Shishenitzel Co-Founder Herzel Gildengorn Passes Away at 61
Herzel Gildengorn, co-founder of the wartime Shishenitzel volunteer initiative providing meals and honoring fallen IDF soldiers, has died at 61 after a severe illness.
Herzel Gildengorn, a prominent social activist and co-founder of the wartime initiative "Shishenitzel" which prepares and delivers schnitzel sandwiches to IDF soldiers while commemorating fallen troops, passed away over the weekend at the age of 61 following a prolonged battle with a severe illness.
The Heart of the Shishenitzel Project
Launched during the ongoing war, the "Shishenitzel" project quickly became one of Israel's most moving volunteer efforts. Every Thursday night, volunteers gather at moshav Nir Galim to prepare approximately 4,500 schnitzel sandwiches for soldiers deployed across all borders, ranging from the Gaza Strip to southern Lebanon.
Each week, the sandwiches are dedicated to honoring a fallen IDF soldier, with detailed biographical notes of the fallen hero attached to every delivery. Gildengorn, a resident of Ness Ziona, was instrumental in establishing the initiative, which operates entirely through weekly volunteer rotations and public donations.
Tributes and Community Mourning
The project's official Facebook page confirmed his passing, honoring the dedicated volunteer who unfailingly arrived before dawn every Friday.
"It is with deep sorrow that we announce the untimely passing of a dear man, our beloved friend and devoted volunteer, Herzel (Hertzi) Gildengorn. Words cannot express the magnitude of this heavy loss," the statement read.
Colleagues noted that Hertzi was the beating heart of the operation, arriving early Friday mornings to prepare hundreds of hard-boiled eggs, fill the fryers, and arrange the tables for incoming volunteers. His absence had been deeply felt in recent months as he battled his illness, leaving the entire Shishenitzel community heartbroken.
