By Sara Miller, NoCamels -
When hundreds of thousands Israel Defense Forces reservists were called up in October to wage war on Hamas in Gaza, a different front also opened up: the battle to provide the troops with as much comfort and convenience as possible.
Individuals and organizations rushed to offer a range of innovative, creative and even downright unusual solutions to the soldiers.
And, as we come to the end of a year overshadowed by the terrible events of October 7, NoCamels celebrates just a few of the ideas that are a true reflection of the Israeli spirit of ingenuity and inspiration.
Showers For Soldiers
When troops emerge from the battlefield in Gaza, tired, sore and dusty, waiting for many of them is a welcome hot shower, courtesy of three organizations working in tandem.
The showers are powered by mobile water tanks and heaters brought to the troops on a truck. Each shower is a jury rigged cubicle consisting of a wooden frame covered in canvas to provide some privacy – alongside soap, towels and more than a few Israeli flags for good measure.
The initiative was the work of the Bloomfield Science Museum in Jerusalem, the Brothers and Sisters for Israel aid organization (formerly known as Brothers in Arms) and the Midburn annual Negev arts festival. It came following repeated requests by soldiers for hot showers in the field.
“We need to look after our soldiers who are looking after us,” Terry Newman, spokesperson for Brothers and Sisters for Israel, tells NoCamels.
“We will go wherever needed to ensure that they are fed, clothed and clean,” he says.
A similar initiative by WIZO (the Women’s International Zionist Organization) has actually taken mobile showers to the troops inside Gaza, calling it a way “to offer our forces a chance to enjoy pampering showers after enduring long weeks without bathing.”
Laundry And Luxury
When Rabbi Shai Graucher first rolled up to the military staging areas close to the Gaza border with his mobile laundry on a flatbed truck trailer, he raised more than a few eyebrows.
But the initial surprise swiftly gave way to a wave of soldiers clutching large bundles of dirty clothes, all eager to take advantage of the rows of washing machines, tumble dryers and irons waiting for them, along with volunteers to do all the washing, drying and pressing for them.
And a laundry service is not the only taste of home that Graucher is offering to the troops. His organization, known as Beyachad Nenatze’ach (Together we will win) in Hebrew and as Standing Together in English, has built a rejuvenation center for the troops in the southern city of Ofakim, where soldiers go for their temporary respite from the fighting.
At the center, troops can find everything they need during their brief period of rest and relaxation – including hot food, massage chairs, musical entertainment, religious services and even hot tubs.
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The rabbi has raised more than $7 million for the Israeli war effort, which has been used to purchase food, clothes and toys for the civilians displaced from their homes in the terror-struck south and along the increasingly perilous northern border.
“We’re helping nonstop with everything — [truly] everything. Everything you can dream about,” Graucher told eJewishPhilanthropy in November.
After the war, the rabbi plans to work with the Israeli children who lost their parents in the October 7 terror attack.
Fixing On The Fly
For soldiers in wartime, keeping their uniform in tip-top shape is likely the last thing on their minds. But one organization has created a tailor’s workshop on wheels, which takes the sewing to the soldiers.
Restart, a non-profit devoted to improving the lives of wounded IDF veterans, has shifted its operations and is now doing its utmost to support the troops.
The organization took an out-of-commission bus, stripped it of its interior and retrofitted it with all the equipment a needle worker could need – from sewing machines to scissors.
They then filled it with volunteers who are handy with a needle and are driving from army base to army base, mending uniforms and any other bits of kit that might benefit from a handy stitch or two.
Cardboard Crib
The team at Bentov Ellipsis, a Holon-based company that creates cardboard displays for businesses, could not bear the thought of soldiers sleeping on the ground in the damp, cold Israeli winter.
So they used their creative skills to create BedBox, a flatpack cardboard bed that can be easily assembled together in just three minutes – using the directions printed directly onto the box itself.
The bed also comes with its own plastic sheeting to protect it from the wind and rain. Each bed costs 100 shekels (approx. $27).
The company has produced 1,500 beds out of its own pocket and is now asking for support (link in Hebrew) to keep making the portable, practical pallets for the troops.
