Good morning. As you know, today and tomorrow (October 10-11) are Amazon Prime Day(s).
I have been debating what to do. It feels wrong to be blogging about deals at this moment, and frankly, I don’t have a lot of capacity for this work given my emotional state.
However, my husband convinced me that I should blog about Prime Day — and he gave me a purpose to it: He and I agreed that we will donate 50% of all the commissions I earn over the next two days to these five charities in Israel.
Amutot (non-profits) are operating overtime right now (as we all are!) and need our help more than ever.
I’m sharing a bit of information about each of these organizations, both in the interest of transparency and also for those of you who are looking for other ways to give directly to Israel.
(By the way, you can help me donate even more by sharing the word about KOAB — please invite your friends to join the WhatApp group!)
When you click on a link on my blog and make a purchase — whether for the item I posted or ANYTHING ELSE at Amazon (as long as you clicked on my link first), I earn a small percentage of that sale. Typically between 1 and 7%, depending on the category of item.
Again, for the next two days, I will donate 50% of those commissions to the following non-profit organizations:
United Hatzalah (This is the link for tax deductible donations in the US)
United Hatzalah is a volunteer-based emergency medical services organization whose mission is to provide immediate medical intervention during the critical window between the onset of an emergency and the arrival of traditional ambulance assistance. Its 6,500 volunteers treated more than 600,000 people last year alone, with an average arrival time of 90 seconds!
The goal of their current Emergency Campaign is to raise $20 million to equip an additional 1,000 United Hatzalah volunteers with protective vests and helmets, oxygen tanks, defibrillators, trauma bandages, and tourniquets. Their medics are on the front line and in need of support and reinforcements as they respond to lifesaving calls.
Yedidim (which means “friends” in Hebrew) is a volunteer-based organization that assists in all non-medical emergencies around the clock, free of charge. From car trouble to being stuck in an elevator, Yedidim will send someone out to the rescue. And especially in these times when one can ill afford to be stuck on the side of the road when rockets are in the air, being able to call Yedidim for help can be a literal life-saver. Even more amazing, on Sunday and Monday, when hundreds of thousands of reservists were being called up and public transportation was scant at best, Yedidim was giving free rides to soldiers all over the country to their bases.
Note that the site is only in Hebrew, but I still wanted to share it because this is such a worthwhile organization in the best of times, and I am so blown away by what they’ve done in the worst of time.
Shimru Nafsham / Help IDF PTSD Victims
Shimru Nafsham (“Protect Their Souls” in English) is a non-profit, volunteer-based organization that provides direct assistance to wounded soldiers and their families in the physical, mental and social rehabilitation process. The organization provides psychological support at the individual level and group activities for teams from combat units to help prevent the onset of PTSD after their service.
I will just add, from a personal perspective, that PTSD is very wide-spread among Israel’s combat soldiers, with estimates of 30% of soldiers suffering from it. And sadly, living in such a dangerous region of the world provides endless “opportunities” for it to be triggered. Shimru Nafsham will be very busy in the aftermath of this absolute tragedy we are living through right now.
The stress from this situation obviously affects civilians, too (in ways that are incalculable at the current moment). Sahar is there to help. It is a non-profit organization staffed by volunteers that provides online, anonymous, immediate assistance to people experiencing emotional distress and suicidal ideation.
Golani is one of the infantry brigades and is close to my family’s heart because it is where my husband served. They used to say that Golani stood for גוף ונפש למען נצח ישראל (which means: body and soul for the eternity of Israel). As with every major conflict, Golani soldier were hard hit on the first day of fighting – and continue to be. The Golani Fund helps with the welfare of those soldiers and their families. (Also only in Hebrew, sorry about that!)
The list of possible important and worthwhile organizations is virtually endless, but I did want to share a couple more that might resonate with some of you. Please check them out!
I think that’s a beautiful way of approaching this situation. Kol Hakavod and stay safe
Thank you so much! xoxo
I have been thinking of you and your family so much during these terrible times. May you all stay safe. This is a lovely way to handle the strange and uncomfortable timing. ❤️
Thank you, Mara. This allows so many of us a way of assisting from a far. Love and strength.
Readers of the blog who have limited Hebrew can use Google translate to assist with language
Amazing. All of these are such good choices. And such a great way to get money where it is needed. Can you please add grilling for IDF to the list? We regularly go to bases and bring full barbecues to both feed the bellies and the spirits of the soldiers. Over the past two and half days we have provided food and other necessities (toiletries, socks, underwear, water, energy drinks, baked goods, chargers, headlamps, and basically anything else that has been requested and that we can get), and drivers to almost all points that we are able to access.
❤️❤️❤️❤️
Forgot to put the website: grillingforidf.com
Mara,
I applaud what you are doing but I have a question. Why United Hatzalah before Magen David Adom?
I hope all of you are doing ok (or as ok as can be ).
Sheila Reicher