NOVEMBER 9 • 2023 | 9
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tying them for up to five hours
a day!
There are so many people
who need help. Soldiers.
Displaced families. Grieving
families. Overwhelmed mothers
with apartments full of terrified
kids and their husbands on the
front lines. Everyone is chipping
in to help.
On one occasion, an alert
went out in Bet Shemesh that
270,000 soldiers would be
arriving for Shabbat and needed
sleeping gear and food. Within
one hour, all the mattresses,
cots, sleeping bags, pillows they
needed as well as homemade
food was ready for all those
soldiers. For 270,000 people!
Messages go out at random
times for different requests.
There’s been messages at 2 a.m
asking for volunteers to dig
graves, particularly at first when
there were so many funerals.
Yosef called as soon as he saw
the message, about 10 minutes
after it was sent — but it was
too late! They already had more
than enough volunteers and he
was told not to come. And that’s
happened many times! There
are so many people giving and
doing.
People are learning Torah
around the clock, doing their
part to help the war effort
spiritually. Constant Tehillim
and prayer, storming the
heavens. People are taking on
new mitzvot. Lighting Shabbat
candles. Baking challah.
Restaurants are paying to have
their kitchens kashered so they
can feed all the soldiers, even
those that keep the highest
standards of kashrut.
People go to the airport in
the wee hours of the morning
to welcome reservists so they
know from the moment they
arrive that they are appreciated
and supported.
Schools were temporarily
closed once the war broke out
and only received the green
light to reopen when they
were able to prove that all the
students could reach and fit
in the approved bomb shelter
within 90 seconds of hearing
a siren. There are other cities
that have 10 seconds but we’re
40 miles from the south. 90
seconds is plenty of time.
People have asked us if we
regret our move. We could be
in calm, quiet Oak Park, not
in a country at war, rushing to
shelter, hearts racing, scared for
our lives. Constantly waiting for
the next siren. Wondering what
will happen next.
There’s only so much we can
do to prepare.
The answer: We’re here
to stay; where we feel G-d’’s
embrace. We are constantly
inspired by what we see here,
especially by the constant
chesed and incredible unity, by
the Jewish people.
Keren grew up in Bloomfield Hills, and
lived in Oak Park with her husband,
Yosef, for 15 years. In August 2022,
they made aliyah to Bet Shemesh with
their four sons.
Keren with her first batch of freshly
laundered soldiers’ clothes
Help brighten someone’s holiday!
Help brighten someone’s holiday!
Create lasting holiday memories for those we serve by
participating in Jewish Family Service’s
Adopt a Family program.
Participation is simple!
Shop for an individual or family from their wish list, donate
gift cards, or make a monetary donation to the program.
However you choose to participate, you will be brightening
the holidays for so many.
TO SIGN UP, VISIT
TO SIGN UP, VISIT
JFSDETROIT.ORG/ADOPT
JFSDETROIT.ORG/ADOPT
Questions? Contact us at 248.970.2655 or
adoptafamily@jfsdetroit.org.
Jewish Family Service
Jewish Family Service
Adopt a Family