Speaking exclusively to the JC, Gordon Biggerstaff, from North Wales, explains why he felt the overwhelming need to help his "Jewish brothers".
Jobs include packing and unpacking boxes to free up reservists time (Image: Leigh Humpage)[Missing Credit]
"The day after October 7, I saw the people celebrating in Birmingham on Library Square," he says. "They were dancing and they were singing. I have never been so ashamed of my country.
"The police and the government did nothing about it and they have done nothing since. I thought 'they don't represent me', and I needed to do something about it."
"I immediately looked into volunteering and found Sar-El. The earliest they could fit me in was January 2024. I have been going back for two-week placements every 12 weeks since."
At home, Biggerstaff is a private nurse, in Israel he takes out the bins. He also cooks, cleans and packs supply boxes.
"Whatever I can do to free up the reserves’ time," Biggerstaff says. "Me being there means some Israeli lad can go back to working or studying or being with his family."
Another volunteer is Naomi Murray, a retiree from Dorset who spends her time at home on her allotment. When she goes to Israel, she uses her pruning skills to help the IDF maintain its outposts, keeping them weed-free.
At home Gordon Biggerstaff is a private nurse, in Israel, he does whatever is needed (Image: Gordon Biggerstaff)[Missing Credit]
As well as gardening, Murray packs medical kits and rucksacks, paints and has been stationed on the Lebanese border to provide support to troops.
"Really any job that needs to be done that frees up the reserve soldiers, I've had a go at and done my best," she says.
Despite coming from different backgrounds, all four of the volunteers say they joined Sar-El for the same reason - to help fight injustice.
That’s an evil with which Simms, who is originally from South Africa, says she is all too familiar.
"I've got a very strong sense of it," she tells us. "Having grown up in South Africa through apartheid, you get a good feeling of the injustices that are done.
"The strong sense of injustice just rises up in you so much that you can't ignore it and suddenly you wonder why no one else can see what is going on. It gets to a point where you think 'I have to do something about it'.
"When you go to Israel for the first time as a volunteer, you see their hearts are hurting because they think the world is against them."
Sar-El volunteers can only do logistic work for the IDF (Image: Leigh Humpage)[Missing Credit]
As well as Sar-El volunteers helping Israel directly through their work, they also pride themselves on being active in the local economy, supporting Israeli businesses day-to-day.
"All Hamas needs to do to fund its war is not give it to the people, not build hospitals, and instead spend it on guns and ammunition," says Biggerstaff. Israel, on the other hand, funds its war through taxation.
"When I am there, I am contributing to the economy. On my weekends, I will go down and I will eat food, and I will go to the bars and buy things. It all helps."
Sar-El volunteers are only allowed to help the IDF with logistics and are not allowed to fight but, asked if he would sign up for a combat role, Biggerstaff replies with a resounding "yes".
Another volunteer, who wishes to remain anonymous, tells us of her fears that, even if Israel eliminates Hamas, it will one day come back.
Citing Hezbollah and its influence in Lebanon, she says: "I've seen it with my own eyes. I was in Lebanon and there were small kids saying Jewish people are dogs.
"I heard their mother ask the kids 'what do you think about the Jews?' and the kids said 'we need to kill the Jews, the Jews are dogs, the Jews are pigs'."
Sar-El has had nearly 2,000 volunteers from the UK since the October 7 massacre (Image: Leigh Humpage)[Missing Credit]
Leigh Humpage, the Sar-El representative for the UK, adds: "In future times, all of us will look back at this time, which is a historic, critical time in Israel's history and think 'what did I do as a human being to make a difference', and I know every single Sar-El volunteer Jewish or non-Jewish is making a huge one."
Since speaking to the JC, Biggerstaff is back in Israel on his latest two-week placement and Simms has her tickets booked.
