They survived the camps in Europe and miraculously ended up in the holy city of Jerusalem. A happily married couple, life was okay.
As old age crept up on them, so did many health issues. Today, the wife suffers with cancer – a particularly insidious cancer – one whose treatment has steadily eroded her face. When all of the chemo, surgery and radiation were completed, the doctors declared success. Until…the disease appeared in her gums, forcing her to have all of her teeth removed. She can no longer "eat" and all of her food must be liquefied so that she can drink it through a straw. Believe it or not, her devoted husband has been doing this chore manually so that she can get some nourishment and strength.
This was the story I just heard from Darla Oz, who, with her husband, founded House to House. (An organization that we have written about many times in this Diary) Darla does extraordinary work, much of it with vulnerable survivors in Jerusalem, and has a never-ending list of needs. Each time we are in touch the stories get more and more disturbing. On this call, Darla mentioned that in addition to the cancer, this elderly couple can barely scrape together the funds they need to buy proper-fitting adult diapers or the medications they both require to maintain some semblance of good health.
Here, though, is where this story takes a twist. Several weeks ago a good friend sent us some tzedakah money with instructions that it be used to help a survivor. The money was put aside. I knew that it would not be long before I would find just the right place to use it. Now was the right time. I told Darla to go out and buy the high-powered blender that would do the job needed to produce food the wife could eat.
But – the story does not end here. The donor, when told about how her tzedakah was used, was so moved by the story and the injustice of this sad situation that she shared my email with her friends, some of whom then made their own donations to the cause.
Today, but a few days after the initial conversation, this elderly couple will have not only their blender but also a monthly stipend which will cover the cost of the extra diapers and medicines they require.
…One cannot help but wonder how a Shoah survivor ends life with such a horrific disease, but that is another story for another time….
