"Meir's Spirit Will Continue to Accompany Us": CEO of 'Yedidim' on the Legendary Founder

The devastating news last Saturday night about the passing of Meir Weiner, the founder of the 'Yedidim' organization, shocked everyone who heard it. It was not just the tragedy of his sudden death at age 43 due to a heart attack, but also the realization that a man of kindness, who symbolized the bond between different sectors and loved all people, is no longer with us.

In a conversation with Israel Elmasi, CEO of 'Yedidim', he candidly says: "I can't believe Meir is gone," and shares their remarkable acquaintance: "Meir founded the organization in 2006, during the tail end of the second Intifada. Back then, he had a kiosk at the entrance of Modiin Illit, connected with every resident passing by, often stopped and asked: 'Do you have cables?' or 'Do you have water for the radiator?', and so on. Meir helped everyone as much as he could, making him realize the great need for professional volunteering in the field. Already in the days of the MIRS devices, he decided to create a group, naming it 'Yedidim', to gather volunteers around him to assist drivers on the road with anything they needed. This is how the historical 'Yedidim' organization was established."

(Photo: Yedidim PR) Israel Elmasi, CEO of 'Yedidim'

Six years passed until Elmasi joined. "It happened in 2012 when I got stuck without cables, and no driver stopped to help," he recounts. "While waiting on the road, I thought of creating a road initiative to help drivers. Those days, I wasn’t familiar with Meir and 'Yedidim', but started promoting the idea. About a month into the initiative, a friend asked me: 'Have you heard of Yedidim?' When I replied no, he said, 'I must connect you with Meir Weiner.' That's how I was introduced to 'Yedidim', with 1,000 volunteers back then, dispersed nationwide, which couldn’t offer help everywhere, anytime, and quickly. I joined the initiative and our ideas merged."

Here Elmasi reaches the touching part of the story: "Sometimes people feel uncomfortable with someone joining them and supposedly taking credit for their work, but Meir, in his humility, told me: 'Israel, take the 'Yedidim' organization and reinvent it as you understand and to your capability.' With the help of Hashem, we were graced with much success; 'Yedidim' underwent a transformation, and now we have 65,000 volunteers across the country. The organization not only assists drivers but also engages in extensive charitable activities, offering a wide range of support under the heading 'Non-Medical First Aid'.

Help for Every Person

Today, it's hard to find someone in Israel who hasn't heard of 'Yedidim' or encountered them when in need on the road. Thanks to the vast number of volunteers stationed everywhere, aid arrives swiftly and touches hearts every time anew.

"What always moves us is receiving feedback from people outside the religious community," notes Elmasi. "They tell us about the significant help they received from an organization led by religious individuals, expressing how touched and pleased they were. This is the essence of 'Yedidim' - assistance offered to all sectors of Israeli society, without any distinctions. For example, a 'doss' from Bnei Brak might assist a secular girl from Tel Aviv. These are truly moving images that can’t be found anywhere else.

(Photo: Courtesy of the family) Meir Weiner

Still, like any organization, 'Yedidim' faced many challenges and difficulties over the years. "Our first challenge was to enlist people to the idea and make them understand the straightforward notion that when they give, they are really receiving first," clarifies Elmasi. "It was important for us to convey to our volunteers the sense of mission: 'to give only with thought for the other, thinking of how I can help them.'

"Now it seems understood and expected, but when we were looking for volunteers, we had to tread between cities, neighborhoods, and authorities to recruit as many people as possible for an idea that wasn’t yet widely recognized. The challenge wasn’t just recruiting volunteers, but also retaining them, and in this too, with the help of Hashem, we are wonderfully succeeding."

Fighting for the Front

Recently, following the Iron Swords War, 'Yedidim' volunteers found themselves busier than ever. "On the Shabbat of the surprise attack, we opened our call center for the first time since its inception on Shabbat," describes Elmasi. "We were always closed on Shabbat, but this time, by Rabbi Lau's order, we opened it due to the situation of saving lives. The number of cases we handled broke all possible records; on Shabbat alone, we dealt with more than 17,000 inquiries, including issues like activating shelters, mending and fixing shelter doors, etc. Additionally, in the Gaza envelope, we were the first to send our jeep unit to Reim and aid in evacuating the dead from the area. ZAKA packaged them, and we transported them from point to point. We also helped transport tens of thousands of soldiers from homes to bases due to a lack of public transportation. Witnessing everyone coming together was amazing, and we are still on high alert, working on three main channels: the first is boosting morale through unifying events that strengthen the spirit; the second focuses on home front resilience, including shelter maintenance and other necessary measures; and the third operates in the field, providing assistance to frontline fighters."

And how do you intend to continue, after the founder's passing?

"This is a tough question. Truly, it's not easy to continue without Meir's amazing spirit, but precisely because of the inspiration we gained from him for many years, it's clear to us we'll continue in the same spirit, as this is his legacy and the essence of our organization."