Shining a Light into the Darkness    

When the war broke out in Israel on Simchas Torah, Klal Yisrael responded  immediately, from all corners of the world. Even as IDF reservists answered the call, there were still countless others who wanted to do their part, using whatever resources they had at their disposal.

Fundraising operations were set up, and donations of money and goods began pouring in, in record numbers. There were groups doing everything from housing and feeding displaced families to tying tzitzis for soldiers who had never donned them before. Others dug deep into themselves and found ways to use their innate abilities to showcase Israel’s best qualities for a world quick to condemn.

Meet three people who aren’t part of Israel’s official hasbarah team, but are making a significant difference in the broader war effort, one speech, one word, and one picture at a time.

Alex Schwartz

A Call to Arms 

IS it any wonder that Alex Schwartz felt the need to contribute something really significant when he learned about the October 7 terror attacks?

Turning on his phone after Simchas Torah ended, Schwartz was horrified to see videos of Hamas terrorists pulling ambushed soldiers out of an Israeli tank and killing them. The 27-year-old Israel Defense Forces reservist’s world further imploded as he zoomed in on the side of the tank in the footage. He saw markings that identified it as belonging to Platoon V, 77th Battalion, 7th Armored Brigade — his former unit. Schwartz was left with the terrifying knowledge that the murdered soldiers were his close friends.

“That was my platoon, my community,” says Schwartz, who now lives in Parkland, Florida. “On the first day of the war, about 30 out of 80 soldiers in our battalion were either killed, abducted, or wounded.”

Like so many other reservists, Schwartz was ready to head for the front lines as soon as the war broke out. But it quickly became clear that he would be staying in the United States, at least for the time being.

“In the Armored Corps, there are only four soldiers in a tank — you can’t just add another rifle,” explains Schwartz. “They told me to just sit tight, and if they needed me, they would call me. I knew there was no way I could just sit on my hands here, with everything that was happening.”