BOCA RATON, Fla. — Congregation B'nai Israel in Boca Raton announced Wednesday that it sent over more than 16,000 pounds of supplies to Israel.
"We are thinking of them, we are checking lists of what they need and when we find out what those lists are, we pack them up and we send them," senior rabbi Rony Keller with Congregation B'nai Israel said.
The project is called "Israel Community Drive," an idea by two members of CBI: Alex Cender and Ashley Katzen.
"What was really amazing is that it was not just the American-Jewish community or the Israeli-American community, it was people of all ethnicities and all races really coming together to show up for us," Katzen said.
Katzen said her dad is from Israel and has family in Israel, and felt extremely disconnected and guilty not being able to give her family the support they desperately needed.
The two said they partnered with their synagogue, as the community began donating warehouse space, pallets and help with transportation of supplies.
"The needs kept changing hourly on what they needed, and we were lucky enough to be getting live-time updates," Cender said.
They said much of their emergency medical and tactical gear had already made it to Israel.
They've even received "thank you" videos from those who are already benefiting.
"Every single time these soldiers open a box from us, how humbled and touched they are because they still can't get over the fact that, from all the way in Florida, we care. And we are taking our time and our effort and our energy to send these crucial supplies over," Cender said.
They said because 300,000-plus men and women are being called into the reserves, airports have been short-staffed, and shipments have been delayed.
"The fact that people need this so desperately because they lost their homes is just horrible and for us to really see it come to fruition is a really powerful moment for us," Katzen said.
The group said they only sent essential items to Israel, and the rest will benefit local organizations.
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They're already are planning the next supply drive.
"They should also feel our hope and our connection and our love for them, all the way from Florida, all the way to each one of them in Israel," Keller said.
