Cookies for a cause
IDF Battalion 9263 benefits from a tasty fundraising campaign
Lauren Cherkas of Woodcliff Lake has been actively involved in fundraising for Israel throughout the year, heeding the requests of Battalion 9263 to support IDF troops in the north.
On October 6, the Woodcliff Lake chapter of Run4TheirLives, which began its grassroots efforts to call attention to the 251 hostages kidnapped by Hamas terrorists, commemorated the first anniversary of the attacks. More than 200 people gathered to walk, sing, read, pray, light candles — and to remember.
“We remember all who were senselessly murdered one year ago and those who came before them who have fought for our right to exist,” said Lauren Cherkas, the organizer of weekly walks throughout Woodcliff Lake neighborhoods every Sunday afternoon since January 21. “We continue the fight in their memory. We honor the legacy of those who were senselessly murdered by the work we are doing and the commitment we choose to make.”
Local clergy offered their talents, guidance, and voices to the commemoration. Cantor Alan Sokoloff of Temple Emanu-El in Woodcliff Lake, Rabbi Yosef Orenstein of Valley Chabad, and Rabbi Loren Monosov of Temple Emanuel of the Pascack Valley were there. Brian Gelfand, music leader of Temple Beth Haverim Shir Shalom in Mahwah, chanted a haunting Mi Shebeirach, the prayer for healing; Reuben Twersky of Woodcliff Lake and president of Temple Emanu-El in Woodcliff Lake, blew a shofar, and the Pascack Hills High School Singers performed.
Ms. Cherkas has been involved in fundraising through her connection with Teddy Raskin, the co-founder of Israel Friends, a nonprofit formed right after October 7, that “delivers essential equipment, medical supplies, and humanitarian aid to those who need it most.” She also continues to work with Noam Buskila, the Israeli musician and cantor who is an IDF reservist with Battalion 9263.
“When the war broke out, Mr. Buskila, a father of six, rejoined his paratrooper reserve unit on the northern border to help protect Israel against Hezbollah,” she said. “Donations through Israel Friends, supported by a huge list of generous donors, have provided Mr. Buskila’s battalion with much-needed supplies.”
Since last December, Ms. Cherkas has raised money to support the battalion with drones and drone batteries, as requested by its commander. “These drones give soldiers the ability to see what’s ahead of them,” Ms. Cherkas said. “Lebanon’s terrain is not as familiar to the IDF as Gaza, which is more similar to Israel. While they had maps, they needed the drones to be their eyes in real time.” She raised enough money to be able to send the first drones in January.
Also on October 6, the day of the Run4TheirLives commemoration, Noam Buskila’s social media account posted news of an event in Upper Dublin, Pennsylvania, called Unite Through Light, a musical memorial for October 7. Ms. Cherkas’s husband’s family lives near there, and she wanted them to hear Mr. Buskila. “I knew his music would bring them the light that we all needed,” she said.
More than 450 people gathered in Upper Dublin High School for the commemoration, organized by Rabbi Sholom Loebenstein and his wife, Liba Loebenstein, both of Chabad of Montgomery County. Shoham Cohen, a Nova Festival survivor, spoke, and Mr. Buskila provided the musical entertainment. Six armed guards were stationed there.
“When I was leaving the high school to drive Noam to West Orange to the Jewish Federation MetroWest commemoration there, Rabbi Loebenstein escorted us to the exit,” she said. “It was there that Rabbi Loebenstein shared the details of a fundraiser he’d recently launched called Cookies4Israel.
“They’re like Girl Scout cookies for Israel.”
“The kosher, dairy, and peanut- and tree-nut-free (but not egg-free) cookies, 10 in a box, sell for $18,” Rabbi Loebenstein said.
“On October 15, 2023, we had a large gathering of our membership to identify the Israeli organizations that our fundraising efforts would support,” he continued. “While there is never enough money to support all of the worthy causes out there, we pinpointed four: United Hatzalah, Magen David Adom, FIDF, and Israeli Families Hostage Family Fund.”
So Rabbi Loebenstein asked Reisman’s Bakery in Brooklyn if it would be willing to bake blue and white cookies at a price close to cost. “It agreed to bake as many as we needed, in full partnership and love for Israel,” he said. “Initially, the cookies were sold by students at our local schools to their neighbors, friends, and family in the community. But eventually, we began a direct mail campaign through a Cookies4Israel website and email distribution. Soon, we began shipping throughout New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania and have received orders for and shipped cookies as far as California and Canada.
“We offer a 24-hour turnaround from the time we receive a cookie order,” he continued. “Some people order one container of 10 cookies, some order a case of 12 containers, and some order three cases to resell or give as gifts,” he said. “Some visit the site and don’t order cookies but make a $54 donation to support Israel fundraising efforts.”
Since Rabbi Loebenstein began this fundraising effort, more than 2,000 boxes have been ordered.
“Cookies were distributed at the Unite Through Light concert and October 7 commemoration,” Ms. Cherkas said. “In the following days, Rabbi Loebenstein gave me access to the Cookies4Israel Instagram account to do with it what I’d like. He agreed to add Noam Buskila’s Battalion 9263 to the list of organizations receiving funds in Israel, and big influencers on social media wanted to promote it.”
The day after the October 7 anniversary commemoration in Woodcliff Lake, Ms. Cherkas tagged Unite Through Light with photos of Noam Buskila. “Now his followers and my followers are ordering cookies,” she said. “Recently, I sent 34 boxes to influencers with millions of followers with personal notes from me on Noam Buskila stationery to promote the Cookies4Israel fundraiser on their Instagram accounts.
“Since we went live with the Battalion 9263 campaign on October 28, 2024, we’ve sold over 250 boxes. Whether it’s selling challah to support the Jewish Federation of Northern New Jersey, designing clothing or coin purses with meaningful messages, or emptying individual tzedakah boxes to turn coins to dollars, when people make the effort to do anything to support Israel, they are making a difference.”
To learn more, go to cookies4israel.com.
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