"At the restaurant, I was, once again, struck to see how young these soldiers were. I noticed a young man who was painfully thin and asked our liaison at the hospital about him. He explained that his wounds were not visible but rather he had suffered extensive internal surgeries and was now just beginning to be able to enjoy normal food. Some of the soldiers were wearing artificial limbs and they were in the process of receiving rehabilitation treatments to teach them to how use these aids properly. Each soldier had his own story to tell. After being in the hospital for so many months, the group was delighted to be able to share this weekend together. Several other diners at the hotel reported that a wonderful time was had by all."

These words came to us this morning from Barbara Silverman, founder of A Package From Home, which has been providing for the general welfare of Israel’s soldiers for almost 10 years. In addition to the thousands of packages of food and warm clothing which the organization has delivered, last year Barbara began the Soldiers’ Respite Weekend Program which brings several of Israel’s severely wounded soldiers to Jerusalem for a wonderful holiday weekend. This break from their ongoing and exhaustive medical treatment is just what the doctors ordered and Barbara tells us how excited and grateful the participants were.

This year’s program was held two weeks ago and this morning we received Barbara’s report on the program’s success as well as several pictures attesting to the soldiers’ enjoyment. We are sure that a few nights at Jerusalem’s beautiful Inbal Hotel went a long way to restoring some happiness and peace of mind to the soldiers who were part of the weekend.

Nothing makes us prouder than to be part of Barbara’s amazing work. She is a special woman with tremendous energy and a passion for helping where she can.