February 23, 2009

Israel Diary – The Fruits of our Labors

We have been in the “mitzvah” business for more than 16 years. It is not often that we get to see the fruits of our labors—tangible evidence of just how critically important our efforts can be. On this Israel trip, that message came through in the most unexpected, but powerful way possible.

One of the stops on our itinerary was in Beit Shean where we made a few visits before going on to Kibbutz Merav with Yitz Feigenbaum, one of the founders of Beit Hayeled (see Tzedakah Diary, April 4, 15, 2008, July 20, 2008). Beit Hayeled is a very special home where kids who are removed from their parents by the courts have a chance to live in a loving, warm and supportive environment. The kids are given everything that we would give our own children—love, discipline, a new bike, new clothes, toys, games, nourishing food—a warm home. The problems these kids were exposed to prior to their placement at Beit Hayeled are the very things we read about in the newspaper…severe abuse, parents with drug or alcohol addiction, imprisonment…a sad and sorry combination of circumstances that rarely allow for a “normal” upbringing.

In all of the years we have worked with Yitz we know that he has never exposed the kids to visitors who might want to see the program first-hand. The kids’ privacy is zealously protected—they are never used to help further Beit Hayeled’s purpose. Knowing this, it was a bit of a surprise when Yitz asked us to lunch and to "meet someone". After a sumptuous meal complete with delicious Israeli salads of all kinds, a handsome young man appeared who immediately embraced Yitz and joined us at the table. Sitting in front of us was "Shimon", a Beit Hayeled graduate, now a young man in his early 20’s. Shimon explained the circumstances that brought him to Beit Hayeled while he was a youngster and how he spent many of his years there just “sitting around” sullenly on the very couches that abutted our dinner table. It was only Yitz and Irit’s unconditional love and firm hands that brought him to where he was today—married, attending college and the father of a young baby himself.

Sitting at that table and maintaining our composure was impossible. We were suddenly overcome with tears of joy as we saw first-hand just what our involvement in Beit Hayeled’s work had helped to accomplish. Here was living proof that a life could not only be saved but could go on to flourish, give back and bring new life into the world. As we left Beit Hayeled that afternoon, I asked Yitz why he and Irit had broken all of their rules and brought Shimon to lunch with us. With just the hint of a glimmer in his eyes, Yitz explained that sometimes you have to break the rules and let someone share in the joy and naches that they have helped bring about. It was a lunch that will never be forgotten.

February 20, 2009

An Olam Katan (small world) Mitzvah Story

In the olam katan (small world) mitzvah story department–I received a truly amazing call yesterday from a woman in nearby Livingston who read a NJ Jewish News article about Danny Siegel’s (founder of the now-closed Ziv Tzedakah Fund) visit to teens in Metrowest. The woman called the Jewish News who referred her to me…

She noted Danny’s mention of Clara Hammer (affectionately referred to as the Chicken Lady) in his talk and immediately recalled that that was the name of her Hebrew school teacher in Brooklyn over 40 years ago! I told her that yes, Clara had taught in Brooklyn and gave her an update on the last 40 years. She had been in touch with three friends who were in the same class and they all agreed that the Clara described in the article had to be their teacher. I shared Clara’s "song and dance" routine and she laughed saying that the five years she taught them (it was an Orthodox school and girls were not prepared for Bat Mitzvah) they learned quite a few songs…especially Yerushalayim Shel Zahav—something we know is a standard in Clara’s repertoire. The daughter of one of the friends is studying at Hebrew U and is going to call Clara’s daughter to arrange a visit…

I visited Clara a few weeks ago while I was in Israel and despite her impending 99th birthday, many, many people are still celebrating Shabbat with proper, menschlich food….age does not seem to be stopping this amazing woman from going about her special work. Indeed, we suspect that it is this very mitzvah work that keeps her young in heart and in spirit!

February 17, 2009

Paying It Forward

Last November (November 5, 2008, The Righteous Among Us) we described the good work carried out by the Israel-based organization, ATZUM which was founded by Rabbi Levi Lauer. Rabbi Lauer’s efforts are dedicated to the welfare of terror survivors, foreign workers and Righteous Gentiles—a small group of truly blessed people who are living out their last days in Israel. When we met with Levi and Karyn London, the social worker who works with terror survivors, we were moved by a story that was shared about one of these Righteous Gentiles, Viktor Polischuk. Viktor and his family sheltered Lev and Arkadiy Burshtein during the 1943 extermination of a ghetto in Ukraine. Later that year, as the Germans approached, Viktor and his family moved the father and son to a safer place under Romanian control and it was there that they remained until the liberation. In 1995 Viktor was recognized by Yad Vashem and then moved to Israel.

How did Rabbi Lauer find a way to try to repay this gentle man for what he had done to save two Jews? Nothing we could write would come close to the heartfelt words Levi composed as he tries to gather funds to perform this profound mitzvah…

Viktor Polischuk risked his and his family’s life to save a Jewish father and son during the Shoah. His 23 year old grandson, Antosha Polischuk, was recently diagnosed with a virulent, life threatening leukemia. Antosha moved from Ukraine to begin a course of treatment in Moscow which his family does not have the funds to continue.

In this recession smitten, Madoff (ATZUM’s funds are invested directly in plain vanilla government bond and money market funds) bitten time, this was likely a risk ill taken. But a life is at stake and we cannot imagine a more fitting tribute to a grandfather who risked all to save Jews and allow their future generations to come to life.

This moving story reminds us of how we never know just when a kindness or brave action can be repaid despite the passage of perhaps decades. We whole-heartedly agree with ATZUM’s decision to step in here and have sent some funds to help them underwrite this life-saving action.

February 16, 2009

Israel Diary – An Old Friend in New Digs and a Mitzvah To Boot!

On our second day in Israel I was looking forward to making my first visit to see Libby Reichman and the new home of Big Brothers, Big Sisters (Tzedakah Diary, June 12, 2008, Going Home). When I had last visited, BBBS was still occupying a small office which was bursting at the seams with desks, computers and files. Nothing quite prepared me for the magical place we saw when the taxi dropped us off at the new address. What a beautiful place it was! The view alone was worth a million dollars… indeed, this was a true “clubhouse” where the kids and their mentors could come to play games, create crafts, watch a movie… a very special home away from home. We could not have been happier for Libby and her staff.

After our tour, we sat with a cup of tea and talked about the organization’s latest challenges. BBBS is no different than any other non-profit today—funding is limited and the organization’s needs continue. So many of the children Libby works with come from such difficult and troubled homes… it is sometimes overwhelming to hear each one’s situation knowing you cannot solve each problem. One story which Libby shared was particularly poignant… it was the story of Yonatan, a young boy now 12, who lives with his mother in a small one room apartment. Though the mother does work, funds are very limited and there is never enough to provide for much more than food and rent. Libby recounted that their minimal income (as well as limited space) meant that Yonatan and his Mom continued to share a single bed. This was not right and we knew that it was important for us to do whatever we could to change this arrangement. We asked Libby if it would be possible for her to help Yonatan and his mother purchase a second bed which might fit in their small apartment. We would cover the cost of the bed as well as some new sheets and blankets. Libby was thrilled!

Postscript: A few days after we returned from Israel, Libby called to say that Yonatan and his Mom were thrilled by our offer and had just returned from their shopping excursion. With tears in her eyes and her voice breaking, Yonatan’s Mom shared that he now had a new bed and all of the accessories that would make any twelve year old excited!

Sometimes it doesn’t take very much to make a profound difference!

February 15, 2009

Israel Diary – Israel’s Young Activists

We recently spent some time in Israel making the rounds of many of the programs and individuals we have worked with over the past year. It is always special to visit with each of them and learn about how their work is going. The give-and-take in these meetings always benefits both parties.

In addition to seeing the “regulars”, we had a long list of new good people we wanted to meet and looked forward to hearing new stories of dedication and mitzvah-making.

No sooner did we land in Israel, spend a restless night getting used to the time change, and off we went! Who knew that on our very first day we would be impressed by a group of young Israelis (some American olim) who were actively involved in two specific mitzvahs—lechem l’re’eyvim—providing food for hungry people, and bal tashchit—do not waste or, rescuing perfectly good food that would otherwise go into the garbage…

Jesse Fox and his brother Steven made aliyah several years ago and now call Tel Aviv home. After many visits to the famous Carmel market, Jesse soon realized that the vast quantity of leftovers—fresh fruit, vegetables, pita, and more—that litter the ground at the close of business on Friday could actually feed hungry people…of which there is no shortage in that city. Specifically, Jesse thought about the many, many African refugees who have found their way to Tel Aviv and now reside in several shelters near the old bus terminal and Levinsky Park. He knew that most of them did not have a sufficient and reliable source of nourishment and what could be better than lots of fresh fruit and veggies? It seemed that there was one simple solution—gather the leftovers and deliver them to the shelters. But, how? Joined by his brother and two of their friends, Gilli and Daniel Cherrin, the idea for Fugee Fridays was born. What started with the four of them and a friend with a car who could help transport the many, many boxes of food they gathered each week, eventually became a group of several other Tel Aviv-area residents who learned of their efforts and joined in the rescue. Soon, some of the volunteers began to play with the refugee children or offer other types of support. In time, the group also delivered the gleaned food to other very poor residents of the South Tel Aviv area—there was more than enough to go around.

Now involved with this project for just a year, Jesse and his friends are planning other ways they might work on behalf of this refugee population. When we sat with them we asked what they might need to help them in their work—it did not take long for them to come up with a wish-list. We thought that the idea of a t-shirt with the Fugee Friday logo would certainly help their volunteers as they gather food in the market each week, as would a sticker they want to give to the merchants who donate to them so that others would recognize their generosity. We told them to get some prices and the Good People Fund would be honored to become a partner in their work.

Fugee Fridays’ founders and the group of volunteers who work with them are impressive examples of the marriage between social activism and ecology. What could be better than feeding hungry people with food that would otherwise end up in landfill?

January 28, 2009

Recording History

Back on the November 14, 2008 Tzedakah Diary entry we shared the work of Alice Jonah and the residents of the old Diplomat Hotel in Jerusalem. The hotel is now home to hundreds of (mostly) Russian Elders who arrived in Israel hoping to live a life of freedom in the Holy Land. Alice has been their dedicated companion, providing for their social as well as physical welfare through both her volunteer and paid work there. Aside from a beautiful chorus, ulpan, field trips and many, many other meaningful activities, Alice has also facilitated a very special project that was the idea of a creative mitzvah-thinker we know. When our friend learned about Alice’s work with the Russians he realized almost immediately how important their past lives were and how their experiences were a mirror of history in Russia. Many of the residents took part in significant World War II events and other actions of equal historical significance, and as they pass on so does an irreplaceable part of history. The idea that grew out of this was to facilitate the recording of many of the residents’ memories so that a permanent record would be created.

Today, we received the following update from Alice which clearly shows how very important these interviews were. We are happy to report that our friend will send us funds so that even more recordings can be made and history will not be forgotten after all.

The interviews went very well, and for some of the people, it was the first time which they actually spoke in a structured manner of their very difficult experiences before, during and after the war years. Some have told their stories in the past, but not in this fashion. It was definitely therapeutic for most of the participants…

One of our student population, Ruthie Yanovsky, transferred the taped material to computer, so we have both versions…