What you can do
It's not just prayer
I saw a mailing go out to people in the US, telling them that they don’t need to feel frustrated at an inability to do anything, because they can pray.
Prayer is important and welcomed. But that’s not the only thing that people in the US can do. There’s something extremely significant that they can also do, which is Send Money.
This is something that was forwarded to me to send to friends/relatives outside of Israel who want to help:
Dear friends,
As you know, Israel is at WAR. Not just any war but a terrorist invasion of Israel where for the first time terrorists have entered Israel from Gaza and taken hostages back to Gaza, have murdered civilians (over 700 to date) and are terrorizing the south of Israel and raining thousand of rockets on Israel.
Many of you are asking what can you do to help. The best thing is to make donations to the organizations listed below. They are all IN ISRAEL. 100% of your money donated to the organizations below will go directly to help people in Israel now.
Please do not make donations to American organizations, as the money will not get here as fast nor will 100% come to Israel.
Right now these organizations are on the front line of their specialty helping where needed. PLEASE help us.
I am also asking you to write/email your American congressmen and senators or your county’s parliament representatives or presidents /prime ministers, etc. immediately to support Israel!
Magen David Adom Israel
https://www.mdais.org/en/donation
Hadassah Hospital Israel
https://www.hadassah.org/donate/simple
United Hatzalah Israel
Leket Food Israel
https://www.leket.org/en/online-donation/
IDF Soldiers Fund in Israel
https://www.ufis.org.il/en/donation-en/
Zaka Israel
thank you very much
All great and worthy causes.
Another idea: There are many groups / organisations doing their utmost to get hold of additional equipment for soldiers and send directly to them. I spoke to several soldiers to ask them what it was that they would most appreciate and their answer in each case was equipment. There are better armour, helmets, jackets out there that any soldier who gets is so happy to have and it can really save their lives!
I have been trying to help out via one group and the main issue seems to be supply as obviously anything in Israel has been sold out already. But the group is working on getting supplies in from abroad and when they locate supplies.
I don't want to share the direct links to any of the groups I have been given as they are all small individual groups or just bank details which obviously people shouldn't just send cash to without doing due diligence. But I assure you these groups are legit, I was given them by either front-line soldiers themselves or in some cases their spouses. They know the exact soldiers that are receiving the gear.
My suggestion - speak to any front-line soldiers you know (or their spouses / parents) and ask what it is that they want the most / what organisation is helping them the most and then send maximum support there.