Israeli soldiers have no beef with biltong

“You don’t know how much it helps. It gives us a boost of energy when we need it.” Based on this and other rave reviews from a growing number Israeli soldiers, it’s clear that biltong is fast becoming a staple for members of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF).

It’s tasty, compact, and doesn’t need to be refrigerated – ideal for soldiers craving a protein-rich snack. It almost seems inevitable that biltong would become a South African IDF hero. And it’s not just those with South African roots who are talking about it.

Michelle Nathan, events and volunteer co-ordinator at Telfed, the absorption organisation for South Africans in Israel, recently met injured Israeli soldier Elisha on a visit to Tel HaShomer Hospital in Tel Aviv with colleagues.

“Elisha is a double amputee with six children,” says Nathan. “He heard our accents, asked where we were from, and then told us how much he loves biltong, especially now, as he’s struggling to meet his daily protein intake.” Struck by his story, Nathan and her colleagues decided to surprise Elisha with ten packets of biltong when they returned to visit another soldier at the hospital a week later.

“Biltong is easy for soldiers to carry while they’re in the field,” Nathan says. “It’s light and delicious, and it’s been fun to share some South African flavours with our amazing soldiers.”

Meaghan Fisher, who made aliya with her family from South Africa in 2010, agrees. She’s been volunteering to help soldiers throughout the war, sourcing them anything they need, from underwear to snacks.

Along the way, she heard about Ariel Geffen, a South African expat living in Modiin, who was using donations to make biltong for soldiers. Biltong wasn’t initially well known in Israel, she says, but it’s suddenly burst onto the scene.

When she gave a batch of Geffen’s biltong to the Yamas unit – one of the units upon which popular Israeli TV series Fauda is based – Fisher says one soldier said he didn’t expect to enjoy it. “Many said the taste that was unique and it wasn’t something that they got used to straight away.” Yet once they did, they never looked back.

“It gives me a warm feeling that I’m able to share something from the home I was born in with the home I live in,” Fisher says.

For Geffen and his wife, Maxine, who together produced and distributed more than 60kg of biltong to soldiers – more than 1 000 individual 60g bags – this project was an ideal way to show their support. Geffen, the son of caterer Shelley Geffen, has long been a foodie and periodically produced and sold biltong prior to 7 October. Stuck overseas following the massacre, he and Maxine immediately began to consider how they could give back upon their return.

“At the time, the biggest challenge the troops were facing was getting good protein in the field,” Geffen says. “They were given rations in the army, mostly of tuna, or what they call ‘kabanos’, which are long, thin, dried beef or chicken sausages. So, we thought about biltong as we had everything that we needed to make it. I built a relatively big machine, and pulled out my old machine to raise the capacity.”

The couple began raising funds in their WhatsApp groups, and initially distributed bags to friends and community members who had volunteered to return to the army and or were in the miluim (reserves). “It snowballed from there.

“Aside from South Africans, people from all backgrounds – Israelis, Americans, Canadians – reached out to me as they’d tasted biltong or knew about it from a friend. Mothers who were looking for something to send to their kids in the army also contacted me.”

The couple purchased quantities of meat based on how much money they’d raised and how much freezer space was available. “Luckily, the butcher gave me a fixed, lower price on the meat because it was for soldiers,” Geffen says.

Yet, the biltong-making process was time consuming. It took hours to break down a giant piece of meat, which is what they were buying. “We were breaking it down, trimming it up, seasoning it, and letting it marinate. Then we’d hang it for three or four days, check when it was ready, and then cut slices and package them. We would hand-write on each bag that it was kosher, and include a short message like ‘am Yisrael chai’. It was rewarding when soldiers sent us their feedback and photos.”

However, ultimately, making biltong and maintaining a full-time job became too demanding, and Geffen was forced to take a break. However, he’s still part of a distinctly South African meat tradition, joining men from his community who braai for soldiers.

Raising money to buy and send kosher biltong to Israel from South Africa, Cape Town based Martine Trope and her niece, Olivia Diamond, run Operation Biltong Boost for IDF soldiers. Diamond got the idea from her mentor on an Ohrsom Israel tour, and enlisted Trope’s help. Trope secured the services of kosher butcher Stanley Norrie, who gives her a good price and divides the biltong into easily transportable 50g bags.

“The biggest problem is getting the biltong to Israel,” she says. “I’ve taken some, and we scatter it in people’s bags when they agree to take it with them. From there, the biltong is delivered to two ladies in Jerusalem who distribute it. We’ve heard that there’s a huge need and ideally, we’d like to send over boxes of biltong, but it’s got to be cost effective.”

In spite of the challenges, Trope remains focused on her mission. “These kids going into the army could be my children. They’re heroes. They believe in Israel, and they’re doing it for all Jews around the world. There isn’t much we can do here, so if we can do something small that will touch them directly, that’s what I want to do.”