Small Business, Big Sacrifice: A Reserve Soldier's Story

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Volunteer in Civilian Command Center, Called Up for Reserves – Forced to Leave Business Idle

Eran Spiegel, a 47-year-old father of three from Tel Mond, is the owner of YOOZ, a young company that specializes in eco-friendly reusable products. The company was founded just a year and a half ago, and Spiegel had been working hard to build it up. However, his efforts have been put on hold as he has been called up for reserve duty under Order 8 since the recent conflict.

"We just launched our website three months ago and were starting to gain momentum," Spiegel said. "But now, with me being called up for reserves, sales have completely stopped and the business has been forced to shut down."

YOOZ's mission is to help people adopt a more sustainable lifestyle by providing high-quality, stylish reusable products. "My goal in starting the company was to create a business that could help us and the environment we live in," Spiegel explained. "It's not easy to change people's habits, and it's definitely still a big challenge. But I believe that change is necessary, and my goal is to make it easy and accessible for everyone. I want to encourage people to adopt a reusable lifestyle by offering them great products that they can use again and again."

Spiegel's predicament highlights the challenges faced by small businesses when their owners are called up for reserve duty. The Israeli government provides some financial assistance to reservists, but it is often not enough to cover the full cost of lost income. In Spiegel's case, the sudden closure of his business has put a strain on his family's finances.

"I'm in a very difficult situation," Spiegel said. "I'm not only worried about the financial impact of this, but I'm also concerned about the future of my business. I don't know how long I'll be called up for reserves, and I'm afraid that by the time I get back, it will be too late to save my company."

Spiegel's story is a reminder of the sacrifices that reservists make to serve their country. But it also raises questions about the responsibility of the government to support those who are called up for duty. Spiegel and other reservists like him deserve to know that their livelihoods will not be jeopardized when they answer the call to serve