“Ask not what your country can do for you – ask what you can do for your country” John F. Kennedy’s inaugural address
By Inna Zaitseva
Over the course of thousands of years of history, our people have shown courage and fearlessness in all wars. Clearly, overcoming wartime fears is fundamental to our identity. For over 100 days, the whole country has become the front line in the war of survival, with a mission to defeat evil, defend humanity against its darker self, and, in part, restore the concept of truth.
I am olah hadasha from Melbourne, Australia. I arrived in Israel in April 2023, and on 3 September, I started learning Hebrew in an ulpan in Nof haGalil. However, when the whole Jewish nation felt directly affected by the tragic events of October 7, I asked myself what I can do for my country and people demonstrating to the whole world the valor of the nation in preserving its character, its name and its values.
The opportunity to contribute presented itself in an initiative of Iris Israel Toy Shop in moshav Ilaniya. I joined others to achieve the goal of knitting 5000 beanies to keep our soldiers warm in winter. I have raised around 2000 shekels to buy yarn and involved my classmates from ulpan in Nof HaGalil, all new olim from Russia and Ukraine, to knit beanies for the IDF. Since October, we have knitted more than 120 beanies for a battalion of soldiers נמצאים 7035 גדוד ברמאללה. One of the commanders in this battalion is from Nof haGalil. He was called to miluim early in the morning of October 7. Since then, every night, together with his soldiers, he goes on very dangerous missions: searching for and arresting terrorists in Judea and Samaria.
Additionally, we have knitted over 200 beanies that our soldiers wear in Gaza, on the border with Lebanon, and the Ramat David military base, enveloping them with warmth, care, and love. Each beanie has a handwritten personal note in Hebrew wishing our soldiers a safe return home with victory, in good health and spirit. We continue knitting beanies for the IDF to keep them warm and protected.
The unity we are experiencing, the love we are feeling, and seeing every Jew embracing each other right now is our strength and the secret weapon that makes us invincible.
Am Israel Chai!
