Even as they defend the State of Israel, some members of the Israel Defense Forces may find themselves lacking financial support from family and simple and inadequate rations of toiletries, personal items and food.

With this in mind, Shaving Israel was founded by a group of dedicated St. Louisans, including Rachel Miller, a Holocaust survivor and 2013 Jewish Light Unsung Hero. The goal of Shaving Israel is to supply Israeli soldiers with these much-needed personal supplies and food.

It’s soldiers like David Palatnik, who served in the IDF from 2009 to 2012, which Shaving Israel aims to help. Palatnik, a native of Bnei Brak, Israel (a town just outside of Tel Aviv), was a part of Oketz, or the IDF’s K-9 Unit. Along with his unit, Palatnik and his dog Shekel served on operations throughout Israel and the West Bank. He now owns a business in St. Louis with his brother and lives at the Next Dor house next to Central Reform Congregation. 

Palatnik will speak at Shaving Israel’s annual fundraiser on June 30. The Jewish Light spoke to him about his experience in Oketz and how organizations like Shaving Israel help IDF soldiers.

Why did you choose to work with the K-9 Unit during your service with the IDF?

Before you start the service you complete a test as to which unit you should go into. They test you for your shape, with both physical and non-physical tests, and then basically you apply to a certain number of units. I was really interested in the K9 Unit. Firstly, I like dogs—that was a main reason. Second, it’s just a very good unit and I’d heard about it before.

What is the training like to be in the K-9 Unit?

First, there is general training that every soldier goes through—like how to use a gun, and doing all these things, and then after that you go to your unit and you get your dog. There are official IDF dog trainers, but after your K-9 training you basically know how to train as well. Sometimes your dog changes, but most of the time you stay with the same dog throughout your time in that unit. I got Shekel, and he was 2 ½ years old. I stayed with him through the end.

What happens to a dog after his assigned soldier leaves the service?

He gets another soldier. Most of the dogs stay with between two or three soldiers during their career. Some of the dogs can still work even when they’re older, they’re still very good—but with some of the dogs, that doesn’t work out. It depends on the dog. Dogs are like humans, it’s up to each one. You can have the same dog from the same mom and they are very different. One works perfect, one could just be a problem.

Do you grow close to the dog you work with or is the relationship more about business and orders?

Oh, no, you get very involved. You really care. First, you need to care. In order for the dog to listen to you, you have to have a good connection with him. So in the beginning of the training, there’s a part that is just about getting used to the dog and having him get used to you. It could be a week, it could be a month. It just depends on the dog, and on you. Then you can start to give him orders. 

You were with Shekel for a long time. What is he like?

He’s very, very egoistic—in a very good way. He just cares about what he is doing, and what you tell him and he will never listen to anyone else. That’s good. It’s better that way. The enemy would never be able to tell him what to do because he would listen only to me. 

Shaving Israel and organizations like it work to provide resources to IDF. From your experience as a soldier, is there a lack of needs being met?

Yes, definitely. For example, we used to work a lot with the Marines. They used to come to our base. They have everything—you can see they have money. They have way better food, they have way better clothes, even their nametags are better! Now, obviously the IDF does not have as much money as this, and the money they do get is used for technology, for plans, new rockets. Money for the soldiers is not enough. [Organizations like Shaving Israel are] very helpful; you can see that a lot of the things that you get from organizations like Shaving Israel are necessities like food and clothes, but also things like headphones. It makes you think, ‘Hey, there are very nice Jewish people out there that care about us.’ And it’s just things to make your life better.