ONE FOR ISRAEL has been working to bring aid to those on the front lines in Israel, whether its civilians who have taken the brunt of attacks on the border with Gaza and now in the north near Hezbollah, or the soldiers sent to serve over the borders to keep Israel safe.
Whether soldiers or civilians, living on the front lines under life-threatening conditions is extremely challenging both mentally, emotionally, and practically.
Orit Kashtan has been coordinating the complicated logistics of getting help where it is most needed, thanks to generous gifts from our partners at ONE FOR ISRAEL. We have provided all sorts of equipment for army units: warm clothing, camping mattresses, and even watches for when they have to go days without a phone. We have also sent help in the form of food, funding and encouragement to families whose lives have been changed forever.
Almost quarter of a million people have been displaced, many homes and businesses destroyed, and countless Israelis have been traumatized by the constant barrages of missiles and sirens, living in and out of bomb shelters. Schools have been closed and children are stuck at home presenting a serious challenge for working parents.
Israel has been very much in need of encouragement and care.
Flowers on the front lines
In addition to the more obvious forms of aid, Orit has also been creative in finding ways to bless and encourage Israelis on the front lines while simultaneously supporting businesses on the brink of bankruptcy. The owners of a plant nursery and flower farm just two meters from Gaza — right on the border — told Orit they were in despair and couldn’t see how their business could survive. Several of their community had been murdered on October 7 and the businesses were slowly dying too without the people living there. Orit decided to act. She organized a mass order of flowers for soldiers to take home to their wives and mothers.
When the soldiers finally came out of Gaza to go home for a break, there were 250 bouquets of flowers waiting for them to take back with them. “ They loved it,” said Orit. “You know, we helped them with winter clothes, with all kinds of things, but this is what they remembered — the flowers,” she said.
The little things that mean so much
Later, on a trip to the northern city of Kiryat Shmona, she got talking to the owner of a mini mart. “He said there are about 200 bomb shelters in Kiryat Shmona and about 40 people in each of them.” Orit also realized that as Israel’s most northern city, right there on the front lines on the Lebanese border, Kiryat Shmona serves all the communities around it making it a great distribution hub for the whole area.
“What do you say — could we give them all boxes of food?” Orit suggested. The shop owner told her that truck drivers were often unwilling to venture up to the border while missiles were falling, and the logistics of the plan were by no means straightforward. There was not much in the way of food on the shelves to purchase, but he assured Orit that he wanted to do it if he could. Let’s give them ice cream, they decided. Everyone is happy with ice cream.
“Just to say, we are thinking about you, we haven’t forgotten you are there,” Orit explained.
She turned to pastor Israel Iluz whose congregation meets in Kiryat Shmona and worked on plan to provide families on the northern border with 300 boxes of ice creams. The ceasefire with Iran provided a welcome reprieve for most of Israel, but those in the very north, near the front lines, were still suffering at the hands of Hezbollah. This would bring a bit of blessing and encouragement — a treat that would bring a smile to the weary.
Please keep us in your prayers — pray that God would lift up the weary, heal the broken hearted, restore what has been lost, and bring peace to our region.
