Two Friends. Two Continents. One Mission.
Dan, a combat reservist in Israel’s Quick Reaction Team (QRT), and Jonathan Hartstein, an American physical therapist who made Aliyah, are working together to equip one defender with the gear needed to respond within minutes when communities are threatened.
$6,920 equips one QRT defender. Help us reach this goal.
Our Story
More than 15 years ago, our friendship began in Columbus, Ohio.
After finishing physical therapy school in Israel, Dan traveled to Columbus as part of a professional exchange program between Kfar Saba and Columbus.
One of the people he met during that time was Jonathan Hartstein, a physical therapist who welcomed him into his clinic, introduced him to his work, and hosted him with his family.
What began as a professional exchange quickly became a friendship.
Over the years we stayed in touch — through emails, messages, and occasional visits whenever our paths crossed again.
Life Comes Full Circle
In the year 2020, Jonathan made Aliyah to Israel.
When he arrived, Dan returned the support Jonathan had once given him in Ohio - by helping him navigate the Israeli healthcare system, connect with colleagues, and integrate into the local professional community.
Like many new immigrants, Jonathan was building a new life here.
A few years later- Israel began facing one of the most difficult security periods in its history.
When Civilian Life Changes in Minutes
Today, Dan serves as a combat reservist in the Judea & Samaria Quick Reaction Team (QRT) — a unit created after the lessons of October 7 to provide immediate response to security threats against civilian communities.
Unlike standard reserve units, members of the QRT must be ready to transition from civilian life to operational readiness within minutes.
That means leaving:
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family dinners
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work
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everyday civilian life
and responding immediately when communities are under threat.
The soldiers in these units are not full-time military personnel.
They are parents, professionals, and neighbors who live in the communities they help protect.
This short video helps explain the rapid-response mission and the type of readiness required from soldiers in this unit.
This is the type of readiness your support helps make possible.
Why We Are Doing This Together
Jonathan saw firsthand what Dan had stepped into.
And he decided he wanted to help.
While Dan serves in the unit, Jonathan is helping lead the effort to raise support from friends and contacts in the United States so that Dan can acquire the additional protective and operational equipment needed for this role.
This campaign is the result of that partnership. Together, asking others to stand with them.
What Your Support Provides
The goal of this campaign is simple:
Fully equip one QRT defender.
While the IDF provides standard equipment, the nature of rapid-response units often requires additional personal gear that improves readiness, protection, and operational capability.
Donations will help provide equipment in categories such as:
Advanced protective gear
Contributes to essential personal protective gear that enhances soldier survivability during immediate rapid-response deployments.
Medical readiness equipment
Provides critical medical gear that enables immediate treatment in emergency situations.
Tactical communication capability and sighting systems
Supports technical enhancements and sighting capabilities crucial for maintaining effectiveness in different environments.
Strengthen the Shield
The Quick Reaction Team Dan is part of stands ready within minutes to safeguard civilian communities. Your support ensures he is equipped with advanced gear to serve with immediate safety and readiness.
Our goal: $6,920 to fully equip one QRT soldier.
Every donation brings us closer.
When the call comes, soldiers in the Quick Reaction Team leave their families, jobs, and daily lives behind within minutes.
They do it because protecting their communities is a responsibility they take personally.
Through this campaign, you can help ensure that one of those defenders is as prepared as possible.
Thank you for standing with us.
All funds used exclusively for mission readiness, protective equipment, and operational capability.