DECEMBER 14 • 2023 | 33
ABOVE, from left: Volunteers lay out the beef on trays to fit into the dehydrators. Packages of beef jerky are sent to soldiers around the country.
FACING PAGE: Soldiers love beef jerky, often the only protein they eat aside from tuna.
protein source he had where
he was stationed was canned
tuna, which he could not eat,
or canned beans. “This was
the first real food I have had
in a month.”
POPULAR WITH
SOLDIERS
At first, the requests for beef
jerky came primarily from
“Anglos,” Israeli soldiers
from English-speaking
families, according to Malkie
Ogorek. Once other soldiers
had a sample, they quickly
developed the taste. More
and more orders came in.
“Malkie has the hardest
job,” Rutenberg explains.
“Our phones literally ring
non-stop with requests for
more beef jerky and larger
quantities. Malkie needs to
figure out how to allocate
beef jerky with the ever-
growing demand.”
Many of the orders
come from parents and
grandparents of IDF
soldiers. “They always
request beef jerky for whole
units, never just their own
child,” she says.
Contributions also come
from the public. Some
volunteers contributing
hours of work at the
synagogue in Beit Shemesh
drop cash off for the project
on their way out.
Thus far, Beef Up Our
Boys manages to produce
and deliver about nearly
2,000 bags of kosher beef
jerky a day to IDF soldiers
in the field. As donations
build, their goal is to reach
3,000 bags of kosher beef
jerky a day.
The chefs work with
volunteers to cut briskets
into slices. Chef Ogorek
himself trims off most of the
fat. They put the slices in a
sauce made according to the
chef’s recipe. When it has
marinated long enough, they
lay it out on trays to fit into
the dehydrators. When they
take the dried meat out of
the dehydrators, they cut it
into bite-sized pieces, weigh
each portion, and vacuum
seal it in plastic bags.
At the social hall of the
synagogue, volunteers
put the right number of
vacuum-sealed bags in
each paper bag, using the
locally produced product
and packages from other
producers of kosher beef
jerky. At the other end of
the room, the packages of
beef jerky get sent on their
way to soldiers around the
country.
Malkie Ogorek and her
team correlate the orders
coming in and the packages
going out. The nearly 150
volunteers working in Beit
Shemesh range in age from
pre-teens to active seniors.
“Everyone is doing what
they can to help IDF soldiers
and keep production
at maximum capacity,”
Rutenberg explains.
The Ogorek family has a
Michigan connection. In the
summertime, Etan Ogorek
is chef at Camp Maayan
Midwest and Camp Matziv
Midwest in Cassopolis.
Malkie Ogorek says, “We’ve
enjoyed several beautiful
summers on the campus in
Michigan.”
Beef Up Our Boys runs exclusively on
donations. One may sponsor a bag of
beef jerky for $10. An entire unit of 120
soldiers may be sponsored for $1,200.
Or sponsor a unit of IDF soldiers for
a five-day mission for $6,000. U.S.
dollar donations may be made at:
CauseMatch.com/BeefUpOurboys.