As we still mourn the terrible losses on Simchat Torah, October 7, 2023, and in the war since, we also reflect on the many inspiring and creative initiatives of Jews all over the world, and Israeli society in particular, to support the war effort.
One such project is Lev Lechayalot, the brainchild of Rabbi Shalom and Rebbetzin Lynne Myers, veteran South African immigrants who run the Emek Learning Center community and Emek Lone Soldiers in Jerusalem. Through Lev Lechayalot, they reach out to female soldiers and women serving in the Border Police all over the country, be they lone soldiers or those in combat.
The idea began on Simchat Torah 2023 when the couple saw their sons donning their army uniforms and reporting for duty. Within weeks, they managed to provide a barbecue for the unit of one of their sons in central Israel. (The sons who were in Gaza and the North were impossible to get to.) Lynne was struck by how the male soldiers benefited from the warm “hug” the event was giving them but that the female soldiers stood on the side, not part of it. She went up to them and started talking to them and hugging them. The response to her warmth was overwhelming. At that moment, she knew that she and her husband had to do something for female soldiers. And for their mothers, especially those overseas.
A vision and a mission: Helping out the young woman serving in the IDF, Border Police
Lynne Myers is a woman with a vision and a mission: to show appreciation and love to these young women, and to be there for them while they serve our nation in these dangerous and challenging times.
At first, the Myers couple organized sushi parties for the girls on the bases and brought gift packages for each soldier. These packages were comprised of items that were donated by women from all over the world, such as mascara from a woman in the UK, biltong (beef jerky) from a woman and her friends in South Africa (so far 130 kg of it), and hand-knitted woolen hats from women in Australia. The list goes on and on as women, in Canada and the US as well as within Israel, find creative and personal ways to send donations of goods or money.
“The part of the packages that all the soldiers seem to love most,” says Lynne, “are the ‘love letters’, those notes which tell them how someone somewhere really appreciates and admires them and is praying for their safety and success.”
Some notes are typed, many are hand-written, and some have drawings by young children. Every single one means the world to the soldiers.
In March 2024, the Myers couple approached the IDF Rabbinate, expressing their desire to broaden the scope of their events for female soldiers. They received a very positive reaction. Rabbi Myers was able to raise funds to enable the dynamic Rabbanit Keren Dadon to run Hafrashat Challah events (similar to Challah Bakes). She leads the young women in exuberant song, dance, and prayer as each one gets a turn to knead the bowl of challah dough (with gloves on!) and say her own personal prayers as she does so.
I recently had the privilege of attending one such party, traveling with a group of women to a base for female Border Police officers, women who are responsible for patrolling the streets of Beersheba during these volatile times. Most of these soldiers are 18- to 20-year-olds, devoting two years and eight months of their lives to protecting us so that civilian life can carry on as normal.
These events – 35 of which have been held so far – bring together women whose paths would probably not otherwise cross. At the one I attended, we were a diverse group of volunteers: overseas visitors, new immigrants, veterans, some with family members in the army and some not, all there to show our love and extreme appreciation to these young women soldiers for what they are doing for Am Yisrael in these challenging times.
Every woman present, including all the kitchen staff, poured out her heart to God at the moment she took her turn to knead the dough.
The soldiers’ commander, Shifra Buchris, is a remarkable woman. On that fateful October 7, she drove into the Supernova music festival with some of her team and spent 12 hours there under gunfire, determined to save as many of the wounded as possible, “to reunite them with their families.” Shifra, a warm, smiling, religious mother of 10, seems to regard all the soldiers as her children. This was reflected in her words to her soldiers at the Hafrashat Challah event: “Girls, now is your time to defend Am Yisrael, but I bless you that soon you will all find good husbands and marry and have children and grandchildren, building up our people.”
Another woman who made a deep impression on everyone there was Leah, the head cook, an older Russian lady. Slipping off her plastic apron and placing a makeshift covering on her head, she raised her eyes to God and silently cried out for the return of the hostages and the healing of the wounded. And, no doubt, some personal prayers of her own.
We, the volunteers, were in awe of all of these women and felt a deep and hopefully ongoing connection with every one of them.
Through the making of challah dough and saying the prayers when challah is taken, we were a microcosm of the world of Jewish women, coming together to raise our voices in song and prayer and to support and value one another.
One month later, on October 6, 2024, we heard the devastating news of a terrorist attack at the Beersheba Central Bus Station – one killed, and four seriously wounded. Shira Chaya Soslik, the young woman who was gunned down at point blank range by the terrorist, was one of “our” soldiers as were the four who were wounded.
It was obvious that those of us who had visited the girls at the Hafrashat Challah event would now make the sad journey to Beersheba with Rebbetzin Myers and Rabbanit Dadon to visit the shiva house and the girls in the hospital.
Shira grew up in a warm and loving family. Her mother would say, “I think you are the mother, and I am the daughter; you are wise beyond your years!” Shira was determined to serve the country and chose to serve in the Border Police, knowing full well it carried high risks.
At the shiva we met Noam, Shira’s boyfriend of only five months, whom Shira had called “my husband.” In other circumstances, they would have been married by now. Noam is currently serving in Gaza. Shira and Noam had arranged to meet up at the Beersheba Central Bus Station at the time the attack unfolded. Noam arrived, heard gunshots, killed the terrorist, and then saw that his precious Shira was the victim. At the shiva house, we saw the incredible pain of the parents, the siblings, the grandmother, and of Noam.
We walked out in a daze, overwhelmed by sadness. Then we were greeted by a serene scene – dozens of camels walking around on a long sandy outcrop. It reminded us of biblical stories that took place in that part of the country and how deep our roots are here.
We then went to Soroka Medical Center to visit the wounded girls – Amit, Daria, Tanya, and Raz – who had shared a room on the base with Shira. Each of them managed to smile and express optimism that they would eventually recover from the multiple bullet wounds they suffered. They commented on the miracle of their survival and that they looked forward to our returning to celebrate with them at their mesibat hoda’ah, the party of giving thanks to God for their survival.
At every stage of the way – raising funds, making up the packages, leading trips to IDF bases, keeping in touch with the soldiers after the visits – Lynne Myers leads from the front and gives Jewish women in Israel and around the world the opportunity to build bridges and break down stereotypes. Her goal is to bring unity to our fractured Jewish world, one hug at a time, one package at a time, one message at a time, showing deep appreciation to the female soldiers of the IDF.■
South African-born Nechama Davis served as rebbetzin with her husband, Baruch, in Adelaide, Australia, and in London, UK, from 1988. They returned to Israel in 2022. She is currently on the editorial team of Daf Hashavua, a publication of the United Synagogue, UK.