“We came to offer support, but I feel like they’re the ones
giving us strength,” a young ultra-Orthodox man told former hostages Keith and
Aviva Siegel. The couple described the harsh reality of captivity in Gaza and
their growing connection to religion.
In another video, the same man is seen with IDF lookout Liri
Albag, who teaches him how to make a precise heart shape with his hands. In
another clip, he presents Emily Damari with a new luxury BMW, donated by a U.S.
Jewish community.
His name is Shai Graucher, an Israeli businessman whose
phone number has been in high demand among soldiers, commanders and evacuees
since the war began, as they seek assistance in securing supplies such as
coats, generators, phones and chargers.
Now, Graucher is visiting former hostages and their
families, offering them encouragement and gifts — laptops, smartwatches,
high-end headphones and approximately $10,000 in cash. Some of these meetings
were documented and went viral online, even making it to news broadcasts.
Others were kept private at the request of the hostages or
bereaved families. Graucher sees his work not only as charity but as a mission
— to show “the beautiful face of the Jewish people.”
“At my father’s funeral, I made a commitment without
realizing what I was predicting,” said Graucher, who leads a charity movement
under the Klal Yisrael – Chesed v’Rachamim organization.
“I promised to continue my father’s path of giving. I knew I
wanted to carry on his work, to care for widows and orphans. I was in a deep depression
and this is what brought me back to life —continuing his legacy.
“After he passed, we learned how much he did for families,
things that no words can describe. I didn’t leave the house after he died, but
when the war started, I realized I needed to act and do good again.”
Graucher’s father, David “Dedi” Graucher, was a well-known
singer in the ultra-Orthodox community, famous for his religious music hits and
his ability to connect donors with major charitable initiatives.
He was deeply involved in helping orphans and widows. He
died three weeks before the October 7 massacre, and his son, who had considered
following in his footsteps, suddenly saw the need for this work at an
unprecedented level.
Inspiring others to give
Graucher, 35, lives in Jerusalem with his wife and five
children. He studied at the Nehora and Derech Chochma yeshivas. He runs a VIP
travel agency catering to wealthy Jewish clients in the U.S., through which he
has built relationships with the upper echelons of American Jewish communities.
Beyond business, he connects them to social, Zionist and volunteer initiatives
in Israel.
“I have a VIP travel agency. My clients are extremely
wealthy U.S. Jews traveling to Israel for vacations, family visits or events.
They usually send me a WhatsApp message with their needs, and then don’t have
to worry about a thing,” he explained. “I arrange their first-class flights,
transportation, hotels, attractions, private chefs, babysitters — everything
they need.”
Six years in the industry allowed him to form deep
connections. He frequently travels to clients’ celebrations and meetings in the
U.S. and hosts them when they visit Israel. “On October 7, it was Simchat
Torah. Many of my clients and acquaintances were in Israel for the holidays.
After experiencing the massacre firsthand, they felt uncomfortable returning
home without contributing.
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“Some left me checks
for $50,000 or $100,000, asking me to put the funds toward the war effort.
That’s how we started — by providing equipment for soldiers, helping evacuees
and addressing urgent needs.”
Did this effort begin on October 7?
“No. People don’t realize that Klal Yisrael — the
organization that scaled up our wartime efforts — started back in 2017. A few
families banded together to support terror victims, civilians and soldiers,
giving each family $10,000 and essential supplies. We also provided food
baskets to the needy, medical treatments — whatever we could to help.
“Everything was done quietly, away from the cameras. Since
the war started, our efforts have expanded dramatically. We’ve visited 970
bereaved families since October 7, going door to door, offering financial
support and gifts to those who lost loved ones to terror and war.”
Some critics on social media question why you document and
publicize donations instead of keeping them private. Does this concern you?
“First, we never make donations conditional on filming or publicity. But we
realized that when families agree, documenting these moments has value.
“The main goal is to show national unity. As a Haredi man
visiting families from all sectors of Israeli society — especially after the
divisiveness before October 7 — I wanted to demonstrate that we can put our
differences aside and support one another. We must unite as one people. That’s
why we started this movement on October 8.”
He added, “There’s another important aspect. Before the war,
donors would sometimes contribute large sums and later say, ‘We never saw where
the money went.’ By documenting and sharing, they see their contributions
making an impact — bringing joy to someone, helping someone in need. That
motivates them to keep donating and inspires others to give as well.”
Closing the circle
Inspiration can come from unexpected places. “A few months
ago, a girl preparing for her bat mitzvah saw our videos online and got an
idea,” he recalled. “She told her father she didn’t want a big party with
friends and family in a hall. Instead, she wanted to donate the money and buy
iPhones for soldiers.”
“A year ago, she reached out and said, ‘I want to distribute
iPhones with Shai.’ We went together, handed them out and she was thrilled.
Believe me, I don’t need fame. I was close to Rabbi Chaim Kanievsky, my father
was famous — I don’t need the publicity.”
Graucher often finds himself finding closures. “Yonatan
Azulay, the best friend of Eliya Cohen — who was recently freed from captivity
— was murdered at the Nova music festival massacre. We visited his family to
see if they needed anything. We were at their shiva and his mother, Linda, told
an incredible story,” he recounted.
“She was widowed 18
years ago when her husband died of illness. Her brother was [Benjamin]
Netanyahu’s driver and my father sent money through him to help her after she
became a widow. My father was even investigated over this, which pained him
deeply because he was just trying to do good. But we never knew the full
story.”
The bereaved mother shared that her son, Yonatan, had always
wanted to donate a Torah scroll in memory of his late father. “She told me this
on the 30th day after his passing and they had a Torah scroll in their name
within 48 hours,” Graucher said. “We offered them gifts — AirPods, a laptop —
but they wanted only one thing: a Torah scroll.”
He recounted other emotional moments: “We took freed
hostages and their families to Ramat Aviv Mall for a private shopping
experience. We closed down the stores after hours, so they had it to
themselves, letting them pick out clothes and shoes.”
“We covered half a million shekels’ worth of purchases
($137,784). Our goal is to spread joy, to connect these generous American
donors with Israeli society and to show how much kindness and unity exist
within our people.”
