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Our Story

On October 7th, 2023 during the joyous holiday of Simcha Torah, our entire reality shattered. We had no idea, no warning, of the absolute terror that would change us all forever. 

 

While the early morning rocket sirens sent the entire country running back and forth to bomb shelters, my neighbor, an EMT, rushed into our building’s shelter saying “I don’t know if you all are updated, but there are hostages, Israelis have been murdered and there are terrorists storming the country. This is serious.” 

 

The following few days were the worst of our lives. The devastating death toll of Israelis brutally murdered at the Nova music festival as well as from the surrounding neighborhoods continued to climb. The images of burned homes, the videos of Israelis screaming as they’re being captured, the stories of some survivors seeing their families murdered while hiding for over 14 hours, worse than any horror movie. We were in shock, in mourning and in survival mode all at the same time. Hundreds of terrorists had not only broken through our borders, they were still pressing inland when my commander called me on the evening of October 9th to report the next morning to my base near the Gaza border.

 

Upon arriving safely, I saw the devastation of the targeted terrorist attack on base. Blown out windows, buildings sprayed with bullet holes, black explosion markings on the ground from rpgs, and grenades that detonated just down the hall from our office. Even after initial cleanings, blood still stained the tiles in certain buildings. The 5 motorcycles that the terrorists had driven onto base were still sitting there. 

 

Throughout the following days, some of my soldiers came into the office crying because they were missing funerals of friends and family, dreading the daily news publication listing the soldiers who had been killed in battle the night before, knowing they’d probably recognize names. 

 

Israel is incredibly TINY. In terms of land area, Israel is about the size of New Jersey. We all know each other somehow through a degree or two of separation. And while this fact makes times of loss devastating, it also means that our default is to lean on each other. Am Yisrael, the nation of Israel, came together immediately, in such meaningful ways, to boost morale and to provide supplies. 

 

Within a few weeks, restaurants gave out free meals and coffee for soldiers, the motto of the war, beyachad nenatzach, “Together, we will win,” was plastered over all Israeli-manufactured products. We received encouraging notes from around the world, homemade meals from families, financial donations for winter supplies. Famous Israeli artists performed on different bases and radio stations came out to interview officers who had survived. A 13-year old boy whose sister was killed on base, performed his Bar Mitzvah in our dining hall and was instantly adopted by all the female soldiers celebrating with him. A friend of a soldier I had just met during reserve duty allowed me to stay at his recently purchased but then-empty apartment near base, rent-free for two months, picking up groceries so our fridge wouldn’t be empty. Beautiful thought-provoking displays for the then 252 hostages were set up around the country. The stories go on.

 

The sense of urgency to help in any way possible seized us all. Working alongside fellow Israelis, I helped connect volunteers with organizations that were assisting soldiers’ families, hosted BBQs for combat units along the Lebanese border, relocated refugees from the war zone to Jerusalem, and successfully fundraised for winter jackets for my company of 70. 

 

Two officers from my combat-support team, Gad and Netanel, volunteered to rejoin frontline combat units as commanders in their companies. After hearing about the difficulties that their heavy, awkward equipment posed, the unmet need for proper tactical gear for reservists once again became glaringly obvious. I couldn't imagine fidgeting with bulky double-layer vests or dealing with headaches incurred by ill-fitting helmets in the midst of rescuing the wounded under fire. 

 

How could this be? In the US military, all soldiers are provided with high quality equipment. Unfortunately, this isn’t the reality for reservists in the IDF.

 

Thus was born Operation: Equip.

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