By VERNON ROBISON
The Progress
A retired Mesquite clergyman has been on a mission to raise money to help Israeli troops called up for duty after the Hamas-led violence near the Gaza Strip began on October 7, 2023.
Since that time, Rabbi Arthur Zuckerman has scrambled into action. He has raised tens of thousands of dollars in donations from people here in Mesquite; and also from acquaintances in San Diego, California where he previously served as a rabbi.
Using a 501c3 non-profit established for just this kind of purpose, Zuckerman has spent the donated funds to purchase essential supplies needed by the troops in Israel.
Since October Zuckerman has personally taken two trips to Israel. The first was in October shortly after the brutal Hamas invasion. Then in February he took another two-week journey. Paying his own travel expenses both times, he flew into Tel Aviv airport.
In February he travelled by land transport right down to the Israeli border with Gaza.
“These trips really weren’t a matter of spending a lot of time visiting relatives in Israel,” Zuckerman said in a recent interview with The Progress. “My full intent was to go and see things first-hand and see what I could do to help the troops on the ground.”
In his first trip, Zuckerman had packed two large suitcases with supplies that he knew would be needed by reserve troops that suddenly called up for duty. Having served more than two years in the Israeli military back in the 1970s, he was well aware of what supplies would be needed.
But in his February trip, after five months of Israeli action in Gaza, Zuckerman said it was less certain what to bring. “I could have bought stuff here in the states and taken it with me,” he said. “But I really had no clue what they needed at this point. That is why I wanted to be on the ground to see.”
Zuckerman ended up spending more than $16,000 in donated funds to help the troops obtain supplies that they most needed.
After arriving in the country, Zuckerman travelled to Alumim, a kibbutz where he and his wife Simi had been members in the 1970s.
But this was not a happy homecoming, Zuckerman said. Alumim had been one of the settlements invaded and ravaged in the Oct. 7 attacks.
“What they did there, it was just tragic!” Zuckerman said of the Hamas terrorists. “They just torched the place. Twenty-one people were killed there and eight people were taken hostage into Gaza.”
Zuckerman brushed off any concerns about his own personal safety in visiting the area. “Look, when I go to Israel, there I know who is shooting at me,” he said with a smile. “Here, if I go to Las Vegas or whatever, I have no clue who is shooting at me.”
Once he had arrived there, he began getting communications from sources in Gaza about what the troops needed. It didn’t take long to have a list of things.
He purchased two expensive rifle sights for members of the emergency unit at the kibbutz, who were also Israeli military members.
He also got in contact with two brothers who were serving in Gaza itself. He learned that their units were in need of three things.
The first of these were basic drones. “You know, before you send soldiers in somewhere, wouldn’t you like to know what is in front of you, so that you don’t walk into a booby trap?” Zuckerman said. “That is what the drones are for.”
Zuckerman’s fund provided two drone units.
In addition, he learned that an Israeli engineering group needed Leatherman tools in their work of demolishing certain dangerous buildings in Gaza. He purchased 60 of the “top-of-the-line” Leatherman models for them.
The third need was for tactical boots for the troops. Zuckerman supplied about $1,700 worth of boots to these soldiers.
“I went there with $16,000,” Zuckerman said of the trip. “I came back with about 500 bucks. But these were things that the soldiers needed and they were very appreciative, believe me.”
Since returning home, Zuckerman has resumed his relentless fundraising efforts. He has made a tour of local churches giving presentations about his travels and work.
“I still have five churches lined up to speak to,” he said. “And on the 17th of April I am speaking at Sun City.”
Zuckerman plans to take yet another similar trip to Israel sometime in the fall of this year.
