NOVEMBER 2 • 2023 | 23
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Erie Skoczylas of Southfield found 
himself in a unique position to 
practically help IDF soldiers. As the 
general manager of Huron Valley 
Guns, which is both a shooting 
range and a supply store, 
Erie started receiving 
phone calls from family 
members of soldiers on 
the front lines as soon as 
the war broke out.
“It started with one 
person calling me about 
his son,” said Erie. “His 
son’s unit didn’t have 
enough helmets. I told him 
I’d see what I could do and 
started sourcing equipment. Soon 
word got out that I was able to find 
equipment and my number was 
passed along to others. Soon I was 
getting phone calls from people I 
don’t know, all asking for weapons 
or supplies for their sons, brothers 
or friends on the border.”
Erie connected to his friend Adam 
Goldberg, who was able to supply 
vans to help pick up the sourced 
materials. They soon joined with a 
group from New Jersey, who were 
able to arrange direct flights to 
Israel for the supplies.
“I don’t know these people 
personally, but all Jewish people are 
family I’ve never met … Everyone’s 
just doing the best they can to 
help,” Erie said. 
He said that some people are 
confused: How is it that the greatest 
army in the world doesn’t have 
enough supplies for all their soldiers?
“Armor is a ticking time bomb,” 
Erie explained. “Helmets and plates 
come with a five-year expiration 
date; anything older than five years 
has to be replaced. No army has 
that number of usable helmets or 
armor on their shelves.”
In two weeks, over $50,000 
was raised. These funds stretched 
further because of Erie’s 
connections to manufacturers 

that sold their products at below 
wholesale cost. As of Oct. 22, 
over $200,000 worth of donated 
supplies were shipped to Israel — 
because Erie’s also been helping 
other groups from around 
the United States who’ve 
come up with more funds to 
source and ship supplies. 
“The warehouse space is 
donated. The trucking and 
delivery costs are donated. 
There is zero overhead and 
100% of everyone’s donation 
goes directly to supplies and 
the war effort,” Erie said. 
Though Erie and his 
team have full-time jobs and none 
of them professionally fundraise, 
they’ve created a basic website, 
through the Young Israel of 
Southfield page, so donations 
can be given through a nonprofit. 
Donation bins have also been 
placed strategically around Detroit 
— at Canine to 5 in Commerce, at 

Farber Hebrew Day School, Bais 
Chabad of West Bloomfield, Aish 
HaTorah in Oak Park and Jerusalem 
Pizza in Southfield.
“I received a picture from a soldier 
on the front lines wearing one of the 
helmets we sent him, and it warmed 
my heart,” Erie said. “But we’re still 
hearing from people on the ground 
that they don’t have all the sup-
plies that they need and that’s what 
continues to drive us. The need is 
great. I can’t say no to a mom who 
is calling me when her son is near 
Gaza and doesn’t have a helmet … 
She just wants to help protect her 
baby. How can we say no?”
On a separate note, Erie said 
that as a gun store manager, he’s 
noticed a huge uptick in Jews pur-
chasing guns since the war broke 
out and finds it extremely worrying. 
“I believe in the right to own arms, 
but I also believe that this is a safety 
concern,” he said. “When bought in 
fear and haste, people often don’t 
take the time to learn basic gun 
safety or competence.”
Erie said he would be able to coor-
dinate free introductory classes on 
responsible gun ownership for inter-
ested groups that reach out to him. 

For more information or to donate, check out israe-

laiddetroit.com. To contact Erie about coordinating 

classes on responsible gun ownership, email him at 

erie@huronvalleyguns.com.

The collection bin at Aish 
HaTorah just 10 hours 
after it was placed there! 

Erie Skoczylas

The photo that warmed Erie’s heart — an IDF 
soldier wearing a new helmet that had been 
sourced by him and shipped to him and his 
unit ... sponsored by the donations from the 
Detroit Jewish community. 

Supplying Soldiers

ROCHEL BURSTYN CONTRIBUTING WRITER

