For many years Jacob Sztokman, an Australian who made aliyah in 1993, spent time traveling for work. It was his trip to Mumbai, one of India’s largest cities, which changed his life in ways he never truly anticipated. Visitors to Mumbai are often overwhelmed by the city’s slums and the extraordinary poverty evident wherever you turn, especially with regard to the poor street/slum children. Upon his return to Israel Jacob, like so many of our Good People, knew he had to do something. Years before he helped found an Israeli organization that fights hunger, so why not fight hunger, child labor, malnutrition and illiteracy for the children living in the slums of Mumbai? 

By partnering with a reputable local program in India Jacob was able to organize and in June, 2012, not even one year ago, Gabriel Project Mumbai began its first year of operation. What we truly love about Jacob and GPM is that there are so many “winners”. First and foremost, many children who would otherwise go hungry are now fed a substantial lunch daily. In just this first year that was 500 children. The next “winners” are the women’s empowerment groups (160 women in total) who through micro-credit funds supply these nutritious lunches—purchasing the ingredients and preparing the actual meals. By so doing each of these women is now able to improve their own family’s finances, empower themselves and provide nutrition to their children. And finally, what makes GPM truly exciting is the addition of young volunteers who commit to a semester length term of service, helping with the distribution of food as well as basic literacy skills and English instruction. Over the past year 30 interns from the U.S., Israel, Australia and India volunteered with GPM. One can only imagine how this experience will change each of them. As one recent intern stated:

The happiness these children have brought me is indescribable. I cannot wait to see their bright little faces every morning and the 20 minute trek through the 100 degree slums is always, always worth it.

Though we learned about GPM last June it was only this past February that we got to meet Jacob face to face and hear his story. Having made that personal connection we could do but one thing — sign on! The Good People Fund has committed to some of the food costs insuring that kids will eat, women will continue to be empowered as they provide this nutritious meal each day and young volunteers from around the world will be inspired to change the world.

I don’t know about all of you, but the idea of having a robot around right now to help clean the oven or polish the silver is a welcome thought.

Several months ago we were introduced to Eli Barak, an Israeli who advises (as a volunteer) an award-winning regional robotics team comprised of students from three high schools. This team, like dozens of others in Israel and around the US and Canada compete in an annual robot-building contest where finalists are sent to a competition in St. Louis, meeting participants from 60 regions.

Eli’s team has always had great success in these competitions and this year decided that the team would mentor two other teams, one from Shapira High School in Netanya where 75% of the population is Ethopian Israeli. Despite having a fairly good science program, the high school is unable to provide the funding for the robotics competition and parents, most of whom live in extraordinary poverty cannot help.

For a program that fosters mentoring, physics, mechanics, electronics, strategy, R&D management, cooperation and more the Good People Fund felt that partnering with some Israeli resources to make this program possible was a great tzedakah investment.

Now…if we could just get that robot here…

“Hi,
Just to let you know INTRA staff and friends are all going to Vicky and Zachi’s wedding tonight.
We feel we have a vested interest on both sides.
Love Anita =”

It was over two years ago that we shared the story of Zach, an Israeli veteran who returned from the war in Lebanon with severe PTSD. For years Zach was tormented by the war’s trauma. His brain was always running; medications left him disoriented and some medical treatments actually put him in an even worse state. When he came to the Israel National Therapeutic Riding Association at the end of 2010, the only way Anita (Shkedi) could get him up on a horse was to surround him with music blaring from the arena’s loudspeakers. With the help of some of the Good People Fund’s donors,  Zach was able to heal as he participated in therapeutic riding sessions specifically designed to address PTSD and traumatic brain injury.

Anita has kept us up to date on Zach’s progress and some time ago proudly announced that Zach and the riding instructor had become more than  “friends”.
Well, it seems that tonight that these two friends, at first joined together by a tragedy, have become something more as Zach and Vicky, his instructor, have married.

A great ending we’d say.