With Israel’s North Under Fire, Rabbi and Fashion Designer Team Up
by Bruria Efune – chabad.org
It’s an unlikely partnership: Rabbi Shalom and Devorah Hertzel, co-directors of Chabad-Lubavitch of the Golan Heights; and Alice Duke, who is a fashion designer, tunnel engineer, and director of the Gederot War Room.
The Hertzels operate four Chabad centers that serve around 30 Jewish communities in the Golan Heights, in addition to the many Israel Defense Force army bases in the area. However, when they first set out to the northern mountains back in 1997, war was not on their radar.
“We never had rockets here before,” says Rabbi Hertzel. “In 2006, during the Second Lebanon War, there were some in Mount Hermon and Majdal Shams, but this has mostly been considered a safe area.”
After Israel was invaded on Oct. 7 and war broke out, the Iran-backed Hezbollah terror group in Lebanon began firing rockets and drones into Israel. The fire was mostly concentrated on communities bordering Lebanon, but occasional sirens began to ring in the Golan Heights communities. On Sunday, Sept. 22, the fire began to rapidly increase, with salvos of rockets and UAV (unmanned aerial vehicles) attacks coming both from Hezbollah and Iranian-backed militias in Iraq. Schools were closed, and locals were instructed by the IDF to stay near shelter at all times.
‘They Feel Cared For’
“It’s very tense now,” says Hertzel. “It’s not something we are used to. But no one evacuated. The Golan Heights community is made up of idealists who want to develop and farm the Land of Israel. And now, we see the rockets and drones flying overhead—we’re being attacked from two directions. We have anywhere between zero to fifteen seconds to seek shelter at every siren. All around us are fields and forests that are burnt from the attacks, marking a constant reminder of how deadly they could be. It’s extremely tense–but everyone is staying put.”
Hertzel himself isn’t quite staying put though. Instead, he’s driving through the most dangerous no-go zones—right up to the front lines of the war—to deliver food, equipment, and love, to the IDF soldiers.
“The reaction of the soldiers when we arrive is unbelievable,” the rabbi explains. “They’re in small groups, all on their own, and for weeks they don’t see any other people. They’re just laying in ambush, in muddy trenches all along the border fence. They get so excited when we come, so happy! We bring them fresh food, tactical supplies, and encouragement. They feel cared for, and that’s so important.”
On Chanukah and Purim, the Hertzels organized teams of junior rabbis, and ensured that every small IDF outpost in the Golan Heights received visitors to lift the soldiers’ spirits. When soldiers were suffering from the cold winter, the Hertzels brought thermal coats to keep them warm. They also ensure that IDF bases have kosher mezuzahs, and any soldier who needs tefillin, has a pair.
‘He Knows What They Need’
Besides the many smaller IDF outposts, the Hertzels also regularly visit the larger established army bases in the Golan Heights, where they’ve built many meaningful relationships with the soldiers and commanders over the years. They operate a food truck, and keep a steady supply of coffee and ice drinks for soldiers stationed in the area.
All this made Rabbi Hertzel the ideal person for Alice Duke to call when she needed to start sending supplies to troops on the northern border.
“He’s there on the fields, connected to all the soldiers and commanders around him,” Alice says. “It’s remarkable, but it’s not just that. He is also very nice and attentive. He listens to the soldiers, he’s involved, he knows what they need and where they’re at.”
Alice has been volunteering as director of the Gederot War Room since Oct. 7. The war room, or “chamal” in Hebrew, supplies IDF commanders with essential equipment for their units, focusing on high-tech solutions for new problems. The operation, which is funded entirely by donations from supporters in Israel and around the world, was started by locals of the Gederot region, not far from Gaza in southern Israel.
A year ago, Alice never would have imagined herself partnering with a rabbi to get advanced drones to IDF commandos. Before Oct. 7th, she was mostly busy with her high-end shoe line, which she designed, and then produced in a factory in Hebron. Alice proudly employed Palestinian workers, believing strongly in the idea of peace through dialogue and cooperation. She also moonlighted as a consulting engineer, a career in which she has an advanced degree specializing in bridges and tunnels.
Since Oct. 7, Alice’s tunnel expertise has been put to work to help develop quick and efficient methods for IDF infantry to safely inspect the tens of thousands of terror tunnel shafts found throughout Gaza, in complex conditions. While much of her work in that realm remains classified, in her role at the Gederot War Room she has been responsible for delivering over 500 specialty drones, 550 advanced camera systems, 160 tunnel systems to detect explosives, and dozens of other long-range tunnel monitoring systems—in addition to thousands of thermal uniforms, generators, upgraded helmets, and other essential tactical gear.
Almost every brigade commander on the Gaza front has her number, and has called her for help at some point during the war. Hundreds of soldiers credit her work with saving their lives.
‘It’s Been a Great Partnership’
As Lebanon’s attacks continued to escalate, Alice began receiving an increasing number of calls from IDF commanders on the northern border, and realized that she needed someone local to the north to manage war room operations for soldiers in the region. A friend suggested she contact Rabbi Hertzel.
“He immediately found us a storage hangar to keep equipment,” says Alice. “It’s near his home in Had Ness, in an ideal location—close to the soldiers, but safe enough for holding supplies. But more importantly, Rabbi Hertzel is the kind of person that you can coordinate with, and you can really trust. Communication is very easy, he’s eager to help, he does things quickly. My experience working with him has been amazing.”
Alice began to order large amounts of supplies directly to the hangar, starting with generators. She had a list of commanders who requested the generators, and Rabbi Hertzel already knew them, and where they were located.
“It’s been a great partnership,” says Hertzel. “We found a common language, and understood each other very quickly. We got straight to work.”
Soldiers who are able drive to Had Ness and pick up the supplies from the rabbi. Other soldiers can’t leave their posts, so Rabbi Hertzel loads up his 4×4 and drives — often through the forest to avoid Hezbollah’s line of sight — to deliver supplies directly to the troops.
“They really needed generators,” he says. “They’re out in the middle of nowhere, with nothing to charge their drones, lights, or phones. Power is a basic necessity.”
One of the IDF units which Hertzel knows very well is the intelligence officers. His discussions with them means that he has a deeper than usual understanding of the needs of soldiers in the field, including for the long-distance thermal surveillance systems Alice has been developing. Instead of just being a foot on the ground for deliveries, the rabbi quickly became a partner on determining urgent needs, and priority.
“I was excited to hear about the systems,” he says. “I know how much the soldiers need this, to be able to watch out for terrorist infiltrators or spot terrorists launching anti-tank missiles or RPGs over the border fence.”
As the war intensifies, Hertzel is determined to continue serving both his civilian communities, and the community of IDF soldiers. He talks about plans to keep his community protected under fire, and equipment that will help the soldiers return home alive and well. He’s expecting another shipment of generators and drones from the Gederot War Room tomorrow, and is looking forward to quickly getting it all in the right hands.
Asked if he’s ever afraid of driving through war zones, where he’s frequently in the line of sight of Hezbollah terrorists, Hertzel says, “We have work to do. We are soldiers of the Rebbe [Rabbi Menachem M. Schneerson, of righteous memory.] There’s no space to be weakened or think negative thoughts. We have to be positive and have courage in what we do.”
Alice agrees.
Click here to assist Chabad of the Golan Heights with their work.
