Ziv Tzedakah Fund, the IDF and Schwarma

As we continue to find ways to make a difference in the lives of all Israelis, Ziv recently facilitated the wish of one of our friends to provide a special meal to the IDF. After numerous calls, a connection was made to a unit serving in Bethlehem. Arnie Draiman, Ziv.s agent in Israel traveled to the area with the donors and Doron Falafel's greatest schwarma. (rated #1 by schwarma maven, Danny Siegel!) What follows is Arnie's description of the visit to Bethlehem:

We delivered Doron schwarma to the soldiers guarding Kever Rachel (Rachel's Tomb) and Northern Beit Lechem.

We got to the checkpoint on Derech Hevron, right past Gilo, where we were met by one of the soldiers. We transferred the schwarma and drinks to the army jeep, climbed in the back and away we went:

The army unit there is divided into two parts - one guards Kever Rachel and the other sits at the main control point between Kever Rachel and the rest of Bethlehem.

They took us first to the guys at Kever Rachel - it is about a one minute drive from the Gilo junction. It is so close, and yet, it is another world away. The streets are deserted - today there was a curfew placed on the city since a bomb had gone off only a few hours earlier. The bomb had been planted on a donkey and sent to the main road - it exploded near an Israeli bus, but no one was injured (except for the donkey, which was killed).

We backed up to the entrance of Kever Rachel and when we get out, the soldier told us not to 'loiter' around - just get the stuff and go inside. We were the only ones at Kever Rachel. It is very powerful to be at Kever Rachel - so so close to Jerusalem, and yet (well, yet).

We dropped off some of the schwarma and drinks there for the guys guarding that area.



At Kever Rachel, they have the 'remains' of Kever Yosef (Joseph's Tomb) - that is, the pieces of the grave that were rescued from Shechem, when the IDF pulled out of there two years ago.

We then proceeded around the corner (by jeep escort) to the main IDF control point for the area. It is a compound with several caravans used for sleeping, storage, generators and a dining room. We brought the rest of the schwarma and drinks to the dining room and the few soldiers who were around were so happy.

At the kever, the soldiers couldn't just come and eat - they have to stay at their various posts and wait for someone to relieve them, more or less one or two at a time.

Here, there were several 'off duty' and a few others who could come by.
 
After we ate, we went back outside, for one last picture in the compound

The soldiers who were there were very thankful and in English and Hebrew kept wishing us well. This particular unit (told to us by Ziv friend Joe Alexander) will be ending their month tour of duty this week.

I hope we will be able to connect with the next group that comes through. It is a very important place, close by and a great but easy mitzvah to do. The soldiers loved it!