Question 1

What is The Shmira Project about?

Accepted Answer

It’s about supporting and protecting each other. We bring goodness and “Godness” down into the world.
For example, if a girl in New York does acts of kindness on behalf of a soldier she does not know, thousands of miles away, she increases our interconnectedness and unity. Think of our interconnectedness as a web of protection: each person to person connection makes one strand of the web. When we make the web stronger, we accomplish something amazing. Think of it as a “spiritual Iron Dome.”

Question 2

How does it work?

Accepted Answer

You input your name and email and receive the first name(s) and mother’s name of a soldier. Then you keep that soldier’s name in your mind as you pray, learn Torah, give charity, or do a kindness for someone. You are performing that deed on his/her behalf. It brings goodness into the world in his/ her merit.

Question 3

Who is participating?

Accepted Answer

All people can participate: Jews and non-Jews, religious and secular. People from all walks of life. 
Everyone can rally behind those who put themselves in danger to protect us. We all can express our gratitude.

Question 4

Why can’t we exchange the full names and contact info of the people involved?

Accepted Answer

It would be wonderful to establish positive contact between the soldier and participant. However, there are boundaries of security and personal privacy that need to be maintained.

Question 5

Does this cost money?

Accepted Answer

No. The ShmiraProject.com is completely free. Some people choose to give charity, others choose prayer or an action of kindness that does not involve money. There are limitless options to make the world a better place.

Question 6

What kind of act of kindness or spiritual deeds should I do?

Accepted Answer

The activities can be simple and creative. 
Here are some examples pulled from our website replies: giving charity, including a soldier in prayer at Shabbat candle lighting, learning Torah, volunteer for the homeless, babysit for free, Shabbat hospitality, say tehillim (psalms), make food for needy people, visit grandma.

Question 7

I am not religiously observant. How can I participate?

Accepted Answer

Focus on doing acts of kindness: give charity, feed someone, or give someone encouragement. These are spiritual deeds at their core. Also, simply remember that this program recognizes and demonstrates our gratitude. Gratitude is universally appreciated.

Question 8

How long do I need to do my act of kindness or mitzvah (prayer, etc.)?

Accepted Answer

This is a short term project. Once calm is restored to the region, we will notify you to stop.

Question 9

How did this program get started?

Accepted Answer

The original Elef LaMateh IDF prayer matching program was started by Rav Simcha HaCohen Kook in 2006 in response to the Second Lebanon War. The Rav then joined with the Bostoner Rebbe, zt’l, in 2009 for the Gaza Operation, Cast Lead. It was continued in 2014 by the efforts of a mother of a Lone Soldier in the paratroopers and a dedicated team located in Baltimore, Maryland. Now in 2023 there is an international team, with a nucleus in Israel, who is working on this project.

Question 10

Is there any Biblical or historical precedent to this in terms of helping to protect soldiers?

Accepted Answer

There is the Biblical concept of Elef L’mateh. When going out to war against Midyan, 1000 men from each tribe in the desert were chosen as soldiers and 1000 from each tribe were tasked to study in their merit. (Numbers 31:5) 
On a spiritual level, “Kol Yisrael arevim zeh b’zeh” “All Jews are responsible for one another” (Talmud, Shevuot 39A). It is the mystical paradigm that we are intertwined with each other on a very deep level – regardless of how far apart we are physically. An “arev” is a guarantor: we have signed on to be spiritual guarantors for each other.
Furthermore, spiritual connectivity runs across geographic borders and time zones. We can build a web of positivity and protection: a spiritual Iron Dome.

Question 11

Why have a match between individuals, rather than pray or do good deeds for the people of Israel in general?

Accepted Answer

The matches increase our awareness of individual efforts. When we know the names of those people who are ill, for example, we try our best to indicate the exact name in our prayers. This program follows that paradigm.

Question 12

Is my data secure?

Accepted Answer

Yes, your data is secure on Wix. The platform employs a dedicated security team and adheres to high international privacy and security standards, with certifications like PCI DSS Level 1 and ISO 27001. They have robust data encryption measures for data in transit and at rest, and undergo regular security assessments such as penetration testing and real-time monitoring to identify and mitigate potential threats. Additionally, they have business continuity and disaster recovery plans in place to ensure operational resilience and data protection.

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