The Israeli soldiers who discovered the tunnels under UNRWA as well as those who recently rescued two hostages shared something in common: footwear. Their brand-new, high-quality boots were donated by Boots for Israel, an initiative spearheaded by NSHA alumnus Yakir Wachstock. Founded shortly after October 7, Boots for Israel has already delivered 40,000 boots to Israel Defense Forces soldiers — and isn’t about to stop any time soon.
While Wachstock is primarily an occupational therapist, he has also worked as an Amazon reseller and launched this initiative after receiving a request from an Israeli major who learned of his experience. Since then, he has devoted himself to Boots for Israel, fielding calls at all hours of the day and night from commanders as well as parents, partners, and siblings of soldiers, and fulfilling these time-sensitive and urgent requests while continuously fundraising.
Recently, NSHA teamed up with Yeshivat Har Torah in Queens to fundraise and pack 6,000 pairs of boots for Boots for Israel. “It was amazing to have an achdus (unity) event that brought the community together and showed Israel that we’re behind them,” said Wachstock. “It’s rare to do a chesed and to see the fruits of your labor so quickly.”
Chesed that brings students together for Israel
Since October 7, NSHA has devoted itself wholeheartedly to chesed — sending dozens of letters of support to soldiers serving on the front lines, collecting and delivering 47 duffel bags filled with supplies for soldiers as well as games and toys for the children of displaced families, sponsoring meals for soldiers when Head of School Rabbi Dr. Jeffrey Kobrin and Judaic Studies Principal Rabbi Adam Acobas visited Israel just weeks after the attacks, and much more.
In one of his dispatches from Israel, Rabbi Kobrin wrote, “The Jewish people are unstoppable when we are united. We will win this war, but we cannot lose the unity it has granted us.”
These chesed initiatives have spanned grades, duration, and focuses. Every day, 70 NSHA high school students in the school’s Israel Advocacy WhatsApp group commit to acts to benefit Israel — from contacting politicians and media influencers to raising money and posting educational content on their own social media accounts. At lunch, students distribute masking tape stickers marking the number of days the hostages have been in captivity. Through the “NSHAama Campaign,” students dedicate their mitzvot to Israeli soldiers, pasting their mitzvot to a board that is front and center on campus to create accountability and showcase impact.
Shortly after the October 7th massacres, NSHA launched an Emergency Relief for Israel Fund to provide emergency aid to those directly impacted by the attacks in Israel, beginning with those from Kibbutz Be’eri.
Chesed for Israeli soldiers, hostages, and displaced families
While supporting Israel is an everyday priority for NSHA, the school has also devoted full days to chesed. On NSHA’s Day of Standing With Israel, the high school Student Council chose to partner with Yad Chazaka to raise money for those impacted by Hamas’ terrorism. They fundraised by holding a basketball shooting contest and selling “We Stand With Israel” lawn signs. Under the guidance of high school Director of Student Life Lisa Septimus, they also set up an Amazon registry of much-needed gear for soldiers, as well as packed and delivered six El Al duffel bags stuffed with hundreds of headlamps, bandages, Clif Bars, and more for soldiers.
On the Global Day of Loving-Kindness, created in response to Hamas’ Global Day of Rage, NSHA took on specific acts of chesed to fight hate with love. In advance of Chanukah, NSHA President Daniella Muller ‘91 together with PTA Presidents Daniella Hakimian ’06 and Daniella Kirshner ‘08, spearheaded a fundraising bake sale, raising money to create, package, and send Chanukah gifts to displaced children from Southern Israel, reaching nearly 400 families in Ofakim, Netivot, and Ashkelon, in partnership with Yad Eliezer.
On Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, students paid tribute to David Schwartz z”l, the son-in-law of Leket Israel founder Joseph Gitler, who fell in battle while serving in Gaza. Middle school and lower school Directors of Student Programming Rabbi Yoav Arjhang and Peri Santodonato created the “Change for Good” initiative, collecting change for Leket Israel, Israel’s national food bank, which has provided emergency relief since October 7, and doing other acts of service in his memory.
Each week, NSHA families light extra candles when welcoming Shabbat, with one for an IDF soldier and another for an Israeli hostage. Families received special prayer cards created by Bat Ami teachers who are working at NSHA as part of their Israel national service. Students and families have also continued to perform Hafrashat Challah for Israeli hostages — with one campaign that brought together 1,088 women which started in Great Neck and ultimately reached women nation-wide.
At the end of his journey to Israel, Rabbi Kobrin urged the NSHA community to consider how each one of them can make a positive difference for Israel, writing, “Every good word or deed that we say or do for another person makes an impact, and we have no idea the size of that impact in relation to the size of our word or deed. We are all hearing G-d’s broadcast now; what will we each go and do?”
With that call to action in mind, NSHA students have continued to lead with chesed, doing their part to help their Israeli brothers and sisters during this most challenging time.
To support Boots for Israel, please visit www.thechesedfund.com/bootsontheground/bootsforisrael. Rachel Sales
