Meet the trainer, Zumba dance instructor feeding Israel's hungry soldiers

As she recounted, it all began at the start of the war when she felt compelled to do something: “I needed something to fill me up… I’ve got to do something for my soul.”

Although she loves her job as a personal trainer and Zumba dance teacher, Siegel decided to cut her hours in her home studio and spend more time volunteering outdoors. Like many, she volunteered on one of the farms that had been affected by a severe lack of manpower, picking tomatoes along with others who also wanted to do their part.

This eclectic anecdote set the tone for what was to follow: feeding the troops.

As soon as Siegel turned her attention to preparing food for the soldiers on the front lines, she bought a portable table, some lovely dishes in which to serve the food (“presentation is very important”), and a couple of gas balloons.

From the start, she noticed that the soldiers were delighted by the sight of fruits and vegetables, which many hadn’t seen for weeks. When she served Israeli salad – diced cucumbers and tomatoes – they gobbled it up, not least because it reminded them of home.

At that point, she decided that what these young men and women needed was “mommy food” – warm homemade soups and hot cider as the winter set in, and fresh salads; wholesome fare prepared with love. Of course, everything had to be kosher, which was made easier as all her food was either vegan or vegetarian, so separate utensils and dishes wasn’t an issue.

One of her first missions was in the South, where she set herself up outside Kibbutz Be’eri to catch the soldiers coming in and out of Gaza. Before long, she began traveling up and down the country to wherever she was needed. When she receives a call from one of the company sergeant majors informing her when the troops are heading in or out of Gaza, for example, she packs up her car and heads down there, sometimes for 12+ hours at a stretch. She likes to make sure the soldiers have a hot meal before they go in (“An army marches on its stomach,” as the saying goes) or to welcome them back when they return.

As the winter months set in, among other tasty dishes, Siegel prepared the aforementioned hot soup and cider for the troops, many of whom have become accustomed to her fantastic food and warm personality. She also brought them sufganiyot on Hanukkah.

“In the army, they don’t have a mommy,” she said. When they arrive at her table, she clucks around them like a mother hen: “Did you drink enough water? Have you eaten any fruit?” she asks them, eager to put them at ease and encourage them to eat as much as they want. “They need strength and love,” she smiled.

As someone who puts her money where her mouth is, Siegel has made this happen all by herself. She has traveled up and down the country, covering over 40,000 km. in the space of a few months in her little car, while spending tens of thousands of shekels of her own money since the start of the war on supplies. The fruits and vegetables that were available at the start of the war, such as mangoes, are no longer available. Consequently, she had to alter her menu as time went on and the seasons changed. Now avocados have become one of the main ingredients in her colorful salads.

Although she’d like to go into Gaza herself, she’s been told it’s too dangerous. Her repeated pleas of “Take me to Gaza; I’ll work in the kitchens” have thus far been met with flat refusals.

Nevertheless, she has not been deterred.

Although the mangoes have disappeared from the trees and we are now heading into spring, the war continues, and the soldiers still need to be cared for. Despite it costing her a fortune, Siegel intends to keep going “for as long as they need the support. Without them, there’s no country,” she said, adding, “Every time I want to stop, I can’t stop.”

While others may dedicate a few days a month to volunteering, Siegel travels the length and breadth of the country at least three times a week to meet, greet, and feed our precious soldiers in their hour of need.

When I asked her what gives her the drive to keep going all these months, she paused, then turned to me with tears in her eyes: “Sometimes I give them soup, and I don’t know if they’ll come back.”■

Wheat-free Warriors, Israel’s gluten-free volunteer network, has also stepped into the breach to ensure, as far as possible, that celiac soldiers don’t go hungry on the front lines.

Soon after the war began, Cobb was scrolling through the Facebook group Swords of Iron – Israel Volunteer Opportunities, which is open to all who want to help, regardless of where they live. One of the first posts she came across was by a woman named Chelsea who was looking for volunteers to assist Wheat-free Warriors, the “entirely voluntary Chamal, or ‘War Room,’ tasked with distributing much-needed gluten-free supplies to celiac soldiers and displaced families all over Israel.”

The two connected, and before long Cobb was tasked with overseeing the group’s social media accounts and website that explains how the group first came into being soon after the Hamas atrocities on October 7. “[The group was formed as] a response to the clear difficulty that soldiers and displaced families were having with sourcing safe, celiac foods while away from home.”

Headed by Einat who runs the North, Chelsea who runs the South, along with Cobb and Noam who together run the social media and fundraising side of things, this “small but mighty team” of volunteers also includes cooks, drivers, and coordinators.

Volunteers who prepare the food are given instructions on how to make their kitchens celiac-safe. “Trust is very important with celiacs,” Cobb stressed.

Indeed, as it states on the website, “Gluten-free is not a choice, it is a medical necessity. Gluten can trigger severe health issues for celiacs and those with gluten allergies. This can be life-threatening for soldiers who are operating in the field.”

Hot meals used to be one of the core staples on their menu; however, due to overwhelming demand, “As of 2024, to reduce the pressure on our volunteers and better cater to the needs of our celiac recipients, we have transitioned from delivering cooked meals regularly across the country to delivering packages of dried gluten-free goods, as well as Shabbat packages, which include gluten-free challot and other treats.”

With Purim on the way, the group was preparing wheat-free mischloach manot and hamantaschen. As mentioned above, Wheat-free Warriors also assists displaced families who are affected by celiac. They too are provided with gluten-free food, free of charge, thus easing their plight to a large extent. Volunteers come from all parts of the globe, such as Sydney, Australia, and Miami, Florida, from where tasty gluten-free food has been sent. The packages often arrive with uplifting messages of love and appreciation for the soldiers.

While it’s not been without its setbacks, the main one being a severe shortage of drivers to deliver the food, Cobb said that the work carried out by her and fellow volunteers is worthwhile.

“It’s about accessibility, inclusivity, and ensuring that everyone, regardless of dietary restrictions, receives the care they deserve.” Indeed, as one soldier told her, “Some days, I wouldn’t have eaten if not for you.”