Naftali Ratzersdorfer is a man on a mission: Source 3,000 pairs of thermal men’s underwear, get them packed in 50 duffel bags, and make sure they are ready to be transported to the El Al terminal at Newark International Airport for shipping to Israel, where they will be distributed to IDF troops around the country – all within 24 hours. Then immediately repeat the entire process.
Ratzersdorfer is part of a grassroots effort in New Jersey to supply the IDF with essential equipment needed for the active duty and reserve soldiers serving throughout the country, many fighting in the Israel-Hamas war.
An estimated 340,000 troops have been called up following the October 7 Hamas terrorist massacre in Israel, in which Hamas brutally murdered some 1,200 people and ruthlessly kidnapped 240 people into the Gaza Strip.
The ad hoc New Jersey group helping supply the IDF
Officially called The Bergen County Support for Israel & IDF, the ad hoc group is providing the IDF with basic medical supplies, clothing, and non-tactical military gear. Since its formation just days after the surprise Hamas invasion and deadly attack, the Bergen County “duffel bag brigade” has shipped close to 5,250 duffel bags – with a whopping 60,000 kilos of supplies – that have reached more than 75 IDF units, including those in Golani, Givati, Nachal, and Egoz.
“My parents instilled in us the ideal that when there is a communal need, we are required to step up,” reflects Ratzersdorfer, 61, a retired businessman who has more than 25 close family and friends now serving in the IDF. “There was nothing else I could do except try to aid all of those serving. This is the least I can do from here.”
For other organizers, such as Daniel Malka, there is a similar personal motivation to be involved in the effort. “How can we sit on the sidelines and not help take care of the soldiers’ basic needs?” asks the 35-year-old mortgage banker, whose two cousins are on the front lines of the war. “What we are doing is nothing compared to what they [the IDF soldiers] are doing. I just started and cannot stop,” adds Malka, who is focused on fundraising for the Bergen County operation.
With the changes in the weather over the past two months – from Israel’s warm Mediterranean temperatures to more frigid, rainy days – the support initiative revised its shopping list from flashlights and medical supplies to sourcing and packing basic cold-weather gear, such as gloves and thermal underwear. These are in addition to knee pads, solar chargers, sleeping bags, high-energy bars – and, for a personal touch, letters of appreciation from Jewish schoolchildren.
For Brian Nave, sourcing items – such as a request for 360-degree cameras for 60 tanks – is a major project and has him researching suppliers throughout the US and around the world. He then makes sure that the items are delivered to the Teaneck, New Jersey; packing center for shipping or, when possible, sent directly to Israel. “We would be dead in the water without him,” says Ratzersdorfer, who is in charge of packing and distribution.
What have been the reactions from the soldiers? “Nothing but absolute disbelief and shock,” relates Malka. “They are thankful and sincerely appreciative.”
EARLY ON, the ad hoc organization was joined by Dr. Chagit Hadar, an Israeli-American, who also sprang into action soon after the war in Gaza began. Initially, the packing was done out of her basement but has been relocated to a vacant office in Teaneck. Once the duffel bags arrive in Israel, Hadar’s brother-in-law, Avigdor Ben Ari, meets the flight, gets the cargo through customs, and then ensures that the bags are distributed to IDF troops.
Earlier this month, after working non-stop for two months on the support operation, Hadar felt she needed to see the Israeli side of the operation. So she booked a flight to Israel and came to the country for just three days.
When she met soldiers stationed at the Gaza border, she heard firsthand just how grateful they were when they received the items that the Bergen County support operation had sent. “It was something for them to get the love and support from Jews overseas; to see the solidarity and the care for each other,” recalls the 48-year-old. “For us, it’s about our values. It’s not about killing and murdering; it’s about defense and protection. We are an army of moral values and human rights, and not revenge.”
Two weeks after the war began, the Bergen County group decided to “adopt” the city of Ofakim, where on October 7 some 50 residents were murdered during the Hamas terrorists’ rampage through the streets. The group has been sending toys, coats, women’s clothing, shirts, and pants by plane; so far, they have airlifted some 150 duffel bags stuffed to the brim with the items for the city’s residents. Another 5,000 coats were sent by boat to Israel four weeks ago and are making their way to the country, to be distributed to residents of Ofakim and Sderot.
“We are working around the clock,” says Hadar, a mother of four, who has been living in the US for the past 20 years.
While she was extremely moved by the appreciation of the troops, it wasn’t until she went to a second-grade class of Ofakim youngsters that she says “she lost it.” There, she was introduced to four students, all of whom had lost their fathers on the day of the October 7 massacre by Hamas.
“I broke down at that school. I couldn’t stop crying as they sang ‘Am Yisrael Chai.’ Kids deserve to be kids,” stresses Hadar, who is the Judaic studies principal at the Ben Porat Yosef Yeshiva in New Jersey. “It was amazing to see how resilient the children are.”
The impact of the October 7 massacre by Hamas again hit her as she walked the streets of Ofakim. “On one block, there are five posters of fathers who were murdered that day,” she says. “It was an intense three-day visit for me.” Her whirlwind visit also took her to evacuated towns and villages in the South and the North. The deserted streets, devoid of any civilian activity, had an eerie feel that still lingers with her.
In New Jersey, the team’s daily work continues as about 20 volunteers of all ages spend hours packing the items into the oversized duffel bags. On the daily trips to Newark Airport, from where the duffel bags are transported to Israel, Donny Knoll, the logistics manager, makes sure to bring along large amounts of coffee, donuts, pizza, and often breakfast, to distribute to the airport workers in a show of appreciation. “Security knows what we are doing and works with us to expedite security clearance,” Ratzersdorfer says.
But sometimes there’s an unexpected curve ball. Hadar arrived at the Newark Airport with the team at the beginning of November, only to be informed by the El Al staff that there was no room on the plane for the 56 duffel bags that they had brought. The El Al personnel at the airport were adamant that the bags couldn’t go on the plane.
Undeterred, Hadar decided to wait at the El Al terminal to see if there was some way that the cargo could be shipped to Israel on the flight.
Then the plane’s pilot arrived at the El Al ticketing desk.
Hadar quickly approached him and explained the situation. He turned to the El Al staff and said firmly: “I’m not taking off until all these bags are on the plane. I’ll put them on empty seats if I have to.” The flight was then delayed for an hour as the crew loaded 30 duffel bags onto the flight.
“Everyone here is on board in the same mission,” he reassured Hadar, adding: “I’ll be back in three days if you need anything else.”
SIMILAR GRASSROOTS initiatives around the US have consulted with the Bergen County operation regarding how to deal with airport bureaucracy, such as sourcing items and filling out the necessary cargo manifests properly.
For the Bergen County group, there has been one ongoing challenge: collecting sufficient donations to finance their ever-expanding mission. Although they have so far raised $450,000 to cover their considerable expenses, they need additional funds to continue their efforts.
“There’s too much demand and not enough supply,” Malka says.
Another conundrum involves getting the emptied duffel bags back to the operation in New Jersey. Rarely have any of the 5,000-plus duffel bags sent to Israel made their way back to America. Logistically, Hadar explains, it’s been a challenge to find passengers who are willing to bring the duffel bags back to New Jersey. “But also,” she points out, “many of the soldiers ask if they can keep them!”
For the Bergen County ad hoc support group, it’s just one more contribution to the IDF that they are more than happy to make.
For more information: bclevechad.org