This past week, students from both SINAI Shalem at Ma’ayanot and Ma’ayanot Yeshiva High School for Girls worked together to pack boots for IDF soldiers through Boots for Israel.

While Boots for Israel consists of volunteers from communities throughout the tri-state area, representatives Yakir Wachstock, Lara Szlamkowicz and their partner Donny Knoll, of BC Lev Echad, emphasized the importance of volunteering and what can be achieved when the community comes together. This team represents volunteers’ separate efforts that merged together to make a stronger impact. Szlamkowicz of Englewood and her sister Lisa of Israel began their personal efforts to collect boots for soldiers and later joined forces with the Boots For Israel team, consisting of volunteers from Holliswood, Queens, and Modiin, Israel. Since October 2023 this team has sent over 40,000 pairs of boots to units across Israel.

The students excitedly packed 150 pairs of boots together with their friends, sounds of comradery mixed with resolve to get the job done. They included letters of thanks to soldiers in the duffels which will be sent to four different units.