Maurice Klein speaks with Vicki Kaplan, who most recently returned from spending one month in Israel volunteering with many different organisations with the help of Sword Of Iron (https://g.co/kgs/YKGE69H). Vicki spent the first 2 weeks as a Sar-El (www.sarelaustralia.com) volunteer at an IDF base with soldiers in Hatzerim, Be'er Sheva assisting in a logistical support role packing supplies for soldiers, which were then transported directly to Gaza. Vicki spent shorter stints of volunteering sorting clothes for displaced people at Erans Angels (www.eransangels.com/en/) in Tel Aviv; chopped vegetables at Meir Panin (www.meirpanim.org.au), a soup kitchen in Or Akiva, as well as filled bags with essential food items for the needy. She then travelled to an army base at Be'er Sheva with a vegan food van "The Vegan J17" (https://j17.co.il) to feed 600 Givati fighters of the Rottem Battalion, picked tomatoes through the Leket (https://g.co/kgs/ypF3edR) organisation to help farmers on a Moshav Leket and helped out at a BBQ (https://jeffseidel.com/idf-bbq/) for soldiers positioned 2 km from Gaza. In Jerusalem, Vicki worked with Tachlit (https://m.facebook.com/TachlitEnglish/), another amazing volunteering organisation packing and distributing fresh produce to displaced people and others in need. She also visited down south to Sderot, Zikim and the Nova site (https://www.holylandtourguide.com/) before returning to Australia. Vicki's message to the community is: "Many Australians have volunteered in Israel since October 7, there is so much more that needs to be done, let’s keep that happening". Kol HaKavod VICKI KAPLAN.

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