Visiting Congregations, Federations and School Groups

Hannah and Chloe, the Jewish Free School, and Yad Sarah’s Special Children

 

Hannah Nathan and Chloe Rich are two very special young ladies.  They and their families are close friends of Michael,  who suffers from multiple sclerosis.  Whenever Michael visits Israel, Yad Sarah arranges that all the medical rehab equipment he needs and our transport services  are ready and waiting for him.  Michael constantly praised Yad Sarah's services.  Further all the moneys he received for his 40^th birthday he donated to Yad Sarah to pay for 9 emergency alarm systems that were installed in the homes of elderly people. Instant help at the touch of a bracelet button!

 

Hannah, year 9, and Chloe, year 8, students of Jewish Free School, Kenton,  London, were very impressed with Yad Sarah’s health and welfare support services  for handicapped and/or sick  Israelis and visitors to Israel. They checked our website and decided that we were the cause for them!

 

They devised and organized a hugely successful High School Musical  party at Barnet and District Synagogue, New Barnet, for  some 40 young pupils  (ages 7 – 10).   Each child performed a song or dance in a talent show and then watched the High School Musical movie.  Hannah and Chloe’s mothers organized the food for the event. (Thank you Mums) The girls organized and obtained gifts for a raffle and decorated the Synagogue Hall.

 

Hannah and Chloe raised a considerable donation for more special games and toys for Yad Sarah’s Play Centre and Toy Library for Children with Special Needs at Yad Sarah House, Jerusalem.

 

Some 85 JFS pupils, including Hannah, recently visited Yad Sarah House Jerusalem. They saw the Play Centre and other of the organization’s many services in action.  They volunteered to clean wheelchairs and were a huge help. A great time was had by all! 

 

All our volunteer guides and everyone who met the JFS students were very impressed with their caring concern for others and their enthusiastic interest in everything they saw.  We look forward to many more visits from JFS students. Well done the Jewish Free School!

 

Bridgeport Community Mission, in Israel for Independence Day, Visits Yad Sarah and Learns About Independence for those with Special Needs

Members of the Bridgeport, Connecticut Jewish community traveled to Israel to celebrate Israel's Independence Day, and appropriately visited Yad Sarah – one of Israel's largest volunteer organizations.  The Bridgeport community mission's stop at Yad Sarah was of particular interest since in recent years the Greater Bridgeport Israel Action Committee of the UJA/Federation of Eastern Fairfield County has sent proceeds to Yad Sarah from its annual Israel Independence Day Fair.  The proceeds are used to purchase medical equipment such as wheelchairs, walkers and oxygen concentrators for free loan from Yad Sarah's equipment lending service.

The Bridgeport community mission, an annual trip comprised of a cross section of the community, included Alan Feldman, the visionary who launched the idea of the annual mission, and Laurie Gross, CRC director at the UJA/Federation of Eastern Fairfield County. Participants Richard and Shirley Becker, retired small business owners from Fairfield, could relate first-hand to the services offered at Yad Sarah.   Shirley had recently suffered from a broken hip, a most difficult experience for her.  "People don't think about these things, people still think they're invincible, until it could be you.  It's wonderful to have comprehensive services in one agency," remarked Shirley. 

On the tour, mission participants assembled walkers for loan.  "Hands on helping is much better, it conveys what we are trying to accomplish and gives a keener sense of Yad Sarah," commented Cynthia Goldstein, a retired high school Spanish teacher.  Participant Marcia Saft, of Fairfield, plans to settle in Tel Aviv, and was delighted to learn of Yad Sarah's branches in Israel's city that never sleeps.  Marcia hopes to volunteer there in the future. 

The Bridgeport community mission's visit to Yad Sarah during the week of Independence Day, reminds us, that every day, Yad Sarah's is working to bring independence, freedom, and accessibility to all.

[middle photo: While touring Yad Sarah, Shirley Becker (black baseball cap) builds a walker to be used in Yad Sarah's lending services
photo credit: Devorah Kravitz ]

By Maurice Eidelsberg, Volunteer

The people of Congregation Or Ami want their shul to be more than a place of worship. They want their synagogue to be a true Jewish center. They want it to be a center for Jewish learning, helping Israel, and helping the less fortunate.   So it is little wonder that they would make a trip to Israel and make Yad Sarah, the headquarters of good works, one of their most important stops.

One day, a few weeks ago, a small group of Or Ami congregants made a visit to Yad Sarah.  They were a bright, attentive and enthusiastic group of people, especially when they were pounding together the walkers!

We were fortunate enough to get to talk to a few of these fine Pennsylvanians. Here's what they had to say: 

Fredi Wolgin typifies the kind of fiercely Jewish, Zionist congregant of Or Ami. Fredi, a pediatric nurse practitioner, is in love with Israel and wants to come back and try it out here for six months. She was so impressed with Yad Sarah that she wants very much to volunteer.  "I would so love to volunteer here and work with the kids in special needs. But anything that Yad Sarah would need of me, I'd be more than willing."

Brian Kroker, who is involved in real estate, has lead  such a busy, active life that this was his very first trip to Israel. Brian was completely blown away by "the amazing array of services offered, this beautiful building, and that there was Yad Sarah branches all over.  I'm just so impressed."

And finally, Rabbi Carr, the leader of this fine group explained his reason for wanting to take his congregants to Yad Sarah. "We just didn't want to learn about an organization, we wanted to do something to help it. And this tour completely fit the bill."  About Yad Sarah, the rabbi was very taken by "the great effort they make to help so many different populations with so many different sorts of programs." 

But what says everything is what kind of good, solid young people this congregation has produced. One of them, Brian Price, 11, shovels snow for 4 of his elderly neighbors every time it snows.  And the young Mr. Price refuses to take a cent for his hard labor!  What a kid. What a congregation.  It is people like them that help keep Yad Sarah thriving.

 

By Maurice Eidelsberg, Volunteer

What a bunch of troopers a group of visitors from the Jewish Federation of the Berkshires were.  Here they were, after a full day of schlepping and sightseeing around Jerusalem in the pouring rain, eager to see everything there was to see at Yad Sarah.  They had heard so much about the organization, and their Federation has supported Yad Sarah for some years.  Now they were finally getting to see it for the first time as a group.

Many in the group could not believe how many services Yad Sarah offers for free and how it is all done with virtually no government support and with such efficiency.  "Everything is run so professionally and everything is just so clean," commented Didi Walker, who would love to volunteer at Yad Sarah if she lived in Israel.  

The group also had an opportunity to lend a hand and volunteer during their tour, assembling some walkers.  Arlene Schiff, executive director of the Federation, recounted how the Federation discovered Yad Sarah approximately four years ago through a donor, and the Federation has been contributing towards the purchase of wheelchairs ever since.  "Israel is very lucky to have Yad Sarah," remarked Schiff.  "It's incredible that 1 in every 2 Israelis are touched by it." 

Participant Henry Vorenberg is no stranger to Yad Sarah, having visited many times.  I'm always impressed by the "amazing devotion of its volunteers and staff."  How wonderful that the stop at Yad Sarah was one of their last in Israel.  It's a warm memory these troopers can relish during the cold and snowy Berkshires winters. 

By Maurice Eidelsberg, Yad Sarah Volunteer

If Yad Sarah was ever to start a school, it would probably look a lot like Yeshivat Lev Hatorah. Located in Ramat Beit Shemesh, This unique one year study program for English speaking post-high school teens,  believes, that central to Judaism is the call for each individual to be involved deeply in one's community and in doing Chesed (good works).  So incorporated into the yeshiva's weekly schedule is ongoing volunteering at a soup kitchen, conducting food drives to help feed 50 families,  and students involvement in the life of an orphan. 

That's why Yad Sarah loves having visitors. For it not only opens peoples eyes to everything we do, but it also gives us a glimpse into our future.  For as long as Israel has such exceptional educational institutions like Lev HaTorah, producing such broad minded, community aware, caring, thinking individuals,  Yad Sarah will be well supplied with exceptional volunteers needed to ensure a dazzling future. 

 

  Students of the Solomon Schechter High School of Long Island volunteer at Yad Sarah assembling
walkers for free loan from over 100 branches across Israel

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

"They should have a place like this in New York!" said Talia Feldberg as she and nine other kids from the New Shul in New York City assembled walkers at Yad Sarah. Led by their rabbi, Rabbi Niles Goldstein, and the synagogue's executive director, Amy Eichenwald Golding, about 40 members of the New Shul arrived for a visit at Yad Sarah on the fourth morning of Chanuka. Members of the New Shul spent a few hours at Yad Sarah in Jerusalem, beginning with a short film which told the visitors a bit about Yad Sarah's activities. As adults continued on for a tour of Yad Sarah, the kids rushed to the "Hands On" room. After brief instructions, they entered and started to work on the walkers. Talia, 11, and Aviya Hernstadt, nine, built a walker together. With big smiles and a feeling of accomplishment, they set out for a test run with their walker. "It was fun, I like building," said Aviya. Cousins Gabriel Cook and Jake Tick, both 13, built a walker with the help of two other friends. "It felt good" said Gabriel. Jake added, "It's pretty cool." Cool is the fact that the walkers that the kids built will actually be used by Yad Sarah patients. Rabbi Niles Goldstein stated that he was overjoyed at the opportunity to bring his synagogue to Jerusalem, where he lived just a few years ago. He offered Yad Sarah a hearty, "Yasher Coach" as he boarded the bus, eager to continue the group's trip in the Holy Land. Following their rabbi, the New Shul kids hopped on the bus, having started their day in the perfect way, doing a big mitzvah, building walkers and helping Yad Sarah help those who need it.
Photo: Talia and Aviya assemble walker to be used by Yad Sarah patient

It was not the first time that Bernie Rosenblatt, executive director of the Knoxville Jewish Alliance, had been to visit Yad Sarah – but he was just as impressed as if it was, if not more so. "The work being done is just extraordinary," he said enthusiastically. "The idea behind it all, the volunteers, it's incredible." The KJA mission to Israel, led by Chairs Nancy and Jeffrey Becker, spent a morning at Yad Sarah to learn of Israel's volunteering spirit, exemplified by Yad Sarah's 6,000 volunteers at 103 branches. The group also gave something back, assembling walkers to be loaned for free. "It's a phenomenal organization," was Marilyn Liberman's opinion, "supplying a real need. Being a teacher, I was fascinated by the Enrichment Center for Children with Special Needs.""The lending center, and the services for the elderly…" said Beth Leibowitz. "The ideas here are great, just great."
Captions from left:

-KJA Executive Director Bernie Rosenblatt and Mission Chairs Nancy & Jeffrey Becker
-Knoxville Jewish Alliance Israel Mission at Yad Sarah Headquarters
-Participant Beth Leibowitz assembles a walker at Yad Sarah

Participants on the Ki Va Moed initiative to transform Israel engagement in the Suffolk Jewish community visited Yad Sarah as part of their 10-day Israel seminar. Sponsored by SAJES (the Suffolk Association for Jewish Educational Services), UJA-Federation of New York and Partnership 2000, the initiative aims to developing a cadre of educators, clergy, and lay leaders from the U.S. and Israel sharing a common desire to explore the Israel-Diaspora relationship and heighten a sense of common belonging to the Jewish people. The Yad Sarah visit addressed social justice, one of the five pillars of the initiative. Yad Sarah's 6,000 volunteers from all walks of life, united to repair and improve society, embody Israel's spirit of social consciousness. Yad Sarah would be honored to further explore projects to strengthen Jewish identity and the Israel – Diaspora connection with the communities in the Ki Va Moed initiative.

Fairlawn Jews Fly Across the World to Create Means for Chessed

Rabbi Benjamin Yudin and Rebbetzin Shevi Yudin led Fairlawn's Shomrei Torah Synagogue to Yad Sarah and assembled walkers for the disabled.  Yad Sarah will loan the walkers for free, at over 100 branches all over Israel.  "For people who've traveled six thousand miles, this is a privilege," said Rabbi Yudin.  "We try to do Chessed on every mission.  Today, we're here," said Rebbetzin Yudin.  Yad Sarah offered Shomrei a unique opportunity, to create a means for Chessed, to build the tools with which Yad Sarah will help Israel's disabled.
The Fairlawn mission witnessed Yad Sarah's services, in addition to their walker-building.  Sabina Kysotskaya, 17, (pictured at right) was most impressed with Yad Sarah's children's playcenter that lends appropriate toys and games to special needs children with instructions for home use.  "It's a great place for kids to open up," Sabina said. 

Yad Sarah thanks Shomrei Torah for their visit, and for creating walkers, so that Yad Sarah can continue serving Israel's disabled.

Such were the words exclaimed by Ethel Hausman of Boston, on her visit to Yad Sarah.  Hausman and the Ahavat Torah Synagogue, of Stoughton, Mass., came to Yad Sarah in Jerusalem, as part of the congregation's mission to Israel.  The visitors toured the building and then assembled walkers for use by Yad Sarah's clients.

Upon observing Yad Sarah's services, Marilyn Rabinovitz raved, "I work with children and this is fabulous: The climbing equipment, that adaptive kitchen…"  Ms. Rabinovitz was most impressed with the fact that these services are available to all, "even if you don't have financial means."  Paula Gaffin agreed, saying, "You fill a huge gap in a little country."

Rabbi Jonathan Hausman led Ahavat Torah's mission to Israel and their trip to Yad Sarah.  Rabbi Hausman and his congregation became part of Yad Sarah's network of volunteers.  The walkers they assembled will be used by Yad Sarah's clients, in over 100 Yad Sarah branches all over Israel.

At Yad Sarah, the visitors from Ahavat Torah had a wonderful time.  They helped out and were witness to the contributions that Yad Sarah makes to Israeli society.  Ethel Hausman summed up the spirit that drives Yad Sarah perfectly: "When people need help, they need help."

Kicking off the civil New Year with a bang, The Community Synagogue of Port Washington, NY visited Yad Sarah House in Jerusalem, led by the Rabbi Irwin Zeplowitz, aiming to fulfill some social action on behalf of Israelis in need. Following a brief tour, the visitors assembled walkers that will be used by Yad Sarah's clients at its over 100 free equipment lending branches. Elisheva Flamm-Oren, representing the Israel office of the UJA- Federation of New York, also addressed the group. Yad Sarah enjoys a warm relationship with UJA-Federation of New York, having been privileged to receive funding for many of its services. Migdal New York, the Tower Building at Yad Sarah's Headquarters, is a tribute to that relationship. Many thanks to the Community Synagogue for lending a hand, and starting the civil year on the right foot.