Triangle letters arrived to IDF soldiers in Gaza: greetings from World War II veterans

“Dear World War II veterans! Your letter touched me, making me think about the past once again and feel like a part of centuries-old Jewish history. Your words of support give me strength, I feel like you are standing behind me like a wall. Your faith in us will help Israel win.” These words were written by reservist Yair Openheimer, who was mobilized into the army after the Hamas attack on October 7, in response to a letter from a veteran folded into a triangle that reached Gaza. She told Vesti about an unusual way to support IDF fighters Mila Shpil, Deputy Chairman of the Union of World War II Veterans – Fighters against Nazism.

More than 400 letters, folded in triangles, as during the Second World War, were received by soldiers and officers of the Israel Defense Forces – participants in the October 7 war.

The initiative to support soldiers at the front with letters from the rear is not new, but in one of the branches of the Israeli Veterans Union an original idea was born – to send triangle letters to soldiers, as was done in the past, when there were no stamps or envelopes.

The Union of Veterans of the Second World War and Fighters Against Nazism is a public organization uniting former soldiers of the Allied armies. The organization was founded in 1977 by Chaim Laskov, ex-chief of the IDF General Staff, participant in World War II. The organization includes participants in military operations against Nazism, residents of besieged Leningrad, civilians during the war, widows of war participants, home front workers, ghetto prisoners, all victims of the Holocaust and members of their families.

When Hamas attacked Israel on October 7, 2023 and thousands of Israelis were called up to the front, the Veterans Union joined the work of the municipalities of 50 cities in which the organization has branches and began to provide assistance to the army. A lot of money was collected and transferred to the soldiers, choir groups of the Union of Veterans held concerts and continue to perform for soldiers leaving Gaza for a short rest.

At a meeting of the central council of the Union of Veterans, it was decided to write an appeal to support the IDF soldiers fighting in Gaza. The chairman of the Union of Veterans, Abraham Grinzaid, and his deputy, Mila Shpil, drew up the text of the appeal, which was later approved at a congress of representatives of the union branches.

The appeal to the soldiers was written in Russian and then translated into Hebrew. Since it is already difficult for elderly veterans to hold a pen, and not everyone can write in Hebrew, the text of the front-line news was printed on a printer.

But how can you make letters from veterans stand out from others and immediately catch your eye? And then I remembered the front-line news of World War II – triangle letters sent by soldiers from the front without an envelope or stamp and delivered to the addressee free of charge.

At one time, these triangles became a symbol of World War II, and each corner of such a letter carried another meaning – faith, hope, love.

Mila Shpil says: to help veterans with preparing letters, she turned to 10th grade students at the Tikhon Amit Kvutsat-Yavne school, where she works as a teacher. According to her, this school year they are studying the history of World War II. The schoolchildren were shown slides from the history of the war and photos of letters from that time. “With great zeal, they began to fold pieces of paper into triangles, gluing 2 stickers on each message,” says Mila and adds: “One of them explains what this type of news is associated with, the second – who it came from.”

More than 400 soldiers have already received such triangle letters. Among them are 23 teachers from the above-mentioned school. Mila Shpil herself came to checkpoints in Sderot and border kibbutzim and handed over triangle letters to the soldiers. In addition, many school students took it upon themselves to deliver letters to their family and friends who were called up to the front, as well as to their neighbors on the front line.

One of the deputies, living in a kibbutz in the south of the country, helped Mila contact the officers, thanks to which another 300 letters of support will be distributed to soldiers in combat positions in the next few days.

►What is written in the triangle letter

The triangle letter, which is opened with surprise by many soldiers who are not accustomed to this form of correspondence, says: “We, the Union of Veterans of the Second World War, residents of besieged Leningrad, prisoners of the ghetto, all victims of the most terrible massacre of the 20th century – the Second World War – war against Nazism, we appeal to you, our children and grandchildren, sons and daughters of Israel, to you who stood shoulder to shoulder in the fight against the scum of fascism of the 21st century.

78 years ago, representatives of our generation contributed to the victory over fascism, and today you, continuers of the exploits of your grandfathers and great-grandfathers, are fighting against the brutal fanatics – the Hamas terrorists. We admire your heroism on the battlefield and are proud of your dedication to military duty. We are touched to the depths of our souls by your boundless love for our small but proud homeland – Israel.”

In the following lines of the letter, the veterans compare the IDF soldiers to the Maccabees and express confidence that the brave warriors will be able to protect the Israeli state from the worst enemy of the Jews throughout the world.

The appeal ends with the following words: “We are confident in the victory of Israel and the return to their homeland of the captured civilians of our country – children, old people, women, men who were kidnapped from their homes on that black, bloody Saturday. With all our hearts we wish each of you to return home with victory healthy and unharmed. We love you with all our hearts.”