Dear Shaare Family,
Rabbi’s Resources is back, after an extended hiatus and under the cloud of sadness and anxiety we are all feeling together. In times like these, we must support one another, and strive to maintain positivity and optimism even as we deal with and are honest about our own feelings. With this in mind, let’s begin with the Hakarat HaTov Corner:
1. Thank you to all those who have signed up for TehiLuim and the Mitzvah Miluim Campaign. We are already on the second round of daily Tehillim, and hope to fill that one up too- and beyond. The more involved, the better! PLease sign up as well for the Mitzvah Miluim Campaign- it’s a great opportunity to do something meaningful when we may often feel helpless.
2. A special thank you to all those who turned out, some on very short notice, to show support for Israel at the Dallas City Council Meeting, when the council unanimously passed a resolution in support of Israel. It was intensely difficult to sit through the many speeches in support of Hamas and viciously attacking Israel, but we were fortunate to have wonderful representatives speaking, including Rabbi Eliyahu Kaufman - Rosh Yeshiva of TTI, Stuart Blaugrund of AJC Dallas and, of course, our own Kim Zoller. A thank you as well to Jaynie Schultz, who made us feel comfortable even as we felt, at least initially, quite outnumbered. I have already sent personal thank you letters to all the council members, and I urge each of you to do the same; we have also sent one on behalf of Shaare. Here are the addresses:
Chad West, District 1 - Chad.West@dallas.gov
Jesse Moreno, District 2 - jesse.moreno@dallas.gov
Zarin Gracey, District 3 - yolanda.miller@dallas.gov
Carolyn King Arnold, District 4 - Phil.foster@dallascityhall.com
Jaime Resendez, District 5 - jaime.resendez@dallas.gov
Omar Narvaez, District 6 - Omar.Narvaez@dallas.gov
Adam Bazaldua, District 7 - Adam.Bazaldua@dallas.gov
Tennell Atkins, District 8 - maria.salazar2@dallas.gov
Paula Blackmon, District 9 - paula.blackmon@dallas.gov
Kathy Stewart, District 10 - katherine.stewart@dallas.gov
Jaynie Schultz, District 11 - jaynie.schultz@dallas.gov
Cara Mendelsohn, District 12 - cara.mendelsohn@dallas.gov
Gay Donnell Willis, District 13 - gay.willis@dallas.gov
Paul Ridley, District 14 - paul.ridley@dallas.gov
Mayor Eric Johnson - https://dallascityhall.com/government/citymayor/Pages/contact.aspx
3. Another way to help:
Another worthwhile endeavor for financial support - I received the following communication from Benny Fried, former Dallas resident, Shaare member and Yavneh graduate.
My name is Ben Fried. I grew up in Dallas and made Aliyah after graduating from Yavneh Academy. The Shaare Tefilla community was my community growing up.
In the 15 years since making Aliyah, I've had the opportunity to serve in the Israeli Air Force (6 years, retired as a Captain), be on the founding team of two financial technology startups, and most importantly raise two beautiful daughters with my wife, Meital in our home in Tel Aviv.
The last few days have been devastating.
When we woke up to sirens at 6:30am on Shabbat, we couldn't fathom the horrors that would await the country over the coming days.
The losses are almost too hard to bear. Our hearts are broken. But now is the time for action - to show our collective strength.
I am a part of a group of founders that is focused on providing critical gear to the units, in the very short term.
There are many larger, centralized efforts taking place such as through the Jewish Federations, which are, of course important. We are focused on immediate tactical needs, right now, in direct coordination with unit commanders.
There is a lot of goodwill, but a lack of process when purchasing equipment for IDF soldiers. The following is the procedure we employ: First, we receive the operational requirement from units on the ground. We then verify the Ministry of Defense specification for that gear, and purchase is from the manufacturer- we prefer Israeli manufacturers but this is not always possible. We then receive export/import approvals if possible, test the gear to ensure it actually lines up with the stated specifications and then deliver to the unit in the trunks of our cars, directly to them.
We are in constant contact with the actual unit commanders, especially of the reserves being called up, to verify precisely what each unit is missing and needs to ensure the safety of our soldiers.
Every hour another 5-10 requests come in: For tactical helmets, bulletproof vests, night vision goggles, and more. Life-saving gear that they need immediately. Israel is fighting, collectively. We will win this war together.
We have set up a tax-deductible non-profit foundation where our friends can support these efforts. All donations made will go directly to purchasing gear. If you would like to contribute to this effort, a link to the website can be found here.
When this is over, we will mourn together. But first - we will win together.
With appreciation from Tel Aviv,
Ben Fried
MSOTW
