"Fighters who never heard a story at home, ask for book recommendations on a weekly basis"

Among the food stalls and activities, at a happening event held for a battalion of fighters in Ashdod shortly after the outbreak of the "Iron Swords" war, one stand was placed that was different from all the rest: crates loaded with reading books. Rinat Elazar Peretz, who asked the organizers to place her there, did not know what to expect. "The fighters showed great enthusiasm. Each one chose a book for himself according to the genre that suits him - just like a child in a candy store," she recalls. "It was a very powerful moment for me."

That stand was the first shipment of "Books for Fighters" - a project founded by Peretz (48), a librarian at the "Nof HaSadot" school in Kibbutz Negba, and which has since become a national enterprise connecting book people, publishers, donors, and soldiers from all over the country. "On October 7, I asked myself what I could be useful for," she recalls the starting point. "I cannot go out with a weapon and fight. And therefore I took upon myself, with hesitation and wonder, the idea of sending books to a number of places that could be suitable for soldiers in different age ranges - without knowing where it would lead."

The choice of books specifically was not accidental. "My father is a very serious book person, and I grew up in a house of books, classical music, and opera," she says. "For me, a book is the purpose of everything, and that is also what I try to instill in the people around me." Since that first shipment, the project headquarters has been operating from her home in Gan Yavne. "Writers, publishers, and private individuals approach me with the goal of helping, and there are people who collect and transport the books from different points in the country," she describes the work method. "I go over the books that come to me and perform a certain selection, sort them according to the needs, desires, and requests that come from the field, and accordingly prepare the cartons and send them to the destination."

How do you manage such a project alone? In the end, you do it as a volunteer, and you also have your regular job alongside taking care of the family. "There is a variety of amazing people around me - book people and especially people with selfless love, who help this whole thing continue to grow and develop. Since the project was established, I have been lucky enough to meet people with extraordinary generosity," she adds, "and as someone who has traveled a lot in the world and knows a wide variety of populations, I say unequivocally that the giving in the people of Israel is something special that you almost don't see anywhere else."

She creates the connection with the units themselves through several channels simultaneously. "I am active in a civilian war room that was established from the beginning of the war and is spread across the country, with thousands of people operating in it. In addition, I am connected to entrepreneurship people and I approach company sergeants and officers myself - and sometimes they also approach me, after hearing about the project," she explains. "In many cases, they set up an event where they want to give the fighters a gift, and then the connection is made. They pass me information about their needs, and accordingly, I organize the amount of books and the appropriate content."

When trying to extract from her an estimate of the amount of books she has distributed to fighters in the years the project has been operating, she answers honestly that "it is difficult for me to estimate the exact amount. Every day, and sometimes even several times a day, soldiers from all over the country arrive at my home with a request for books. And every time anew I am excited to meet them and see their connection to books, and their appreciation for the project - it is amazing, especially in a world where screens dominate."

Family business

Alongside managing the project, Peretz continues her work at school and raising her three children. Despite the much time and investment, she emphasizes that the family is not only supporting the activity - but is actually part of it. "Although I do it at the expense of my private time and on a full volunteer basis, my family is a full partner in the activity," she says with pride. "They help me a lot - they travel to bring books from different places in the country, and help with everything that is needed. Operating the project is not a simple thing. I need to make sure that the books reach me on time, so that I can go over them and sort them before sending. There are delays, there are requests, and there is a great load, and therefore I am very grateful for their support."

Beyond the shipments, the project also includes establishing libraries on bases across the country and even in temporary outposts, to give the fighters a corner of respite during the long periods of service. What is the meaning of a book for fighters who are far from home? "The goal is to give them what I call the 'perfect escapism.' The reservists, for example, are in long reserve rounds, far from home and family, and often need private time that will be just theirs. And the book allows them a moment for themselves, a place to escape to. Since the project was established, I have been receiving letters from fighters who wrote to me that they had never heard a story at home. Suddenly, after they encounter books on the base, they ask me for recommendations - sometimes even on a weekly basis - for a book of a certain genre, or even start reading in English - and it is amazing and exciting every time anew."

The preferences in the field, it turns out, are quite clear: "Mainly non-fiction books - economics, self-development, and dealing with complex situations. In addition, there is a great demand for thriller and spirituality books. Apparently, this is what the fighters need in this period." Alongside the reading books, she also sends the units books for preparation for the psychometric exam and matriculation exams in mathematics.

But these meetings with the fighters, she says, also have a painful side. "I hear a lot of stories and meet wounded people and young people who were left with scars, and it is not always easy to make the separation between the one who came to support and the one who hurts for their injuries while they were fighting to protect us," she admits. "One of the things that is hardest for me is to see their extinguished and tired eyes when they arrive at my home. In those moments, I try to instill in them a lot of optimism and laughter, and give them hope through the books."

According to her, thanks to the project, significant friendships and connections have also been created between the fighters and various parties that help them. "I have had more than once to connect between a certain battalion that published a book, and parties from abroad that are interested in investing and helping with the publication. It is a very good feeling that beyond the project itself, I also manage to help the fighters fulfill a kind of dream."

---

"A world of legends and fantasies"

Peretz may have established the project during the war, but her romance with books is much older than that, and rolls back many years - to a completely different place. "My falling in love with books started at a distance of four hours of flight from Israel - in the city of Antwerp in Belgium. Already as a child, while my sisters preferred to play with dolls, I would lock myself in the room with books and build myself a world of legends and fantasies. When I immigrated to Israel at the age of 13, books were what helped me deal with the culture shock I experienced."

The project, as mentioned, actually occupies her as a full-time job, and the strength to get up every morning and continue the volunteering she imposed on herself, she draws from love and complete faith in the IDF soldiers. "We have the best army in the world, and we must strengthen our fighters, who have been fighting for several years on the various fronts. It is not simple and can lead to emotional difficulties, and I truly and sincerely believe that a book is the cure for everything. No matter what mental state a person is in, a book is the perfect escape and also a source of strength. And this gift I want to give to our amazing fighters, who contribute so much to the country - and it is really not taken for granted. And to my joy, I also see the positive influence of the books on them, when they return to me and ask for more. The respect they have for the book moves me so much."

And there is one more thing that is important for her that people know. "I see a lot of places where books are thrown into the streets, and a book that is not touched is a sad book. In every book there is a soul, and there is always someone for whom the book can serve as a certain auxiliary tool. Please, do not throw away books. Read books. We are the people of the Book, and books grant optimism, strength, and wisdom - and wisdom is strength. In addition, in my belief, people who have everything - a good family, a job they love, money, and health - should contribute to society and be responsible for one another. Only this way will we be able to live better together."

Interested in participating in the "Books for Fighters" project? Contact Rinat on the mobile number: 050-2004333