Take part in putting boots on our soldiers' feet
Yakir Wachstock, founder of the "Boots for Israel" organization, spoke to Arutz Sheva - Israel National News about his work connecting Diaspora Jews with IDF soldiers - and tangibly improving Israel's fighting power.
"Boots for Israel is pretty simple," Wachstock described. "We get boots to the 'miluim' reserve soldiers who are fighting for Am Yisrael (the Jewish nation - ed.). They get boots when they're 18. Their boots fall apart. They're 30, 40, 50 years old. And they come to us when they need boots" and Boots for Israel replaces their worn pair "with much better boots, Garmont, Merrill Moab, Lowa, things like that, to try to help them out."
Asked how the project started, Wachstock recounted: "It's a wild story. Obviously, October 7th happened. Everybody was dazed and confused here in America. What could we do to help? I got a phone call asking for boots. I don't know a thing about boots, but I had a friend who was in the shoe business selling Hokas and On Clouds. I called him up and all of a sudden he said, you know, I have all these Garmont boots. I'm selling them to hunters in Wyoming and Oklahoma. Let me donate these 80 pairs to the chayalim (soldiers -ed.) who are calling."
"So we got those 80 pairs over. We got it to a major in the IDF and the reserves. And he sends me a WhatsApp and he says, thank you from the Yakir Battalion. I said, the Yakir Battalion, you know, I know I got you these great boots, but why'd you change your name? He goes, no Yakir, I didn't change my name. The name of our base is the Yakir Base. We've always been the Yakir Battalion. We heard about the boots and we heard that you knew people on Amazon and maybe you could help out. That's why we reached out to you. We just didn't want to make you feel bad if you couldn't get the job done.
"And he said, there are other chayalim who can use boots. And that's how Boots for Israel started. And since then, we've done over a hundred thousand pairs to our Miluim."
Wachstock also said that he is in touch with both individual soldiers and with commanders. "They come to us, they send us pictures of their holes, their wet socks, their blisters, and say we need help. And we do the best we can to match up the best boots, whether they need six inch, eight inch, black, coyote, to try to help them out."
To bring in donations, Wachstock visits community centers and synagogues, sharing his message and offering a way for listeners to make a meaningful difference.
"Boots come in pairs," he noted, stressing the importance of unity and cooperation between the soldiers in Israel and Diaspora Jewry.
Come be a partner in putting boots on a soldier's feet
Boots for Israel also holds "boot-packing events" where participants packing the boots can include a written note with their WhatsApp on it, "and you hopefully get a thank you back from the chayal (soldier - ed.) who gets your boot and you get a chance to tangibly touch it and be involved in solving a problem that you can make a difference."
"It's a beautiful three-generation event. The grandparents, the children, and the grandchildren can pack together and enjoy helping Am Yisrael. It's very rare you can find an event that an 85-year-old, a 45-year-old, and a seven-year-old can enjoy and get the big zechut (merit -ed.) of helping Am Yisrael."
In addition, Wachstock shared, Boots for Israel "had to set up a program because we were so far behind. We set a program, if you want to move to the front, I call it the machatzit hashekel (the traditional half-shekel coin -ed.). Half from us, half from you. These chayalim themselves are helping to donate. That's how bad the situation is. They want to get to the front of the line. They can jump ahead. Instead of being number 17,000, they can be number one if they donate half."
"So you're being a real partner, not just boot scrim repairs, but the chayal himself is saying, I need it so badly. I want to get to the front and donate half. You here in America, North America, you donate the other half and the logistics, and let's work together."
"The commanders, the soldiers are so appreciative of the help coming from Am Yisrael," he added. "Our IDF is unbelievable. They're incredible. But there's so much going on, especially right now, that they need our help. That little help of that boots can make a huge difference."
In a final message to listeners, Wachstock asked, "Please click on the link. Be a partner. Boots come in pairs. Help our chayalim out. They are out there fighting either way. But your help can make the difference of keeping them safer. Getting that waterproof boot on their foot will make a huge difference. Whether you're an individual and you want to do a boot mitzvah for your family, or you want to do a community event at the JCC, in your synagogue, you have the opportunity to pack these boots, write notes, let the chayalim know that we care. We want to help out. And it gets over to them that next week on their feet, making a huge impact for Am Yisrael. Please join in."
"Am Yisrael Chai. We're going to win this together," he concluded.
Send an Israeli soldier a good pair of boots - click here to help