by Josh Eastman

A few weeks ago, a tremendous donation was brought to my base, the likes of which I have never seen or heard of happening in our area. I was on patrol when I got a phone call from an old family friend who said he had come in with an agency called the One Israel Fund, and he wanted to know how to get in touch with my commanders. When he told them what he was coming to do, they were very pleasantly surprised. It seems someone connected to this organization had helped donate and gather together a large number of Source Hydration Paks, which are unbreakable three-liter sacks for water that is released through a short hose, designed for the backpacker or soldier. This was a monumental gift. I can attest to the fact that it can be hard to come by water in the field. The hydration needs for an entire unit for just one day can be extremely demanding, and the two standard-issue canteens don't always rise to the task. It was a rare and well supplied soldier who had one of these "shlookers," as they are called. It turns out, One Israel Fund makes a special point of going to hard to reach and occasionally dangerous bases and outposts to make sure the combat soldiers, who sometimes don't receive the gifts intended for them because of their locations, receive the items people donated so kindly. So, this friend, Gi Orman, whose father helped to build the area we now must fight against, came down with a van filled with volunteers and a special soul and former brother-in-arms named Marc Prowisor. This nice, regular guy comes down and turns into another soldier, rattling off Hebrew to the soldiers, and joking with the commanders, putting them at ease. He pulls out this massive box loaded with these hydration-packs, and gives them out to a handful of soldiers hanging around the gates. The soldiers are shy at first, but soon they are thanking him for the shlookers and trying to draw others over as well.

So, at this time people ask, all well and good, but so what?
What did we do to help the soldiers?
We made them feel good for a few minutes, we gave them a towel, a bag for water, a watch, a vest, so what?
Did it really make a difference?

The root of these beautiful gifts, the true strength in what Gi and Marc and One Israel Fund did on that day, the power infused into the soldiers from all who donated to make it happen, transcends the physical dimensions and properties of the donation the soldier received.

Think of it the way we soldiers do.

You didn't just give the soldier a bag of water.
You held his head on the dust-choked sun-burned fields he defends, and lovingly poured cool, life-giving water down his parched throat, and told him, hush, it's okay, you will be home soon, we love you.

You didn't just give him a towel.
You caressed your child's aching soldiers, aching from weights physical and emotional he shouldn't have to carry, and said thank you.

You didn't just give him a T-shirt.
You ran in front of him with a banner and proclaimed loudly to everyone, I love this person and I support him, even when the world shrouds his name in darkness.

You didn't just write a card, or buy him chocolate, or look at him one day on a bus and say, thank you for defending our country.
You cupped his soul in your hands and warmed it with the love, and the hope, and the light from yours, and gave him one more burst of strength to take on the day, you gave him the ability to survive. You gave him the ability to turn his heart into a blazing torch to ward off the darkness and pain of evil. You saved his very essence.

I want once more to thank, with humility and deep love, the giants who come time and time again to help the soldiers. I want to thank those who give a little, and those who give a lot. I want to thank those who realize that they are the builders of the soul of our soldiers, and I wish them continued success. What do I have to offer? You who give us all these precious gifts, what can we poor, regular soldiers give to you, by way of thanks?

All we have to offer, is a blessing that you have descendants as special as you, that you are granted the ability to continue your great work, and that you be rewarded in Heaven, and defended there, by the army of soldiers you helped make happier.

Thank you, One Israel Fund.
Thank you, you giving and caring souls the world over.
Thank you.

Article posted on April 2, 2009