We have written often about Dr. Neal Goldberg and his troupe of professionally-trained medical clowns, Lev Leytzan-Compassionate Clown Alley. This group of young adults has delivered their special clowning talents to many places here in the States, in Europe and in Israel, bringing smiles and a little bit of happiness to lonely, ill or disabled people wherever they travel.

This past October we shared the story of the group’s trip to Eastern Europe and the impact their visits had on many elderly and isolated Shoah survivors. They were so welcome, in fact, that a new invitation to return was on the table if they could get the funding to make it possible. At the time we offered to match up to $1000 of any support they could attract to make the trip possible, and before long Neal reported that he had successfully raised even more than our original $1000 challenge.

Well Рthe clowns departed last week and an email I received from the group this morning confirms that the trip is having the impact they hoped it would have on both the clowns who are traveling with Neal and on the people, both young and old, who are enjoying their antics. In addition to their performance at the local Caf̩ Europa (a social club for Survivors) and a nursing home (for survivors) the group:

…spent the morning at nursing home, an institution with adults with dementia and a senior facility. The boys worked hard – room visits, impromptu shows. The afternoon and evening has been spent working with institutionalized kids…, a shelter for abandoned and abused kids and children’s hospitals … what an incredible day!

We are so happy to have helped make this trip possible. Neal’s group has proven over and over the many benefits of medical clowning.

For 12 kids in Jerusalem, this Hanukkah may be the best ever.

For years, Karyn and Zehava, two friends in the Baka neighborhood have worked in the simplest and quietest way possible, taking on the responsibility of helping to feed and clothe several other families in their area. They lead a group of neighbors who provide monthly food packages for nine needy families, all of whom are vetted by a social worker and all living in extraordinarily difficult circumstances.

We were asked if we could help with some Hanukkah gifts this year, and as in the past, we were excited about what we might make possible with Karyn and Zehava’s suggestions. Karyn wrote that they had thought long and hard about buying toys that would no doubt be tossed aside, broken or forgotten, in a short time. They came up with another idea that, after some thought on our part, we quickly agreed to support. So – this morning, there are, we hope, twelve kids sporting colorful safety helmets, riding shiny new bikes through their neighborhood, all made possible by the kindness of our donors and the generosity of the local bike store!

Through our work with Randi Cairns, the founder of Home Front Hearts which provides advocacy on behalf of, as well as awareness of, the needs of military families, we just learned about a young soldier (a 3rd generation military person–even Mom has served!) who was returned to the States from his second tour of duty in Iraq. Found to be suffering from an aggressive brain tumor (Randi tells us this is not so rare among more and more soldiers serving in that region) "Dave" has recently undergone surgery and radiation and is now in the midst of a difficult chemotherapy regimen which will hopefully put his cancer in remission.

What happens to Dave’s family while all of this is going on? He is being treated at a military hospital thousands of miles from home and his illness is not considered an injury so he is dealt with differently than those who have sustained injuries. In this soldier’s case, his Mom has left her home and her job to be at his side, and while she did receive some military benefits (as a "non-medical attendant") those have now ended. She is behind in her rent, her car payment and has nothing left in her savings.

Randi shared the following exchange with Dave’s Mom:

… I also have rent due and a car payment. If you have any funds, those are my needs. If you don’t have any means to help me, then I certainly understand. I know that God will somehow make sure our needs are provided for. After all, he sends people my way just like you! Just when I don’t think I can make it … it happens. No matter what Randi, I’ll never lose my faith and that is important. I’ve quickly learned to put things in their proper perspective. God, family and all the rest! :)"

The Good People Fund has stepped in and paid the overdue rent and next car payment. After all, isn’t it the least we can do on behalf of a soldier and his family?

It was twenty years ago when Bob Housman, a Boston-area resident, came to realize that many Jewish people in that city were in distress and no agency, private or public, could step in to provide them with significant help for their emergency needs. People were, indeed, falling through the cracks and serious short-term, immediate needs were not met.

As with so many of the "good people" we work with, Bob felt that he just had to "do something". He could not just ignore what was happening around him. Yad Chessed was Bob’s response to this void and since that time the small organization has raised and distributed more than $3,000,000 to provide food, clothing, help with housing, medical needs, interest-free loans…the list is long and often, when such needs are unmet, leads to even more dire circumstances.

Yad Chessed works in the simplest way possible. Other than a recently added part-time social worker, there is no staff, no advertising, and minimal bureaucracy. As referrals come to them they are investigated and if assistance can be offered the needs are addressed quickly and efficiently.

In a conversation we recently shared with Yad Chessed’s board chair, Marc Fogel, we learned that the organization is also laboring with increased emergency needs presented by the current economic situation. When Marc mentioned that in addition to the "usual" demands, they were now dealing with two single parent families, both functioning fairly well until job loss and illnesses took their toll and forced the parent to lose their home(s) and one now finds refuge in his car every night. How could it be, we thought? Both parents were working and yet could not reverse the misfortune that had fallen upon them. We doubt that this is an unusual scenario today.

We have offered Yad Chessed funds to underwrite specific needs for each of these families and hope that by working with them we might actually stop the downward spiral each is experiencing.

By 7am this morning I had already opened four emails, two from programs in the US and two from Israel, each discussing situations that can best be described as tragic and incredibly sad. One involved needs for soldiers who have returned from Iraq and Afghanistan with serious issues that are not being met by government resources; another involved two single parent families, both functioning fairly well until job loss and illnesses took their toll and forced the single parent to lose their home(s) and find refuge in their car every night. In Israel, a single Mother working a menial job but still able to care for her family, finds herself overwhelmed by the costs involved with addressing one child’s unexpected medical needs. She is facing the loss of her utilities and has so few resources that putting food on the table has become almost impossible. A second situation in Israel describes families that cannot afford to turn on their heaters or pay for their medications.

If this scenario which I describe was unusual, I would not be concerned. In the 16+ years that I have been involved in tzedakah work, never have I witnessed this kind of desperate need. Some way or another we have always been able to meet the need. This morning I am not so sure of that – not sure at all.

As I speak with others who do similar work I learn that they too are overwhelmed and frustrated. If only I could heed the advice I was offered a few minutes ago…

"As to the general situation… You have to focus on what you can do (and have done) and not on what the need is. Otherwise you can easily become overwhelmed and disheartened."

It is "bad out there". Hopefully we will be able to help more than we have to turn away.

Last May we shared the story of House to House, a small Israeli organization that provides for the needs of many elderly people in Jerusalem. In that diary entry we explained that Darla Oz, House to House’s founder, had visited a former hotel which now houses elderly survivors who rarely celebrate birthdays. We immediately committed funds to provide the elders with some treats on their birthdays. When Darla wrote a few months ago asking if we could possibly help her with birthday cards we knew just where to go. Within a short time we had contacted teachers at several religious and day schools across the country and asked if they could help.

Before long, packets of cards started to appear and we have been forwarding them on to Darla in Israel who is placing one in each birthday gift. We thought you would enjoy seeing the work of students at the Rashi School in Boston who, under the guidance of their amazing teacher, Stephanie Rotsky, the school’s social justice coordinator, produced some pretty amazing cards that would make even Hallmark a bit jealous!

We thank all of the schools that responded to our appeal and look forward to providing birthday cards for these elders, hopefully, for many years to come!