Dear Friends,
One of my most memorable experiences in Israel was a ceremony we attended at the wall on the third night of Chanukah. A young man we had recently met was being sworn in to one of the most elite combat units in the Israeli Defense Force. Yehuda Glick lives in Jerusalem with his parents and four siblings. Although many of his friends from Yeshiva entered a special unit for religious soldiers, he chose to follow his dream to serve in Nachal, a combat unit whose soldiers train for almost two years, instead of the standard four months. From hundreds of soldiers in the Nachal unit, several are chosen to be a part of Palsar, a small unit of 20 men. It was this unit that rescued the hostages at Entebbe.
Many times over the five months we were in Jerusalem, we enjoyed Shabbat dinner with the Glicks. When “Yuda” was home, he brought his friends from the unit and told us about difficult training sessions, days on end in tents in miserable conditions. He still found time to volunteer with Chabad on army bases in the North, helping to bring smiles and mitzvahs to IDF soldiers. My sons accompanied him on one visit, on Purim day. I was thrilled that my sons were able to spend time with this extraordinary young man, to witness firsthand the courage of a soldier and the devotion of a proud Zionistic yeshiva boy in an elite unit. I told Yehuda and his family that I would not forget them and that if there was anything that I ever could do for them, they should not hesitate to call.
Yesterday, they called. Layah and I have kept in touch with Yehuda’s parents via email and his mother told us about a visit she recently had with her son. He is not deployed in Lebanon yet, and she believes it is because they are saving this unit for a particular mission. While he cannot divulge his current whereabouts, he assures her that he is safe. She told Layah that she brought them hot pizza and homemade cookies and was happy to see how the soldiers cared for each other. Yehuda asked her if she is still in touch with us. He asked if we would help his unit. They need combat boots, he said, and the ones that the army provides are not durable enough for their mission. He also said that they need to purchase more modern equipment and there was no budget for it. Could we help, he asked?
Yehuda’s parents thanked me profusely when I said that our community would find the money to help their son. “No,” I said, “It is I who thank you. I thank you for encouraging your son to put his life on the line for my people. I thank you for the sleepless nights you endure so that I can visit the Jerusalem I treasure. I thank you for raising children who are willing to sacrifice for their love of Israel. But most of all, I thank you for giving me an opportunity to do something. I cannot read the papers anymore. I cannot watch the fighting on CNN. I cannot hear about another dead soldier and more rockets in Haifa. I need to do something. I need to do my part.”
Please help me keep my word to Yehuda’s family. I hope to raise $5000.00 for his unit in the next few days. You can contribute to Yehuda’s Fund online at www.nsjewish.com (use the donate online tab and specify Yehuda’s Fund) or send a check to our office today. Every dollar counts. Please take the time to email a letter of encouragement to Yehuda and his family, along with your gift. Emails can be sent directly to his mother, Tzippi, tzipiglick@gmail.com
Rabbi Yossi Lipsker