Shock. Confusion.
Living in the holiday, we faced a void of information and plenty of misinformation.
Whole army bases — lost. Unbelievable.
Kibutzim, yishuvim decimated. Unthinkable.
Brutal killings in the streets.
For those caught up in the hellfire there was nowhere to go, no place to hide, and no help on the horizon.
This page is dedicated to
Allen and Deanna Alevy
“Whoever saves one life, it is considered as if he saved an entire world.”
Mishna Sanhedrin 4:5
October 8, 2023
Allen and Deanna spent that holiday intently monitoring the news coming out of Israel. None of it good. For them, the overriding question — in fact the only question — was:
What can we
do to help?
Monday, October 9, 2023
Allen wasn’t so easily reassured. Without hesitation, he picked up the phone and called his oldest grandson at work.
“Shimon, what are we doing for Israel?”
“Umm… praying.”
“That’s not good enough. The Jewish people need us.”
Two days earlier, a fundraiser had been scheduled for Senator Roger Wicker of Mississippi. The Senator called to postpone it. He was not to be let off the hook so easily.
“Senator, what are you doing to help Israel?”
“We are doing everything possible. The entirety of the US government stands behind Israel.”
“What about getting more Iron Domes, is there a lease program? I would be willing to guarantee the lease for those Iron Domes.”
“That won’t be necessary Mr. Alevy, and not even possible. Don’t worry, Israel will get everything it needs to fight this war.”
On October 9th many of us still believed that to be true.
That night, Allen and Deanna gathered their children and grandchildren and charged them with a mission.
“We need to help the Jewish people. I’d like everyone to come back with ideas on how we might do that.”
The days after
Over the next few days, the family fanned out, calling on their many contacts in Israel and abroad.
- Tzion and Menachemspoke to the heads of 26 Civilian Defense Squads
- Shimonspoke to soldiers, trying to understand their needs
- Shosh Sragowconnected with Danny Miller, a cousin of Deanna’s in the Galilee
‘Allen, we are terrified that our small village will be attacked next. We don’t have anywhere close to what we need to defend it.’
Allen arranged a credit card for him and told him to buy what they needed. No questions asked.
“Gd has given our family the resources to do more than send socks and teddy bears — but where can we put those resources to do the most good?”
Allen Alevy
Friday, October 13, 2023
‘Mr. Alevy, bullets are flying everywhere. I couldn’t see if I hit anything. I couldn’t even see what I was aiming at. Bullets whiz past my head and slam into whatever is behind me. I can hear them clang when they hit metal — it’s totally surreal.’
‘Mr. Alevy, the army is supplying us with helmets and vests that are older than the soldiers wearing them.’
‘I just bullet tested some of the equipment. Unbelievable. The shots went right through the vests and helmets the army gave us.’
‘Israel won’t let them in. Everyone is getting stopped at the border. If it’s not IDF approved or even the exact right color, back it goes.’
Night vision goggles could not legally be taken out of the U.S. They devised a plan at US airports to carry them past TSA on domestic flights and then, in the terminal, hand them off to civilians who were traveling to yeshiva in Israel.
Sunday, November 5, 2023
One million dollars
‘You’re right, we cannot supply the entire army by ourselves. The best we can do is start. Protect as many soldiers as we can. Hopefully others will join in.’
Yanki, Allen’s number three grandson, put forward a practical proposal: ‘Zeide, why don’t you create a budget for the project. That way, you’ll have a clearer picture of what you want it to look like.’
‘Alright, let’s do it. I will commit one million dollars to start. It looks like we’re going into the helmet and vest business. Gd help us.’
Allen Alevy
A letter to friends
Realizing the need was greater than any one family could manage alone, Allen and Deanna did something they had never done before: they asked for help.
Dear Friend,
Many of you have asked me what you can do to help. Since the war began, I have spoken with many people in Israel, including my cousin, a Major in Special Units, Reserve for IDF, Sammy, the son of a friend, a lone soldier who happened to be in Israel for the Sukkot holiday and rejoined his unit in Israel after the massacre in the South. These soldiers have "boots on the ground" experience in the fight against an insidious evil whose goal is to destroy – first Israel and then the rest of the Western world.
Read the whole letterShow less
I am horrified to hear account after account from soldiers, particularly reservists, defending Israel's borders and towns who are short of protective equipment! It is unconscionable to think "our children" are being asked to patrol actively dangerous territories without the tactical gear to protect themselves and yet this is the reality. Bulletproof vests, ceramic plates, helmets, and surveillance drones.
Another American soldier, Binyamin, is on the Northern border. His brother reached out to my son to seek help in securing funds for equipment for their unit. They are trying to raise $90,000, a $1000 per soldier in the 90-person unit. They need boots, bulletproof vests, headlamps, portable battery packs, and thermal undergarments, amongst other things.
How this happened is a story for another time. Right now, my family and I are working around the clock to raise funds, working on a unit by unit level to get our soldiers what they need to prevent another massacre. The individual units that we have been in touch with to date need between $100,000 to $200,000 each to purchase critical supplies. With your help, our global family will be able to send lifesaving equipment to soldiers currently at risk.
We all have seen the same horrific videos: young children held in cages, bloodied women being forced into jeeps, the slaughter and beheadings that took place in the kibbutzim, the families sharing their horrors as they became aware that their children were being hunted down and executed by Hamas. Listening to the interviews of the mothers and fathers who have spoken out about their children's last moments on this earth is heartbreaking. Each one of those children could have been our own. Are our own.
Sadly, we can't bring them back. But with your help, we can all work together to G-d willing, to stop it from ever happening again, keeping the promise we made the world in 1945…
Never Again.
This war is not a local issue, this war is not a regional issue; this war is a global issue and Israel is our first line of defense. Please join our family in accepting the awesome mantle of responsibility to help save lives of 1000s of underequipped soldiers. Kindly forward this to everyone you know.
If not now, then when? If we wait, it may be too late.
100% of all of the funds raised are being used for the singular purpose of purchasing and delivering the necessary protective equipment to support our brothers and sisters, sons and daughters in Israel.
With best regards and prayers for a better tomorrow,
Allen and Deanna Alevy
Monday, November 6, 2023
The dilemma at Gaza Beach
The next day, Ziva called again. “Shimon, I'd like you to meet Joe Zevuloni.”
“Al'an Shimon. Mah Nishma? You know, I know your family, the Alevys from Long Beach.”
“No kidding?”
“Yeah, my father used to work for Mr. Alevy years ago. In fact, your grandfather put my little brother through the Hebrew Academy back in the day. Aizeh Tzadik. What a righteous man.”
Since October 7th Joe had been fielding calls from reservists all over the world trying to get home to fight — flights, tickets, whatever it took. Once home, the same reservists called him back with the same story. “The helmets are from the Yom Kippur war at best and the bullet proof vests... don't even ask.”
“Listen Shimon, I want you to hear this for yourself. One second, I want to introduce you to Yadon. Yadon is the supply officer for unit 401.”
‘I have 80 soldiers in my unit sitting on the Gaza border. Our orders are to take Gaza Beach. The trouble is only 35 of my soldiers have vests — and of course, no one is allowed to go into Gaza without a vest.’
‘Understand this, Shimon — we will take that beach, no matter what. The only question is… without the vests, what will it cost us?’
Yadon to Shimon
79 / 80 PROTECTED
35 vests for 80 soldiers. The family paid for 44.
Within hours Shimon walked the two doors down the hall to Marilu, the head of accounts payable, and handed her the invoice. ‘Marilu, please make sure this gets transferred asap.’
‘Yesterday, we paid for 44 bulletproof vests for a unit that needed to take a beach in Gaza and didn’t have enough to do the job.’
‘Ok, what’s next?’
This becameProtective Gear CampaignThousands of tactical helmets, ceramic plates, and vests delivered to soldiers in live combat, from Gaza to Lebanon.
The proof
Exhibit A
The test
They fired three 5.56 live rounds at close range. None of the rounds pierced. A soldier shot while wearing our plates would walk away bruised — but he would walk away.
Exhibit B
Natan’s helmet
“Tzion, today one of our soldiers took a bullet to the head. The helmet your family donated saved his life.”
Standard troop issued helmet at the outset of the Iron Swords War.
Natan's helmet. The highlight shows the bullet's entry point and trajectory — a full 90° turn from entry point.
Drag the gold slider to compare both helmets
Exhibit C
Tzur
Tzur and his teammates advance with their convoy while conducting road-clearing operations inside Gaza.
The screen captures are taken from actual footage shot and posted by the terrorists who targeted Tzur’s vehicle.
Exhibit D
Chana’s letter
My Dear Mr. Alevy, Thank you for your donation! They say that you don't praise a man in your presence, but I feel that you are right here next to me. What can a mother say? You are a messenger of Hashem; you are donating to the safety of our soldiers and this is an opportunity for me to personally thank you for this very generous and incredible life-saving gift, saving the lives of so many soldiers who are dear to your heart.
MY SON'S LIFE WAS SAVED THANKS TO THE CERAMIC VEST YOU HAD PROVIDED HIM WITH!!
During this horrible missile attack, had he not had these great quality ceramic plates and vest, I truly believe I would not have been in the position to write a thank you letter (it would have been a much different reality). Mr. Alevy, You shall be blessed by our Heavenly Father. Hashem will never forget your contribution to our soldiers' safety and well-being. I will thank you every day for the rest of my life in my heart. I raised three combat soldiers even my daughter is one. Some people called me crazy for allowing all 3 to serve in combat and I replied yes, I am crazy, I'm crazy about my people crazy about Israel. It is thanks to you that you are supporting and giving us so much love which gives us so much strength and empowerment to those like me which we did not even dream to receive! Without your love and support, we just wouldn't be.
AM ISRAEL CHAI AND THIS WILL BE FOR ETERNITY. THANK YOU, MR. ALEVY
— From Chana, a mother of a proud combat soldier
“Thanks to the helmet and vest your family gave me—I am alive today”
Onn
Onn endured a brutal 14-hour firefight with Hezbollah that claimed four of his brothers. After the “all clear,” he and his team searched a collapsed house once used as a Hezbollah stronghold. From the rubble, a hidden fighter launched a grenade at point-blank range. Caught in the center of the blast, Onn absorbed devastating shrapnel—yet survived. His newly supplied body armor, plates, and helmet were nearly shredded, but Thank Gd, they did their job. After several months in recovery, Onn is back in the fight. Fully equipped with new Body Armor supplied by the Alevy Family.
The Alevy Family Foundation would go on to donate so many bulletproof vests that Marom Dolfin, the IDF approved supplier, agreed to put the Alevy name on the ceramic plates the family gave out.
Sunday, November 12, 2023
Drones & training — a battlefield game changer
‘Gaza is a literal rat’s nest of twists, turns, and tunnels. Every time our guys turn a corner they’re in danger of taking fire.’
‘So you’re saying with a single drone you can protect an entire unit of soldiers?’
‘Yes.’
‘Ok, buy them 3.’
‘That’s great. Too bad they are out of stock. I can’t even get one.’
Before the introduction of drones, the army protocol for facing an unknown threat was to kick in the door, toss in a grenade, go in guns hot, and hope for the best. The trouble was, in Gaza there were way too many doors and far too few grenades.
The northern border · November 26, 2023
‘My unit is patrolling the border. We’re having a hard time keeping our soldiers safe from Hizbollah fire. We can’t see the enemy. We don’t know where they’re hiding. In most cases they hold the high ground and we are blind.’
Shimon told Natan he had not been able to buy drones anywhere.
“Wait a minute Shimon — there's a guy who sells drones literally a block from my house. Let me run over there and check with him.”
Joe found the source. He also got a Mavic onto a plane and driven to the Lebanon border within 24 hours.
A few weeks later, Israel's Channel 11 ran a story on how drones were changing the reality on the northern border. The drone in that story was the one the family had supplied.
EVO drone images — one regular and one thermal. Note the terrorists' heat signatures in the thermal image.
Urim Base · October 7, 2023 · proof of concept
- 7:26Urim Base is breached by 10 terrorists on motorcycles
- 8:15Reinforcements break through the barriers to bolster Urim’s 13 defenders
- 8:20Fully untested, the first battlefield drone is launched
- 10:41The final terrorist is eliminated
Among the 379 soldiers lost on October 7, the defenders of Urim Base.
Cpl. Lior Levy
Cpl. Ofir Davidian
Cpt. Alina Pravosudova
Sgt. Shir Shlomo
Sgt. Danit Cohen
Sgt. Itamar Ayash
Sgt. Maj. Aharon Farash
Sgt. Adi Groman — the last to fall at Urim that day
Before Oct. 7, the DJI Avata was considered little more than a hobbyist’s toy. A handful of IDF reservists at Urim base saw it differently. Today, their troops won’t fight without it.
This became4Sight Drone ProgramEyes in the sky for ground units — the program that grew out of a drone launched untested at 8:20 in the morning.
Sunday, December 24, 2023
The meeting that changed the future
“Al'an Shimon, Joe here. I just got word that they're having a big meeting at the LOTAR base about drone training. This could be big. I'm going. I think you should be there too.”
“I can't fly to Israel right now. Call Tzion, see if she can go.”
‘So wait — you want 200 Avatas? In Gaza? Total?’
‘Yes, 200 would be amazing.’
‘I believe we should be aiming for 400 drones.’ — ‘400?!’ — ‘At least for the first round.’
Tzion, representing her grandfather
- LOTAR grew from a single weekly course of 12 soldiers to three classes a week, graduating upwards of 150 soldiers per week.
- January 18, 2024 — the first 50 drones secured, brought in by putting them in suitcases and asking Israel-bound commercial passengers to carry spare batteries through customs in Miami.
- March 2024 — the first shipment lands on a base in central Israel: over a thousand drones.
- The family would end up supplying over 2,000 drones to the LOTAR program. Mid-July, the IDF finally got on board and began supplying Avata drones to units in Gaza.
This becameAlevy FPV Drone School at LOTARDrones without trained pilots are wasted drones. The school that turned a weekly class of twelve into 150 a week.
Wednesday, January 24, 2024 · Division 228, northern border
‘I told him that if we put it up in this wind it will certainly crash. He threatened me with insubordination but I wouldn’t budge… In the end it didn’t matter, he dismissed me and ordered another pilot to fly the drone. Into the wind. Five minutes and down it went.’
Drones and their use needed to be outside the command hierarchy — more as a service to the commanders, but under the control of trained pilots who would have full responsibility for their drones.
‘I heard you’re trying to open a course to train drone pilots on the EVO. Is that true?’ — ‘Yes, I am. Who is this?’
‘I represent the Alevy Family. We are a donor from California, and we are very interested in seeing your program succeed. How can we help make that happen?’
This becameAlevy Family Thermal Drone SchoolOperators trained for drone warcraft — when to fly, what they are seeing, and what the drone can and cannot do.
Critical missions involving Alevy Family Foundation drones
I flew our unit’s drone into a house and found 21 people inside surrendering via the drone. More than half of those captured were terrorists guilty of atrocities committed on October 7th.
The drone is nothing less than a lifesaver. It prevented us from entering a trapped house — and this even after a trained dog cleared it. We found 2 RPGs, one AK-47, and a large explosive hidden in the living room. If it weren’t for the drone, the entire team would have been wiped out. No less.
Using the very drone he was now turning in, he had saved the lives of more than eight Israeli soldiers. They had been mistakenly identified as enemy combatants and the orders to open fire were already in place. He halted the kill order moments before it was carried out.
Yahya Sinwar. Found & eliminated.
An Alevy-supplied EVO pilot, trained at the Elyakim school, tracked three suspects leaving a damaged building in Gaza and called in a strike. The next morning Chever Levanoni, trained at the LOTAR school, flew an Alevy-supplied Avata to confirm the unexpected.
Mohammed Deif. Rafa Salama. Found & eliminated.
Yehia Sinwar's final moments
After a month and a half of working together with all the units that took part in the planning and rescue — and with your tools — 4 of our hostages were rescued! Without your tools it would have been very difficult to accomplish our goals.
Heart & Soul
A second front, beginning Tuesday, October 24, 2023
“In war the morale is to the physical as three to one.”
Napoleon Bonaparte
The day after landing at Ben Gurion, Tzion and Menachem and their five children were on the road, on the strength of a letter from the Rebbe:
“…and may you succeed in going from soldier to soldier with all that is said above.”
By the end of the night — 1,081 helmets, 960 ceramic plates, and 638 vests distributed to 29 units.
On the scene: Shimon and his daughters Aliza and Miriam; Robin and Avrohom; Tzion and Menachem with Hadassa, Chezki, Tzvi, Miki, and Ruti; Joe, who conceived and helped organize the event, Almog, and Sunny.
Magic
Tomer Khafif, a sleight of hand magician, took leave from his job and flew to Israel. One commander put it best:
“Almost anyone can be trained to fight — but what you’re doing here and now? Only you can do this.”
Feeding the troops
Daniella Greenspan, in her own words: “All they wanted was a single hot meal — and that’s how a six-month journey began… Today, I have 80 new brothers and sisters.”
“Their letter — the one about having Jewish babies — it’s hanging in my Hummer. I see it all the time. Every time I look up, it’s right there. It reminds me why I’m here. Why we’re all here.”
At a checkpoint on the way to Kerem Shalom, no one was being allowed through. Then Menachem noticed the patch on the soldier’s arm — the Alevy patch. “Yeah? Well, we’re the Alevys.” And just like that, the blockade vanished.
Over a thousand visits to bases and soldier encampments all around the country.
This becameSoldier Morale: Heart & SoulGear keeps a soldier alive. Morale keeps him whole — music, hot meals, magic, and warm hugs, base after base.
December 25, 2023 · In recognition
While recognition from the highest levels of government is certainly affirming, nothing compares to the heartfelt gratitude we receive from the soldiers on the ground.
“What?! You’re the Alevys? I can’t believe it!”
This monument is dedicated to Allen and Deanna Alevy, whose extraordinary vision and actions transformed reality and saved lives during the “Iron Swords” war. Their support, generosity, and the essential equipment they donated laid the foundation that enabled the integration of advanced aerial observation systems into the battlefield — a change that reshaped the face of combat, including the establishment of the IDF’s first tactical school for drone operation. This monument stands as an eternal testament to the Alevys and their family’s profound belief in the resilience of the Jewish people and the importance of defending the State of Israel.
Mitkan Adam base
2024 — today
Still building
Projects funded by the Alevy Family Foundation
Combat has changed — and the IDF must change with it.
Today the family is advocating for a culture shift: supplied weaponry, gear, and tactics based on the realities on the ground, not bureaucratic manoeuvring, optics, or career trajectories.
Plugat Alevy
The IDF's first dedicated Drone Force Brigade, established with Division 146, which defends over 30 linear miles of northern border.
“A request for air force support can take more than four hours. That gap has now been bridged.”
FlyCart
Able to carry up to 85 lbs of ammunition, food, water, and medical kits precisely where troops need them. The family donated six to give the General Staff its proof of concept.
Mobile Fight Simulators
Two mobile classrooms, 14 participants each, with 3D mission-specific terrain — pilots rehearse the exact objective before they fly it.
“This equipment just saved twelve lives.”
Surrender by drone
A Mavic outfitted with a remote speaker lets Unit 504 broadcast surrender calls from a safe distance instead of walking a bullhorn into the kill zone.
Heven Drones · Urban X
22 Urban X drones delivered to frontline Drone Force units — an Israeli-made platform, because as Allen has argued since 1973, we can only rely on ourselves and Gd for salvation.
InTACT
A rifle-mounted device that recognises when a soldier is aiming at a comrade and alerts him before the trigger is pulled. In extended trials with the IDF. Up to a third of combat deaths come from friendly fire.
Racer FPV courses at Elyakim and LOTAR
“I would rather lose 3 soldiers in a Hummer than one because of one of these drones.”
When it was feared Hezbollah would field tens of thousands of racer-style suicide drones, parts of the IDF were paralyzed by optics. Today, through the Alevy Family's efforts, support and investment, a Racer FPV course is offered at Elyakim and another at LOTAR.
His job is high-risk — he climbs exposed towers to repair communications antennas, often well within enemy shooting range. Because he isn’t classified as a combat soldier, protocol said he didn’t require protective gear. Yoni waited five months. On May 10, 2025, his mother finally reached out. One week later we were able to supply him with lifesaving ceramic plates.
And then the question stops being about armor.
This becameLone Soldier FoundationThe soldier who has no home to go to when the fighting stops for Shabbos.
This becameBayit L’ChayalotA house that becomes that home.
The next generation drone fighter. In training now.
When it comes to commitment, our family is all in.
Shimon Greenspan
AFF President
Tzion Mark
AFF Administrator
Robin Greenspan
AFF Storyteller
Avrohom Greenspan
Drone / Soldier Liaison
Menachem Mark
Heart & Soul Troop Morale
Tomer Khafif
Heart & Soul Troop Morale
Ruti Mark
Chief Morale Booster
Miriam Greenspan
AFF Jr. Team
Miki Mark
AFF Jr. Team
Aliza Greenspan
AFF Jr. Team
Tzvi Mark
AFF Jr. Team
This may be the only page where you'll find their photograph, but if you look closely, you'll see their handprints everywhere. We, their children and grandchildren, have felt deeply privileged to carry forward their vital work in Israel. We are endlessly grateful—and profoundly proud—of the impact they've had during the Iron Swords War, and of all they have accomplished in service of our people. Their values, vision, and unwavering commitment to Israel and the Jewish people have guided and inspired everything we do. Their legacy is not just written in words, but in the lives they've touched and the light they continue to shine—one that will guide our family for generations to come. To future generations, in the words of Yehuda Bauer — "Thou shalt not be a victim, thou shalt not be a perpetrator, but, above all, thou shalt not be a bystander."
With all my love, Robin Greenspan
Why we do what we do
In memory of the more than 380 innocent Israelis murdered at the Nova festival on October 7th, 2023.