We don't take things for granted.

02/04/2022

For me, Monday is the toughest day of the week. I really cherish my weekends; long, lazy Friday nights are my absolute favorite. Getting into bed right after a delicious dinner prepared by Bob, enjoying my favorite magazines and lights out by 7:00 pm. Love it! The Monday after this vacation was brutal. The piles of snow, the treacherous icy patches, the stranded teachers, the early wake up and the hard news of the death of a young child’s parent made coming to school so hard. And I’m still wearing a mask. I have learned to break down my challenges in segments. I try to take it one day at a time with one task at a time and one challenge at a time. There are days where I can do this successfully and there are those times when it is just so much harder. I am very impressed with the way our fifth grade team jumped in and banded together to help a little boy navigate a journey that is daunting for grownups. Losing a beloved father at any age, especially when you are only 10, is something that leaves a lasting void in a person’s life. We all know people who continue to show the scars of this particular loss. The team was tasked with helping Yaniv and his classmates navigate the journey. From the moment we heard of the passing of Meir Bokerע״ה, Team HANC began planning support for Yaniv and his classmates. From picking the professionals who will educate the children, writing the letter to parents (20 different drafts), and organizing the shiva visits, everything went flawlessly. The kids were amazing; they went from laughing carefree children to being empathetic, serious, mature young men and women. We are so proud of them; we are happy that they are back to their usual fun loving selves. There is plenty of time to be serious and burdened grown ups. Today, we interviewed a family that is new to the journey of becoming a fully committed yeshiva family. The prospective student is a beautiful, smart, intelligent and sweet child; a teacher’s dream. When we met with the mom, we learned the family’s backstory and as she told us about herself, we were reminded about why we do what we do. The mom came to America from ‘nowhere’ and “no Jews” Russia to find opportunity about 10 years ago. She left everything and everyone, a mother, grandmother, grandfather, one aunt and one cousin behind. She worked as a waitress in a kosher restaurant where she met her Israeli husband. They started a family and for some reason, despite no connection to religion, landed in West Hempstead next door to a Rabbi who works with people who are looking for connection. Tell me the odds of that! Over the years, at a snail's pace, the Rabbi has brought them closer to the fold; hence applying to HANC. Over the course of our fascinating conversation, we learned that the mom was leaving for Russia to pay respects to her mother who died last month of Covid; due to the restrictions of the pandemic, she could not get there in time to bury her. The mom’s tears flowed unexpectedly and freely as she spoke to us, complete strangers. It is their custom to go after 40 days, not the more popular 30, to do the memorial. The mom’s pain was so raw. HANC is a family; a family helps with the healing and modifies the pain. It does not take alot but it means so much; it takes a family. Unfortunately, not everyone has a family. Mrs. Boker and her family thanked us and thanked us again. Watching as this mom’s tears ran down her face, I felt helpless. I wanted so much for her to be a part of our family. We accepted her daughter; the mom said that if her child wants an observant home, she will do everything in her power to ensure that that happens; from snail to rabbit. Tomorrow is Friday, the weekend beckons me and my plans for checking out. I am hoping to visit my dad in his frozen forever home; I am so lucky that I had him in my life and the lives of my children and grandchildren for so long. I do not take my blessings for granted. ReplyForward