New Popcorn Machine A Welcome Addition to Standing Together’s Hospitality Trailer
Last Wednesday saw a dip in the mercury that made the soldiers stationed at a busy checkpoint checkpoint in Israel zip their jackets up a little higher; it looked like it was going to be a long, cold night on duty. Then, at around eleven o’clock, the Standing Together hospitality trailer, driven by founder David Landau, pulled into view.
It was a new group of soldiers, so it came as quite a surprise the the chayalim when David pulled the trailer over to the side of the road and began to set up. He was approached by the duty officer, and after a quick explanation and peek in the van, David started his routine he has happily followed night after night for years. He started up the generator, and in a quick fifteen minutes, the warm and inviting smell of fresh coffee and warm rugelach filled the night air at the checkpoint.
The first few soldiers approached, almost timidly (if you can picture two young men in bulletproof vests and automatic weapons as being timid), and it was David’s reassurance that yes, the food was for them, and yes, it was entirely complimentary, because of the thousands of supporters all over the world make it possible as a token of their deep appreciation, that encouraged them to take the first cups of piping hot coffee. It didn’t take long for news to spread. Soldiers began arriving, helping themselves to the welcome refreshments. The soldiers are of course provided with meals every evening, but by the time David set up the hospitality trailer, it had been close five hours since the had last eaten. Faced with a long night shift, and the prospect of somewhat dubious late-night snacks, the soldiers repeatedly thanked David for showing up and bringing them something to keep out the chill. More than the coffee, one lieutenant said, it was knowing that people care enough to do this simple act of kindness that made their jobs so much easier. David smiled; he had heard the same thing thousands of times from thousands of other soldiers, and yet he never tired from hearing it.
Not long after the soldiers who were manning the checkpoint had all received their midnight snack, the soldiers who were driving jeep patrols started returning to check in with the duty officer. They were startled to find their comrades cheerily filling up on hot coffee and cakes. Pretty soon, the entire battalion knew that there was “some guy” who had shown up and simply started feeding everyone.
It wasn’t long before the supply of baked goods had dwindled. It used to signal the end of the evening for David. However, thanks to the new Standing Together popcorn machine, David would be staying until the very last soldier received some token of gratitude and knew that the donors and supporters of Standing Together would continue to support their efforts in protecting Israel. He started up the machine, and in minutes, hot, fresh popcorn began spilling out of the kettle. For more than thirty minutes, a steady stream of golden kernels turned into light, fluffy popcorn, until not a single soldier was left unfed.
This night, David attended to the soldiers by himself, but many times he has had the pleasure of bringing guest hosts—young men, women, families, students, and tour groups—to help him in his work to bring the brave soldiers of the IDF the love and appreciation of supporters from around the world.
If you would like to help Standing Together, please visit http://www.stogether.org/popcorn, and the next time you’re in Israel, join David for an evening delivering complimentary food and drinks to IDF soldiers. Email info@stogether.org for more information.
