David Newman sent a text to a friend the morning of Oct. 7. Something terrible had happened. Word quickly spread among Newman’s group of friends, who had known each other since high school.

Newman had traveled to the music festival close to the border of Gaza on Friday night. It was supposed to be a fun weekend with his girlfriend “celebrating life,” something Newman was very good at and loved to do, according to friend Gidon Hazony. 

Hazony later learned that Hamas had murdered Newman, 25, on Oct. 7, but not before saving nearly 300 lives, including the life of his girlfriend. 

Newman’s actions that day, and the atrocities Hazony and so many in Israel witnessed on Oct. 7, led Hazony, David Gani, and several of their friends to quit their jobs and start a nonprofit called Soldiers Saves Lives. The organization is working to collect tactical and humanitarian aid for Israel Defense Forces. 

According to the group’s website, they have supplied more than 20 “IDF units and civilian response teams with protective and self-defense gear.”

Gani, who serves as board chair and CFO/CTO of Soldiers Save Lives, and Hazony, president of the organization, recently traveled to Washington D.C. to raise support and awareness for their mission to provide IDF soldiers with needed supplies. They join the podcast today to explain how to partner with them, and to honor the legacy Newman leaves behind. 

Learn more about Soldiers Save Lives here: https://www.soldierssavelives.org/

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