Depending on your age or familiarity with Israeli history, you may know Ma’alot as a town in northern Israel just a few kilometers from the Lebanese border—or as the site of a tragic massacre in 1974. Today, Ma’alot is making history again, but this time for its incredible acts of chesed. Since October 8, 2023, this community has been a critical staging ground for Israeli troops heading to or returning from army service. Over a year since the war began, the acts of kindness from Ma’alot’s residents continue to inspire.

Building a Global Chesed Network

Yehudah Susson, a former Riverdale resident now living in Ma’alot, created a Facebook page called Ma’alot Chesed shortly after the war broke out to highlight the extraordinary kindness happening in his small town. “From cooking meals to providing essentials like underwear, t-shirts and baby wipes, we’re supporting the soldiers,” Susson explained. “They often can’t shower or change clothes, so we step in to help. It’s a grassroots effort that makes a real impact.”

The Ma’alot Chesed page has created a global community of supporters. In collaboration with nonprofit organizations, it raises funds and awareness for the many chesed activities taking place in and around Ma’alot. The community’s efforts go far beyond providing hot meals and snacks. Residents have developed a system where truckloads of soldiers’ dirty laundry arrive regularly, are distributed to local families for washing and are returned clean—with handwritten notes from children. Families also bake homemade challah for Shabbat, ensuring soldiers enjoy comforting home-cooked meals.

Since the beginning of the war, Ma’alot has supplied Shabbat meals to hundreds and sometimes thousands of soldiers every week. “It’s hard to plan because things change daily,” Susson told The Jewish Link. “But we’ve adapted.”

Supporting the Bnei Menashe

The Ma’alot community has extended its kindness to the Bnei Menashe, a group of Jews from India who immigrated to Israel. For the past decade, the town has helped integrate them, teaching Hebrew and providing job training. Despite these efforts, many Bnei Menashe families still face significant hardships.

“We want to support them, especially the 29 Bnei Menashe soldiers who will soon be discharged from the army after many months of service,” Susson said. “Most of these young men are the primary breadwinners for their families. We’re planning a ceremony to welcome them back, complete with supermarket gift cards to ease their transition.”

How It All Began

Susson’s involvement began on October 8, 2023, when his sister-in-law called about her daughter’s boyfriend (now husband), a soldier sent north in a hurry. “We tracked down his commander and found soldiers sleeping in the mud—no tents, no sleeping bags, just the backpacks they brought from home. It was shocking. We had to help,” Susson recalled.

The first contributions were tents and sleeping bags funded by family members, but the effort quickly grew. Community members began cooking meals, delivering food and meeting soldiers’ needs, no matter how unusual. “One commander asked for cards and board games, another for buckets of ice. We even helped celebrate a wedding and brit milah in the field. Ma’alot rose to the challenge for every need, big or small.”

Two local rebbetzins now coordinate the weekly Shabbat food project, where donors sponsor chicken, potatoes and other supplies. “Some weeks, we’ve distributed hundreds of pounds of chicken,” Susson noted. Youth groups deliver ingredients to 200 homes where families cook meals and add side dishes. “Every Thursday, based on dietary needs and numbers, we prepare meals,” Susson said. “One soldier had celiac and severe allergies so we adjusted accordingly. By Friday, we deliver chicken soup, challah and full Shabbat meals to soldiers who would otherwise eat military rations.”

The effort has deeply touched soldiers and their families. “We’ve received thank-you notes from their wives, mothers and commanders. Knowing their loved ones were eating real food on Shabbat meant everything,” Susson shared. Recently, the army sent trucks to pick up food prepared by the community and delivered it to soldiers inside Lebanon.

Supporting a Hostage’s Family

Ma’alot’s neighboring town of Kfar Vradim is home to one of the hostages still being held in Gaza, Romi Gonen. The community rallies weekly with marches, letter-writing campaigns, prayers and events to support Romi’s family. Romi loves to dance,
so residents held a dance party in her honor, promising to hold another celebration when she returns. “My 8-year-old is already planning to dance with Romi,” Susson said.

How You Can Help

The incredible work of Ma’alot Chesed is made possible by donations. You can follow their Facebook page using the link below. https://www.facebook.com/MaalotChesed

• To donate to Ma’alot Chesed and support B’nei Menashe: https://www.jgive.com/new/en/usd/collect/donation-targets/71522/amount select the “Ma’alot Chesed’ project from pull-down options.
• To donate to Shabbat Meals for Soldiers: https://www.jgive.com/new/en/usd/donation-targets/115133