplying army bases and soldiers all over Israel with jerky.
While “Beef Up Our Boys” has received many donations, the demands for jerky far exceed the funds they have received.
Rutenberg recalls a trip he took with his father during his time at Yeshiva University. They climbed the tallest mountain in New York, Mount Marcy, a journey of several days. Rutenberg and his father carried all of their food on their backs, and before they went to sleep at night, they had to string up their food in a tree to prevent animals from eating it. On the first night, they didn’t tie the rope properly, and in the morning they discovered that animals had eaten most of the food. Despite this setback, the Rutenbergs still managed to reach the summit with the meager amount of food that had been spared. That night, Chaim was so exhausted and starved of nutrients that he became physically ill. His father had to call for emergency assistance, and a ranger came and took him to get IV treatment in the nearest hospital. “Since that experience, I understood that proper nutrition is literally a lifesaver,” explained Rutenberg.
“From a medical perspective, our soldiers are in the field with no electricity, no air-conditioning, and food is scarce,” said Dr. Arie Pelta, an active medical corps officer and captain in the IDF Reserves. “In Gaza, they live on the minimum in terms of food that doesn’t need to be refrigerated. The beef jerky, which has salts and minerals and does not need to be refrigerated, can survive in 40-degree heat [104 degrees Fahrenheit]. That makes it possible to continue our fight.”
From November through April, “Beef Up Our Boys” purchased their beef from a vendor in Jerusalem who gave them a discounted price. Unfortunately, that vendor went out of business. After struggling for a while without a high-level facility, Joburg Meats from New York stepped up and started providing jerky, also at a discounted price. Joburg Meats provides excellent kosher, air-dried beef that has no artificial preservatives and is softer and easier to chew.
A representative from a search and rescue team from the North told of a time when a difficult security situation prevented food from getting to his unit for two days. The beef jerky that they had was instrumental during that time.
A soldier from the Tzanchanim unit explained that in Gaza, they are often in areas where food only comes in every few days. Each soldier has a couple of cans of tuna fish, a protein bar or two, rice and small gas tanks to cook it with. When they have beef jerky with them, they mix it with the rice, and suddenly they feel like they are feasting.
“We are still running,” said Rutenberg. “And who knows what’s coming? To get jerky to Gaza takes two days, but to get it to Lebanon might take two weeks.
“We have zero overhead,” Rutenberg continued. “There are no salaries, no flights. All of the money donated goes directly to the beef jerky. And donating to this is a direct way to help the soldiers.”
Avi Sissel, head of logistics for the Elite Maglan Unit, works hard on getting the jerky to as many Maglan soldiers as possible. He continually requests more for his units because he views it as essential. He said in Hebrew: “Good food is motivation for the soldier. The dried meat gives them strength to fight for Am Yisrael.” Rabbi Lazer Brody, a Yom Kippur war veteran added, “I wish they had had this back in my time—back in the ’70s. Give a soldier good food and he will fight like a lion. … To get to the stomach of the soldier is to get to the heart of the soldier.”
Rutenberg shared, “The ‘Beef Up Our Boys’ campaign is dedicated in memory of the legacy of Ari Yehiel Zenilamn, HY”D, a loving husband and father of three who gave his life in battle to protect Am Yisroel and Eretz Yisroel. We are honored that he received our small yet impactful contribution of beef jerky.”
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