Larry Olschwanger is in a reflective mood. The current chair of the Israel Bonds National Campaign Advisory Council, Olschwanger’s three-year term has spanned what has arguably been the most tumultuous – and harrowing – phase in Israel’s history.

Seven months after accepting one of Israel Bonds’ most significant leadership roles in March 2023 at an international conference in Washington, DC, Hamas launched its horrific October 7 assault. In the immediate aftermath, Olschwanger rose to the moment when Israel Bonds undertook the largest emergency campaign since its founding.

After a ceasefire was reached in Gaza nearly two years later, a tenuous calm ensued, and the Israel Bonds campaign returned to relative normalcy. Then, says Olschwanger, on the morning of February 28, “I woke up and saw numerous text and WhatsApp messages. I quickly turned on the news, and saw that Roaring Lion and Epic Fury had begun.”

It was a renewed call to action for Olschwanger, who again rose to the moment with determination and purpose. Israel was at war with its arch foe, and the Bonds organization was rapidly mobilizing a new global initiative to generate additional billions in economic support.


Larry Olschwanger with Israeli President Isaac Herzog at Beit HaNassi

The Arc of a Journey

The arc of the journey that led Olschwanger to his major advocacy role during a singular inflection point for Israel began in a small village in northern Germany. It was from there, in the 1880s, that his great-grandfather made his way to the United States, settling in St. Louis and opening a shoe store.

The Olschwangers quickly contributed to their new community, helping to establish B’nai Amoona Synagogue, which opened in 1884 and remains the largest Conservative synagogue in St. Louis. Over a 130 years later, Larry Olschwanger spoke at his great-grandfather’s synagogue on behalf of Israel Bonds, calling it “a deeply meaningful experience.”

The family moved to Mt. Pleasant, Texas, but ultimately returned to St. Louis. His grandfather subsequently brought the family back to Texas in 1950, settling in Dallas, where Larry Olschwanger was born 14 years later. “I grew up in a very Zionist household. We kept kosher, and my father put on tefillin every day. He would always make positive comments about Israel, and when I saw stories about Israel on television, I always felt a sense of pride.”

“I had Tears in My Eyes”

While proud of Israel since childhood, Olschwanger did not make his first visit to the Jewish state until 2010. “I decided it was time to go,” he recalls. It was a family trip, with his wife Donna – born in Dallas to Israeli parents and, although she had visited her Israeli family each summer, hadn’t been back since she was a teenager – their children, Megan and Jordan, and two other families.

Upon landing at Ben-Gurion Airport, Olschwanger was overcome with emotion. “I looked out the airplane window and had tears in my eyes. I couldn’t believe I was here. It was life-changing. Everyone was Jewish. I’d never been in that kind of environment before. I felt like I was home.”

The trip became the catalyst for his Israel Bonds participation. Upon returning home, Kenny Goldberg, a fellow Texan and national Bonds leader, “saw how the trip changed me. It was through Kenny, my Israel Bonds mentor, that I became active.”

He continues: “I had always purchased Israel bonds for my kids during the High Holidays, so I had the connection. Now, I decided, I’m getting involved. I may be late to the game, but I’m going to make a difference. That’s when I became a member of the Dallas Israel Bonds Advisory Council.”


Larry and Donna Olschwanger with Talie and UN Ambassador Danny Danon

Passionate, Proactive, Creative and Persistent

Demonstrating a leadership style Olschwanger describes as “passionate, proactive, creative and persistent,” he steadily rose through the Israel Bonds hierarchy. Then, in March 2023, some 140 years after his great-grandfather embarked on the path leading to this moment, Olschwanger stood before assembled Bonds leaders in Washington, DC, accepting the position of chair of the Israel Bonds National Campaign Advisory Council.

Olschwanger promised his audience he would “work hard and not let you down.” Over the course of his chairmanship, he has fulfilled that promise many times over, most especially in the aftermath of October 7. Upon hearing the terrifying news, Olschwanger felt “disbelief, sick to my stomach and helpless.”

He immediately realized, “We were going to have to step up to the plate. It was non-stop. We tried to do our part as lay leaders to initiate Israel Bonds campaigns and facilitate sales. Between October 7 and the end of the year, we – leadership, staff and investors at every level – had secured over $1 billion for Israel.”


Reflecting at the site of the Nova massacre 

The following March, Olschwanger was among international Bonds leaders participating in a solidarity delegation that included visits to Kibbutz Kfar Aza and the tragic site of the Nova music festival. “It was so much worse than I imagined. When you go into someone’s home and see hundreds of bullet holes, you cannot prepare yourself for that. Talking to survivors, you can’t imagine how horrible it was. It’s nothing you can describe. The delegation affirmed for me that whatever we’re doing for Israel and the Jewish people, we have to do more.”

He fully realized the depth of Israel’s appreciation for the Bonds enterprise when, in the midst of intense fighting, “Prime Minister Netanyahu heard we were in Israel and asked to meet with us. We gathered in his conference room, and he spoke with us for over 90 minutes. It was such a memorable moment.” He cites Netanyahu, as well as Golda Meir, as the Israeli leaders who inspire him the most.

Energized and Determined

He returned from the delegation “energized and determined to do whatever I could to financially support our brothers and sisters in Israel. I really believe that the most direct, impactful way of achieving this is through investing in Israel bonds. It’s just that simple.”

Olschwanger’s term as chair concludes in a few weeks, and will coincide with the 75th anniversary of the launching of Israel Bonds. Olschwanger asserts the organization’s leadership, staff and international network of supporters have much to be proud of, particularly securing, thus far, $6 billion for Israel post-October 7.

Now, Israel is again at war, taking on Iran in concert with the US, while battling Hezbollah in the north. Additionally, Israel is internationally vilified, and antisemitism is rampant. When asked what he would say to those who are pessimistic about Israel’s future, Olschwanger, who also chairs the AIPAC North Texas Executive Council, and supports the Israel Economic Forum, responds, “I would tell them why I’m so proud of Israel. It doesn’t come from a religious conviction. I truly believe that if Israel had been around in the 1940s, the Holocaust might not have happened. The Jewish people have a place to go because of Israel. If Israel is there, we’re good.”

Larry Olschwanger sums up his feelings with heartfelt conviction: “I’m a salesman for the State of Israel. It’s a beacon of hope, and made the world a better place. Every day, I brag about Israel. I’m passionate. My life has been made so much better because of my Israel Bonds involvement. I’ve gotten back way more than I’ve given.”


Larry Olschwanger says he is “so proud to help make a difference for my  beloved Israel. It is an honor and a privilege.”

(Photos courtesy of Larry Olschwanger)