“It’s been over 100 days that my husband has been mostly absent, serving in his miluim (reserve) IDF unit. That’s a long time.  And while everyone else seems to be getting used to the new normal, it’s only getting harder on me and the kids.  The anticipation of his return, the stress when he leaves again, not knowing how much longer we will have to make do without him around.  Of course we are proud of him and wouldn’t have it any other way, but it’s hard.  For how much longer will we flinch every time there is a knock at the door?  How many times can we have the same friends do the extra carpool or send over dinner?” asks Chana from Kiryat Menachem.  

Enter MEALuim.  MEALuim is an online platform that matches Israeli communities of IDF reservists with individuals or communities overseas.  People simply log on, choose the family size and number of weeks and pay directly for a fresh delivered kosher meal to be sent to a family whose parent is serving in the IDF reserves.   Thus far, over 5000 meals have lifted the spirits and fed IDF reserve families.  

“I oversee 1400 volunteers in my professional capacity at Tzohar and over the past few months I am witnessing the unavoidable strains and unraveling of these strong wonderful families. While at the start of the war there was a surplus of help and positivity from work and neighbors, life goes on and now at over 100 days, the support systems are overloaded and are crashing.  When a soldier thinks that his family back home is having trouble dealing with unavoidable longing, uncertainty, and terrible fear, it’s all that much harder for him to face his own challenges on the battlefield.  It’s bad enough to have to put your career, studies, and family life on hold, but it’s especially hard if you’re constantly worried about how your wife and kids are coping”.    

 

“I knew we needed to find more resources to help lift these families.  And I knew that overseas there are many people who expressed feeling ‘helpless’ and that want to be that loving neighbor bringing that pot of soup — so Tzohar created MEALuim”, explains Rabbanit Naomi Ansbacher, a Jerusalem communal leader and Director of Volunteers at Tzohar.

“Oceanside NY has been our star matching community”, notes Jordana Schoor who is working on the overseas connections.  “Of the 200 Young Israel of Oceanside families, 53 of them have registered and have been matched with families in Peduel– a town where there are hundreds of soldiers away from home.  Some are in touch via whatsapp, sending pictures and love across the ocean, reinforcing the amazing responsibility and love that exists among Jews.  We wish we could “copy/paste” the love and support that is coming from Oceanside because the families in Peduel are truly uplifted.  We invite other communities and individuals to get involved.”

Rabbi Muskat explains, “We at the Young Israel of Oceanside understand the toll that this war is taking not just on the young men and women who are on the front lines defending us and the State of Israel, but also on their families. We are honored to have the opportunity to partner with MEALuim to help support families of the chayalim to make their lives just a little bit easier during these very challenging times.”  

One of the many appreciative recipients of the meals remarked, “You have no idea what a good feeling I get from the weekly food package.  The fact that people are thinking of me, and see me, during this time when it feels like everyone has moved on and the reservist families are left carrying the burden alone. This package brings me so much happiness and strength. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.” – Hadar 

To match with a miluim family and learn more about how you can support miluim families, go to tzohar-eng.org/mealuim.