He’s a young man. His name is Zak and, like most other young Israelis, he has seen active duty as a soldier in the IDF.

Zak’s story, though, takes a sharp turn after he returns from serving in the First Lebanon War. It seems that the only way he can "tune out" the sounds and the images of the war is to surround himself with loud music. And that is how he arrived at the Israel National Therapeutic Riding Association a mere ten weeks ago to begin his therapeutic riding sessions. Anita Shkedi, INTRA’s founder, sent us this picture about an hour ago – she had taken it just as the sun was going down at INTRA’s site along the Mediterranean.

Zak’s war experiences left him with severe PTSD. For nearly ten years he rarely slept, 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 Anita not even three months ago, the only way they could get him up on a horse was to surround him with music blaring from the arena’s loudspeakers. Time – time was what Zak needed and slowly, after three weeks, he began to appear regularly for his sessions and the loud music no longer accompanied him. The horse became his friend and calmed him. When Anita sent this morning’s email and picture she was in awe of the changes she was seeing right in front of her eyes. Zak was laughing, sitting around INTRA’s grounds chatting with others, lighting up his cigarette. She felt that she was looking at another person and again marveled at the miracles that man and animal can foster.

What better way to approach the lighting of the first Hanukkah candle?

Postscript:
A few hours after posting this and sharing it with Anita, she wrote back:
Tonight I gave him the pictures of him smiling while on the phone. He said it’s all because of the horse. He asked me if he could come in a week on another day, just to be here. — I am very happy.

Without a doubt, the best part of the work that we do is the amazing people we meet along the way – the "good people". But – along with the highs that come with interacting with such Giants is the sadness that comes when they die. This week one of the very best has died. On Tuesday Herman Berman, founder of the Bagel Brigade in Los Angeles passed away at the age of 90.

We should not have been surprised. In the more than ten years that we knew Herman every conversation included mention of his beloved wife Annie who he lovingly cared for over the years of her long illness. Two weeks ago we traveled to Los Angeles to meet Herman and his fellow Bagel Brigade volunteers (as well as several other Good People Fund programs). The day before our scheduled meeting with him we learned that Annie had died only a few days before and despite his grief, Herman declared that "life goes on" and we should proceed with our plans to meet him at his home. Regardless of the passing of several years since we last met, Herman was the same. Yes, he had aged but the sparkle in his eyes and his clear mind were evident. When his grandson and great-grandson stopped in for a brief visit, there was such a palpable resonance of love and adoration radiating between them that you could feel it in the room. When Herman asked us for assurances that the Bagel Brigade would continue in the event that he died, everyone agreed. As our visit came to an end and I bent over to say good-bye, I did not doubt that this would be our last interaction and that somehow, now that Herman had heard from everyone that his work would go on, he was free to join his beloved Annie. Thirteen days later he did just that.

Who will ever know how many people – kids, adults – in the San Fernando Valley went to bed with a full stomach because Herman remembered his early life when food was not so plentiful. It was those experiences that compelled him to begin the Bagel Brigade which gathers volunteers each day to collect leftover baked goods from retail markets and deliver them to local schools, pantries and shelters where they will nourish hungry people. To Herman it was just the right thing to do and so he just did it!

This morning’s call was one of those that we have come to dread. Sadly, for the third time in the past ten months we were asked to help underwrite funeral expenses for someone whose family was unable to provide a proper burial.

It was only last January when we received a call from Pam Koner founder of Family to Family, which directs its work to helping people who live in poverty in rural communities around the country. In that call, Pam shared the tragic story of a young child in a Navajo community who had been killed in a fire that engulfed the family’s trailer home.

Today’s tragedy, in this very same community, involved a single mother of five children who walked out of her home to visit a neighbor and disastrously fell into a nearby arroyo (creek.) Already somewhat disabled by severe arthritis and other ailments she was unable to get herself to safe ground and in the night’s 19 degree temperature, froze to death. It was only by the light of day that a neighbor came upon her lifeless body and called for help.

Today there are five children who are orphaned with no immediate support. The mother’s Social Security disability will come to an end leaving the family with no income or food stamps.

Now, who will help?

Anyone in this country familiar with prescription drugs and Medicare knows that there is a gap between the initial coverage limit and the catastrophic coverage threshold. This gap has been dubbed the "donut hole" and for many people it has become a serious problem.

In Israel, there may be no "donut hole" but there is definitely a gap between what National Insurance puts into its medication "basket" (drugs that are covered by insurance) and what many people actually need to maintain their health or even survive their illness. Our friends at The Forgotten People Fund in Netanya are dedicated to helping that city’s significant Ethiopian population in many different ways and a recent exchange with them alerted us to the needs of four individuals who require medications that they could not otherwise afford.

One young woman suffers from a disfiguring skin disease which has turned her into a hermit, depressed and withdrawn. With elderly parents and the family on welfare, the medication that she needs to help with her condition is beyond her reach. Another, a diabetic, has had both of his legs amputated due to the disease, and requires special liquid nutrition to help him regain some strength and stamina. The cost is such that the family can buy only one can per day while he requires more than five. He lays in bed, literally wasting away while his family looks on in frustration.

In each of these cases and two additional ones, the Good People Fund has sent funds that will provide four people with more than a 7 months’ supply of their medication and perhaps also, some hope.

Something strange was going on in this old Jerusalem neighborhood.

First, one neighbor had a visit from Margitte* asking if she could "borrow" a slice of bread. Then, another reported that she stopped in to "borrow" a little milk…and on it went. When her neighbors happened to compare their experiences it became clear that something was wrong and that Margitte, an elderly Holocaust survivor, was probably hungry and did not have enough money to buy food.

Rather than ignore what they assumed, the neighbors went to the local social worker and reported their suspicions. Margitte was not known to social services but the social worker and some of the neighbors visited and asked her if she was hungry. With great shame, Margitte admitted that indeed, she was hungry and even acknowledged that she had gathered the scraps of old bread others left outside for the birds, just so she could have some nourishment.

A proud woman, content to pass her days painting and writing, Margitte was but a child when she was taken away with her Mother. On the train to Auschwitz, she recalled her Mother trying to think of some way to protect her from the horrors that lie ahead. And horrors there were, for Margitte was one of the children with whom the infamous Dr. Josef Mengele found such fascination.

Darla Oz shared this story with us this morning. Darla and her husband began House to House in Israel to provide food, clothing, shoes, and other help for elders including Shoah survivors who would otherwise "fall through the cracks." We know that whatever funds we commit to Darla will relieve someone’s suffering – there is never any doubt.

How could we help Margitte? What was Darla doing to make life easier for this proud woman who had already been through so much? With some careful questioning by the social worker it was learned that food and housing were Margitte’s greatest problems. The Good People Fund has agreed to cover the costs of a taxi which will take her to the supermarket each week; a monthly food stipend and help with her housing costs.

It was the least we could do.

*A pseudonym

"I felt choked up and ready to cry from the emotional impact it had on me. With all my years of experience, I found that I really had no concept of what they actually go through."

These words were spoken by a long-time Israeli professional in the eldercare field after experiencing something called VDT or Virtual Dementia Tourâ„¢. VDTâ„¢ was developed by PK Beville, founder of Second Wind Dreams (www.secondwind.org), an organization dedicated to changing the perception of aging. People caring for those with dementia who go through the scientifically proven tour and training come away with important insights about how to provide better care. Only when you personally experience the overwhelming feeling of confusion and physical helplessness that comes with the tour can you understand the best ways to care for those struggling with dementia and growing old.

When PK called to tell us that there was someone in Israel who was interested in bringing VDT to that country we were excited and agreed to become involved. Having gone on the "tour" ourselves several years ago, we could attest to its power and how it could have a very positive effect on family and professionals caring for dementia patients. We were soon in touch with Zissie Gitel, formerly from St. Louis, and now living in Israel. It was Zissie’s own experiences caring for elderly parents as well as her work advocating on behalf of patients and caregivers that directed her to PK’s ground-breaking efforts.

We met Zissie on one of her trips to the States and were impressed with her understanding and compassion, as well as her desire to change the status quo for eldercare in Israel. She outlined her plans for In Their Shoes, her Israeli non-profit, and now has presented the tour to many hospitals, nursing homes and others involved in eldercare.

We are excited about our involvement in this fledgling organization and look forward to working with them as they grow and "change the perception of aging" in Israel. Our funds were used to purchase basic audio-visual equipment for their presentations as well as for work on their eventual English-language web site.