OCTOBER 24 • 2024 | 29
J
N
A SPECIAL GUEST
As we waited for our dough to rise,
we were honored to have Einav
Danino, the mother of hostage Ori
Danino, join us at the event. Her
son was one of the six hostages
killed by Hamas after being held
captive for nearly a year in the dark
tunnels of Gaza. This was Einav’s
first time speaking publicly since his
brutal murder.
Ori means “my light,” and Einav
shared with us the light that Ori
brought into this world. On Oct. 7,
he was at the Nova Music Festival
with friends. He managed to escape
from the terrorists but went back to
rescue people he had just met. After
finding them, his car was shot up by
Hamas, and they were captured and
abducted to Gaza.
Einav explained that when Ori
was 13, he was critically injured in
a serious car accident on his way
to his bar mitzvah. She prayed
to Hashem for her son to recov-
er and made a commitment that
if he answered her prayers, she
would never ask “why” or ques-
tion Hashem. Two weeks later, Ori
walked out of the hospital. And
Einav stuck to her promise. For
more than 300 days after he was
kidnapped, she prayed for Ori to
survive. Yet she never asked, “Why
him?” Her faith has never wavered,
even with Ori’s tragic murder.
“Even in darkness we choose to
see light” are the words inscribed
on rubber bracelets RISE attendees
received, a constant reminder of
the light that Ori brought into this
world.
In her parting message, Einav
described how the six murdered
hostages, all with different back-
grounds, managed to get along with
one another. Without food, without
light, without air — in the face of
unspeakable adversity, they over-
came their differences. So, for all of
us in our everyday lives filled with
abundance, it serves as a poignant
lesson. Jewish unity is needed now
more than ever.
We wiped the tears from our eyes
following Einav’s powerful remarks
and, as the evening came to a close,
we gathered arm-in-arm to sing the
beloved psalm about unity, “Hinei
mah tov umah nayim shevet achim
gam yachad.
”
SPOTLIGHT
ABOVE: 600 Jewish women, arm in
arm, singing together, “Hinei mah tov
umah nayim …” RIGHT: Lior Zisser-
Yogev and her daughters Zeve and
Rona pose for a picture with Malke
Torgow in the middle of the action.
Joe and Myrna Salzman dedicate a New Life
Support Ambulance to Magen David Adom
Among a crowd of nearly 100 members of Adat Shalom Synagogue
on Friday, Sept. 13, Joe and Myrna Salzman of West Bloomfield
dedicated a new Life Support Ambulance to Magen David Adom.
This is the third ambulance they have donated to Israel’s emergency
services system. They first dedicated an ambulance in 2006, followed
by a second in 2015.
This newest ambulance was dedicated in memory of Joe’s brother,
Jerry Salzman of Akron, Ohio, and San Rafael, California. Each
ambulance door includes a special inscription in Jerry’s memory.
Joe and Myrna
Salzman with
ambulance.
ORT Michigan’s annual
WINGO (Women’s only
BINGO) fundraiser will be
held on Thursday, Nov. 7, at
Knollwood Country Club in West
Bloomfield, starting at 5:30 p.m.
This event includes 10 rounds
of BINGO with prizes valued at
$100, including a grand prize
of $250 cash, as well as 30 raffle
prizes, each valued at $50 or
more.
Hannah Kessler, Jamie Lefkowitz
and Emily Rosenberg are
co-event chairs for this night of
fun and entertainment, which
will also include a silent auction,
strolling dinner, signature
cocktails and dessert.
ORT’s mission is to provide high-
quality education, afterschool
enrichment activities and mental
health support so that our
students have equal opportunities
to achieve their career dreams
and reach their full potential
regardless of their socio-
economic status.
For more information or to
register, visit www.ortamerica.
org/WINGO or call (248) 723-
8860.
ORT’s WINGO Fundraiser