From Our Soldiers in Gaza
While we often collect and distribute letters from our global community to soldiers, sometimes we actually have the opportunity to hear from the soldiers themselves. Read some of their powerful messages below.
Support our efforts to support the needs of our soldiers on the front lines.
A Message From Uri S.
Soldiers in Gaza during Operation Swords of Iron - photo credit IDF Spokesperson's Unit
To all those who know me and those who do not,
I would like to ask you to share this post by any means possible. Because I am a commander in the field, everyone is asking me what they can do to help the fighters out there in the field.
All in all, the great IDF has surrounded Gaza amazingly, in all aspects.
The biggest help is a big hug full of love for the families in your area or in the hospitals, those families who have lost their dear ones and for those families with wounded soldiers.
No need to stand on ceremonies, and it does not matter which sector you are from in Israel, or where you are in the world. Prepare a package with goodies and enclose a letter from you or your children or anyone without feeling embarrassed.
Take it to the house of a bereaved family, to a hospital, to a wife of a soldier on duty, or send messages from abroad and just say, without any reservation, that we are one family, we have come to support and strengthen you.
I am telling you that in my humble opinion, this is the most significant and powerful thing that you can do.
I will end with a short story that happened to me today.
We evacuated a fighter from one of our brigades that was shot in the stomach. While we were running with the stretcher on our shoulders, his head was near my head and he impressively lifted his hand with his thumb up to signal that all is ok.
He looked at me and asked me who I am.
I told him my name and my position in the battalion.
He smiled and asked me, "My bro', am I going to be okay?"
I said, "Don't worry, you will be totally fine".
He said, "Promise me that you will come visit me in hospital".
I said to him, "Of course I will come visit you".
The moment before we put the stretcher into the helicopter, he said to me, "I am a magist(heavy gunner) and I have to get back to my squad to help them fight."
I gave him a kiss on his head and put the stretcher into the helicopter.
There are no fighters like our fighters!!
A Letter to the World
Today our hearts are pounding in fear. Who of us will die? And who will return safely?
We are your messengers in fighting.
We are fighting so you can live peacefully with your children. So you can stay alive.
We are your protection. Will you be ours?
We are going to this dangerous mission knowing some of us will not come back, but will rise to their next position in a storm to heaven, as Eliyahu the prophet did.
We are going with devotion and dedication.
We are asking you to be our protection with your prayers.
Protect us by going above and beyond yourselves through spirituality and good deeds.
Pray for us.
Pray that you won't see another mother burying her son.
Pray that you won't see our wives as widows raise our children in tears.
Pray that our children will grow up knowing who their fathers are.
Pray that we will eliminate the terrorists who aim to destroy us, and that we will not injure innocent women and children.
Please, we are begging you, as you are reading this, don't just go on to the next thing you are doing. Say a chapter of psalms. Wake up king David to ask the almighty for full redemption and peace for the all world. Take upon yourselves another good deed. And please pass this on. I'm certain that your prayer will make a difference.
Remember, we are in it together. We are on the front lines carrying the weapons and you are fighting along with us in your prayers.
Each word of your prayer gives us strength, protection and success.
Each word of your prayer gives us strength, protection and success.
