Dear Beautiful Angels,
Here we are, 10 months into this war, and as I'm sure you are all aware, it doesn't seem to be nearing an end. It’s hard to believe that 300 days have passed and our soldiers are still working hard all over the country, hostages remain in Gaza, and many residents are unable to return home. We try so hard to capture the atmosphere on base days whilst respecting our soldiers, a hard balance for sure, as each week taking time to speak to our soldiers has become even more important, and the stories that we are hearing just reminds me how we must not stop.
How are you feeling during this time?
Are you taking care of yourself?
For the first half of this month, I felt completely drained. To recharge, I started doing one thing a day just for myself, and it has worked wonders. My energy and creativity returned, reminding me that I cannot neglect my own well-being, especially if I am to keep Chayal's Angels thriving.
Here are a few things that have been helping me: venting to a friend and then finding solutions together, sound healing, putting my phone on DND or airplane mode whenever possible (even for just an hour), acupuncture, using sage, incense, and essential oils in my home, yoga, walking with my feet in the sea, swimming, dancing, breathwork, and a whole lot of dog loving (maybe a bit too much for my pup).
Please, be kind to yourself. It's easy to feel down right now, and even easier to ignore the things that make us feel better. Remember, if you are not looking after yourself, you can't help anyone else. So, put yourself first with the knowledge that we can always lean on each other, and most importantly, remember that WE ARE ONE.
The past few weeks have been eventful in northern Israel, with land and homes being destroyed daily. Every time we go up, we see fires somewhere, and it is truly heartbreaking. The Israeli Fire Department and the Israeli Air Force are protecting us every second, just as much as our soldiers, and we are eternally grateful. As long as it is safe to drive, we will continue to serve those who are serving us. And if, God forbid, the situation changes, we always have alternative plans to keep going.
Now, let's talk about what we've achieved in July:
Despite the heat of summer, we visited 9 bases and provided 544 individual treatments to our soldiers in northern Israel—double the number of treatments we provided in June 2024. That brings us to 84 base days and over 6,500 treatments in total.
Wow, take that in for a moment…
This incredible achievement wouldn't have been possible without your support.
This past month, we welcomed back Michelle, a wonderful massage therapist from NYC, for her second trip with us. Seeing a volunteer return for a second time truly warmed my heart. We also had Dr. Grant Barker, a chiropractic doctor from Florida, join us for a few weeks. His skills were so appreciated by the soldiers that some of them visited multiple bases just to see him again. I’ve attached a short clip below from Dr. Barker about his time here for you to see.
Last week, someone said something simple yet very important to me, and I haven't stopped repeating it since: “Our soldiers do not need your sympathy; they need your support. So stand by them first and foremost!”
Thank you all for your continued support and dedication.
Tasha Cohen,
Founder & CEO of Chayal's Angels
WE ARE ONE
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