Shai Graucher, a haredi Rabbi who organized large charity drives for soldiers and those affected by the war, delivered an emotional declaration calling to help those impacted by the war – widows, orphans, and the survivors of captivity.
Shai Graucher, a haredi activist known for organizing waves of charitable donations for IDF soldiers, was honored with a torch lighting for Independence Day.
“I light this torch for our nation’s enormous heart,”he declared. “I have made it my life’s work to gladden, as much as possible, the widows and orphans whose world has been destroyed.”
“This is for the dozens of infants who have been born since the war began, and who will never meet their fathers, who were killed in action,” he said, in a voice choked by tears.
“This is for those who survived captivity, for whom we must all do anything possible to help recuperate, and for the other hostages, all of whom we must recover.”
He concluded “This is for the donors, who never stop giving, and for the nation. I pray that we can unite in times other than a crisis.”
Due to the fire in the Jerusalem mountains, the torch lighting ceremony was not broadcast live. The recording of the general rehearsal was broadcast instead.
