The seventh and eighth grade girls of Bnos Malka (BMA) had the special z’chus to participate in the Boots for Israel program. The program, started by a former BMA parent, Yakir Wachstock, has furnished the chayalim with over 46,000 pairs of boots. What started with a middle-of-the-night phone call to help get 88 pairs of boots has evolved into a campaign that engages countless volunteers and schools to support the effort of the IDF.
Rabbi Michael Weichselbaum, Menahel of BMA, first heard of Boots for Israel when Mr. Wachstock had walked from Holliswood to Woodmere one Shabbos to speak about this cause. “I was so impressed that I immediately wanted our girls to get involved. The fact that Yakir is a former parent made it even more personal.”
The girls wrote personal notes and placed them into each of the pairs of boots. Nearly 600 boots were packed in just over an hour. Each duffel bag filled with 24 pairs of boots, clearly labeled and marked, will be on their way to Eretz Yisrael and, within days, a chayal will be able to read the words of encouragement from BMA students.
The school not only supplied the elbow grease, they also helped raise over $5,000 towards the campaign, and they urge others who want to defray the costs to donate at TheChesedFund.com/BootsOnTheGround/BootsForIsrael.
