February 16, 2009
Israel Diary – An Old Friend in New Digs and a Mitzvah To Boot!
On our second day in Israel I was looking forward to making my first visit to see Libby Reichman and the new home of Big Brothers, Big Sisters (Tzedakah Diary, June 12, 2008, Going Home). When I had last visited, BBBS was still occupying a small office which was bursting at the seams with desks, computers and files. Nothing quite prepared me for the magical place we saw when the taxi dropped us off at the new address. What a beautiful place it was! The view alone was worth a million dollars… indeed, this was a true “clubhouse†where the kids and their mentors could come to play games, create crafts, watch a movie… a very special home away from home. We could not have been happier for Libby and her staff.
After our tour, we sat with a cup of tea and talked about the organization’s latest challenges. BBBS is no different than any other non-profit today—funding is limited and the organization’s needs continue. So many of the children Libby works with come from such difficult and troubled homes… it is sometimes overwhelming to hear each one’s situation knowing you cannot solve each problem. One story which Libby shared was particularly poignant… it was the story of Yonatan, a young boy now 12, who lives with his mother in a small one room apartment. Though the mother does work, funds are very limited and there is never enough to provide for much more than food and rent. Libby recounted that their minimal income (as well as limited space) meant that Yonatan and his Mom continued to share a single bed. This was not right and we knew that it was important for us to do whatever we could to change this arrangement. We asked Libby if it would be possible for her to help Yonatan and his mother purchase a second bed which might fit in their small apartment. We would cover the cost of the bed as well as some new sheets and blankets. Libby was thrilled!
Postscript: A few days after we returned from Israel, Libby called to say that Yonatan and his Mom were thrilled by our offer and had just returned from their shopping excursion. With tears in her eyes and her voice breaking, Yonatan’s Mom shared that he now had a new bed and all of the accessories that would make any twelve year old excited!
Sometimes it doesn’t take very much to make a profound difference!
