Dear Member,

Beth Aaron, along with seven other area shuls, will be marking Shabbat, April 28-29, Parshat Acharei Mot-Kedoshim as Shabbat Chayal, in memory of Ilan Tokayer z”l. Ilan proudly served in the IDF as a Chayal Boded (Lone Soldier). Each year, we dedicate the Shabbat close to Yom Hazikaron and Yom Haatzmaut, by making a Kiddush and raising money for an IDF related organization.  This year, Lev LaChayal, a program that supports lone soldiers from abroad and part of Yeshivat Hesder Lev Hatorah, will be recipients of our Tzedakah. All donations will be listed on a Scroll of Honor poster at the Kiddush.

Lev LaChayal holds a special place in the hearts of  many families in  Teaneck.  Currently, there are five members of our Teaneck community that are drafting in March and April with the help of this very program. Among them are two young men from Beth Aaron:  Ezra Neugroschl and Gavriel Pudell; from Shaare Tefillah: Yonah Weinrib and Abie Goldberger; and  from Shaarei Orah: Zach Amos.  Presently serving in the IDF and  part of Lev LaChayal, is Brian Racer from Young Israel of Teaneck and former Teaneck (now Israeli) brothers Shaya and Elie Goldberg, whose family davened in Bnai Yeshurun before their Aliyah.  Alumni/veteran young men from the area who served in the IDF through Lev LaChayal include Nafi and Azi Lieber from Rinat, Dovid Fertig from  Bnai Yeshurun, Alex Neugroschl from Beth Aaron also Ari Goldberg, Shai Gutfreund, Benji Koojiman and Alex Postalnek. 

Lev LaChayal is the only Yeshiva-based Lone Soldier Center that trains and cares for dozens of chayalim who come from abroad to serve in the IDF. In 2014, the program opened with only six participants. By the end of August 2023, that number will stand at approximately 60 soldiers from North America and England.  After many tiring days on base protecting the country, the soldiers return to furnished, cleaned, and maintained homes that are always stocked with food and anything else they may possibly need. Caring mentors and Rabbanim run weekly Shabbat and Yom Tov meals, visit their bases, and run programs for the soldiers when they are off duty. Community members in Ramat Beit Shemesh, are also quite active in the program: hosting the boys for meals, bringing them extra food, and providing rides to the bus or train to return to their bases – all to emphasize the message that Am Yisrael stands behind them.  In mid-February, Lev La Chayal celebrated the Groundbreaking of a new dedicated Lev LaChayal Residence with a beautiful ceremony where the first cement was poured thus actualizing a dream nearly 10 years in the making.  In addition, World Mizrachi and Yeshivat Lev HaTorah have recently forged a partnership in running the Lev LaChayal program due to their common Zionist goals.

With your support,  we can help further the amazing work that Lev LaChayal does for Chayalim Bodedim.  We look forward to having a successful fundraising campaign, working together as a community in Achdut to support our local Chayalim and all those in the program.  

To donate go to  https://levlachayal.org/teaneck-shabbat-chayal/ 

Tizku L’MItzvot,

Mordy Ungar, Nechama and Steven Pudell, Jeff and CB Neugroschl

Shabbat Chayal Committee,   Congregation Beth Aaron