Last week, students of Rambam Mesivta traveled to Israel to volunteer and show support to soldiers and civilians alike during these challenging times. The trip was characterized by giving all that the group had to offer, and gaining a deeper understanding of the ongoing war, and how it has impacted all facets of Israeli life, leaving no one unaffected.
The trip began with the group visiting Hesder Yeshiva Meir Harel, located in Modiin, to meet Rosh Yeshivah Rav Eliezer Schenvald, who also serves as a colonel in the IDF. The group immediately noticed the eerily empty large beis midrash – a yeshivah typically filled by 115 boys is currently down to an attendance of only 40, with most of the yeshivah serving in the IDF, frequently as combat paramedics. Rav Schenvald spoke about the effect of the war on his yeshivah, what makes this war different, and the religious texture of the IDF right now. As a talmid chacham with extensive experience serving in the IDF, having had a brother and student killed by terrorists in the early 2000s (Meir and Harel, the namesakes of the yeshivah), and as a father of a soldier who was seriously wounded during this war, Rav Schenvald provided a perspective unlike any other.
The group then visited Tel Hashomer Hospital to pay visits to wounded soldiers and to distribute chocolates, cold drinks, and Tefilas Hoda’ah cards. The soldiers were touched by the visit and gestures, though one soldier, who had lost a leg, requested a snack with more protein because he “had to get back to training.” The students participated in a kumsitz going from room to room, where one soldier played along on the guitar, resting it on his remaining leg. Finally, the group had the opportunity to meet Mordechai Schenvald (son of the Rosh Yeshivah) who was seriously wounded early on during operations in Gaza. He has made a miraculous recovery and is able to stand on his own two feet. Indeed, he did stand on his own two feet in his hospital room, when he played HaTikvah on his violin for the visitors and when he davened Minchah with them.
The following day, the group met with evacuated civilians from southern and northern communities in Israel who are currently living in kibbutzim Almog and Kalya. These courageous evacuated people spoke about being refugees in their own country, not knowing when they’ll return home, family issues that arise in such conditions, and dealing with children’s education. One representative of these hundreds of thousands of Israelis recounted his first visit home since October 7, where he found his food from Simchas Torah still hauntingly where he had left it. The group also heard from a member of Kibbutz Shuva about how their kibbutz was miraculously saved from attack on that tragic Simchas Torah morning. The meetings were graciously facilitated by Colonel Binyamin, who spoke about how neither he, nor the other colonels and soldiers with whom he’s working, are career soldiers; they are consultants, teachers, electricians, etc., totally leaving their businesses and livelihoods on indefinite pause to serve their country and people.
On the final morning of their trip, the group went to volunteer to prune Loquat flowers at Moerman Farm located in Karmei Yosef. The massive farm, which typically employs between 20 and 40 workers each day, is down to a labor force of zero due to the ongoing war. The only workers are the volunteers who show up each day. They met with Amiram Moerman, the 88-year-young founder of the farm, who told the story of how he cleared out the massive area of farmland in the early 50s. The group was trained to prune effectively by Amiram’s stepson, Tomer, who runs the daily farm operations. The group labored in the mud, with bees and mosquitos about, to make a small contribution to the crisis farmers are experiencing across Israel.
The final stop of the trip was volunteering at a barbecue for soldiers, a mere few kilometers from the border of southern Gaza. The students took initiatives, running the grills and manning the fryer, meaningfully contributing to the facilitation of the barbecue. Finally, the group distributed letters written by students of the Rambam Mesivta to the soldiers. On multiple occasions, the soldiers insisted they call the student who had signed the letter so they can thank him personally over video call. In another instance, the soldiers asked that the students take a video of them to share with Rambam Mesivta. The soldiers were deeply touched by the letters, and the group left feeling that they made a meaningful impact.
Through the various stops of the trip, the students gained a holistic perspective of life in Israel during these tumultuous times. They saw from the perspective of a Hesder rosh yeshivah, a father of a wounded soldier, wounded soldiers themselves, evacuated families, high-ranking reservists, farmers, and active-duty soldiers. The group’s visitations were deeply appreciated by all whom they visited, and as much as they gave, they felt they received.
With G-d’s help, the need for such a trip should never arise again.
By Rabbi Joe Wertman, Rambam Rebbi and Alumnus
