Skokie high school students bake to support Israeli soldiers amid Hamas conflict

SKOKIE, Ill. - A Skokie high school has turned to baking to help Israeli soldiers on the front lines.

To date, they have raised more than $2,000, which is going directly to military supplies.

One of their teachers is visiting Israel right now and desperate to get home. While she waits for a flight, she's rounding up her own troops at home – the students to turn baked goods into profits.

"We happened to be outside on the balcony first when we heard those second sirens and we could see the missiles in the air, we could actually see them," said Alise Gold.

Gold, a teacher at Skokie's Ida Crown Jewish Academy, was in Jerusalem with family when missiles began flying overhead.

"I had a text from one of the girls saying, 'We need to do something, what can we do,'" Gold said.

In that moment, they cooked up a plan. The students would sell baked goods, and with the money raised, Gold would buy supplies.

"They had asked for baby wipes, batteries, flashlights, deodorant, tuna, protein bars, peanut butter," Gold said.

"We're sending the money that we're making, and she's single-handedly going and buying the supplies and driving it up to the army bases," said Jordana Zwelling, senior.

In addition, the students are sending these letters to Israeli troops, offering messages of hope and support.

"She (a student) wrote a letter to one of the soldiers, she gave her WhatsApp number in the letter and said please give me your name so I can pray for you. He sent her back a voice note telling her how meaningful that letter was and just like it was beautiful," Gold said.

"It's hard seeing everything on the news and pictures my family is sending me, so doing this makes me feel like I’m contributing," said Talia Linzer, junior.

"For them to actually see it go somewhere and see who's getting it and see how meaningful it is means so much," Gold added.

Gold and her family have secured a route home. After two flights and 19 hours of layovers, they should be back in Skokie by Tuesday.