DECEMBER 2 • 2021 | 9

One of many tent cities set up by guests.

BORDER PATROL OF MAARAT HAMACHPELA

aroma. I wasn’t sure that was 
something I wanted to do, so 
I passed on the opportunity 
for the moment.
We left the Maarah after 
we had both prayed for our 
family and for Am Yisrael 
(people of Israel) and started 
wandering around Hebron. 
We saw entire sections of 
the city filled with tents 
and tables, and we found 
the apartment of a family 
who invited everyone in for 
a Friday night oneg (festive 
Shabbat gathering). We also 
saw Jews from all over Israel 
deep in conversation with 
soldiers and police officers 
about politics and religion. 
We simply absorbed the 
atmosphere. 
 The next morning, we 
once again headed to Hebron 
for prayer and joined a 
minyan of men from our 

own shul in Modiin. The 
Torah was read by a teenager 
from our shul who has 
been reading this parshah 
in Hebron since his bar 
mitzvah. The entire reason to 
be there, these words in this 
place, was even more special 
than I expected it to be. 
Living in Israel for the 
past 15 years, it has become 
commonplace for us to 
be in a place described in 
the Tanach. We even live 
in Modiin, home of the 
Maccabees. But reading the 
Parshah about the purchase 
of the exact place where 
we were standing was 
exceptional and memorable.
Later that day, we went 
back to the Maarah, and I 
did breathe in the beautiful 
and indescribable scent and 
spirit of Gan Eden. 

C
l
i
c
k. C
a
ll. Give. appl
y. 

www.hfldetroit.org • 248.723.8184

Hebrew Free Loan Detroit

6735 TELEGRAPH ROAD, SUITE 300 • BLOOMFIELD HILLS, MICHIGAN 48301

@HFLDetroit

Community donations help Hebrew Free Loan give
interest-free loans to local Jews for a variety of personal,
health, educational and small business needs.

STORY
Our

STORY
Our

H
ebrew Free Loan recognizes that the
developmental, emotional and physical
needs of some children and adults can require
additional and sometimes costly life adjustments,
one-time expenses and long-term services.
In partnership with Friendship Circle, JARC
and Kadima, the Ina and Murray Pitt Fund
for Special Needs was established at HFL
to help Jewish families across Michigan better
afford the kind of life-enhancing services,
specialized equipment, therapies, experiences
and programs that help a person with physical
and/or mental disabilities.
The Pitt Fund can provide up to a $10,000
interest-free loan to help cover home modifi-
cation or personal equipment needs, such as
wheelchair ramps, vehicles with wheelchair lifts,
hearing aids or specialized car seats or
wheelchairs not covered by insurance. The
fund could assist with the cost of services such
as transportation, a therapy dog, a school
paraprofessional, or therapeutic services, 
residential services or respite/child care.

Visit www.hfldetroit.org to learn more.