SEPTEMBER 1 • 2022 | 27

OUR COMMUNITY
SUB DEPARTMENT

A

s we all know, life is filled with 
twists and turns. The painful 
loss of a loved one or terrifying 
near-miss is traumatic and devastating. 
Fortunately, the Detroit Jewish community 
is known for its warmth, generosity and 
kindness. As people become accustomed 
to their new normal, they take comfort in 
the strength of the unifying community 
— family, friends, neighbors, fellow con-
gregants — who band together to help and 
support them during their hour of need. 

EARLY START TO LIFE
When Aliza Bracha Klein was put on strict 
bed rest at 13 weeks of her high-risk twin 
pregnancy, she prayed for the best. At 24 
weeks, she went into labor and, ultimately, 
delivered Meira Chana and Shlomo Aharon 
by emergency C-section at 25 weeks. Both 
weighed 1.5 pounds and remained in the 
NICU for months before coming home. 
Any new mom may experience feelings 
of confusion and being overwhelmed but 

becoming parents of micro preemies while 
recovering from a C-section was a whole 
new set of tricks. The Jewish community 
immediately rallied around them to help. 
“Everyone was absolutely amazing,
” Aliza 
Bracha shared. “They created a meal train 
for us early on, and we had meals coming 
every day for almost seven months! It was 
mindboggling to see the number of people 
who offered to help us during our time of 
need. Knowing they were thinking of us 
and genuinely cared was so meaningful.
”
The Kleins are members of Kehal 
Rina U’Tefilah, Rabbi Yosef Bromberg’s 
Orthodox shul on Coolidge Highway in 
Oak Park, but Aliza Bracha stresses that it 
was the entire spectrum of the Jewish com-
munity that came to their aid and checked 
in on them regularly. 
Aliza Bracha had no experience with 
preemies, and since only about 75% of 
babies born at 25 weeks survive, their doc-
tors were constantly warning her and her 
husband, Aryeh, that their babies might 

not live.
“Hearing that was so devastating. I was 
terrified my babies wouldn’t make it,
” she 
shared with emotion. “Baruch HaShem, 
they did.
”
After many scares, the twins were able to 
come home and needed round-the-clock 
care. The Kleins were on a three-hour 
schedule and had to follow up with many 
different specialists. 
“We were going to about 3-4 appoint-
ments a week for the babies, running on 
little to no sleep,
” Aliza Bracha said. “We 
actually needed a case manager to keep 
track of everything. It was just too much to 
do it all ourselves.
”
The Kleins were supported by Bikur 
Cholim Detroit, which arranged the meals 
when the babies were in the NICU; Detroit 
Radical ChildCare Collective, which pro-
vided much-needed mother’s helpers and 
daytime at-home care for the babies; Jewish 
Family Service, which helped Aliza Bracha 
find work during this stressful time; and 

Detroit’s Jewish community provides cushion of support 
to its neighbors in hard times.
When Tragedy Strikes

ROCHEL BURSTYN CONTRIBUTING WRITER

ANNA FRENKEL OF FRENKEL FILMS

Meira Chana Klein, 
Shlomo Aharon Klein, 
Aryeh Klein and 
Aliza Bracha Klein

continued on page 28

