Over 100,000 soldiers to receive Bamba and Coke Thursday

For the past several years, youth from the Golan have taken part in a unique project: handing out packs of Coca-Cola and Bamba to soldiers nationwide, in memory of Major Yochai “Juha” Kalengel, who was killed in January 2015 by Hezbollah anti-tank fire while on patrol with his unit near the Lebanon border.

The initiative, “Operation Juha,” was started that same year by youth from the Golan Heights community Moshav Yonatan after an encounter with Kalengel’s father.

“They were on an organized trip in Gush Etzion and met the father for a discussion. He told them about Juha and his personality,” explained Alon Babihi, a Yonatan resident who organizes youth activities.

Kalengel’s father, who worked at a bank, explained that he had noticed a lot of particular charges on his son’s credit card for a specific amount but couldn’t figure out what it was. He later learned that his son, an officer, “would buy a Bamba and Cola for his soldiers when someone was down or unmotivated,” Babihi said.

After the conversation, someone hit on the idea of passing out Coke and Bamba to soldiers each year on Kalengel’s yahrzeit, the anniversary of his death, which occurred on the 8th of Shevat in the Hebrew calendar. This year, that date falls on Thursday, January 18.

“It started very small in the Golan, the youth bringing the snacks for soldiers and it grew and it grew. Last year we did 50,000 [packs] and this year we expect to give to 100,000 soldiers,” Babihi said.

The late Yochai “Juha” Kalengel, in an undated photo. (Facebook screen capture, used in accordance with Clause 27a of the Copyright Law)

The initiative, which is now a registered nonprofit, is still primarily organized by teens in Yonatan, along with Kalengel’s family and others. Several thousand volunteers are expected to participate on Thursday. The group accepts donations from various organizations and individuals, as well as from Osem, the company that manufactures Bamba, the iconic peanut-based snack.

The group prints out special stickers, which volunteers can attach to the Bamba and Coke. Most of the volunteers act on their own, passing out the snacks individually or from small tables or baskets they set up in locations where soldiers congregate.

“This year, more than ever, we would like to reach out to every soldier, reservist, wounded and member of the security forces, to boost their spirits and get a big hug from him. Everyone can take part and participate by encouraging and strengthening our soldiers and security forces. The magic of the operation is its simplicity – all you have to do is organize yourself with a Coke and a Bamba, go out into the street, to a train/bus station, to a nearby base — and give it to the first soldier you see,” the organizers said in a press release.

Under the hashtag “Bamba Coke Memory” the initiative has over the years reached out to Jewish communities around the world and maintains a Facebook page, Instagram account and Tik Tok channel.

Major Yochai “Juha” Kalengel was 25 when he fell in the line of duty and was survived by his wife and two daughters. One other soldier was killed in the 2015 attack, and seven wounded. Kalengel grew up in the Elazar settlement in Gush Erzion and lived in Har Gilo, just south of Jerusalem.