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Lema'an Achai Ekesher

No. 2. July 6, 2023 17 Tammuz 5783
The International Chesed Center
A Fresh New Start
Not Your Ordinary Dollar…

The International Chesed Center

Our dream is beginning to come true – the building of a world center from which the message of Smart Chesed will spread everywhere. We are building to help the less fortunate on their way to independence. We are answering the call by creating a Center of Chesed that will allow us to help and impact the lives of many more families, doing so with a high level of dignity and professionalism.

The Three Week Mourning period in the Jewish Calendar, beginning on the fast day of 17 Tammuz, is a time which allows us to look back at our history as a people and it helps us look forward to the future. As our sages taught us in Pirkei Avot " דע מאין באת ולאן אתה הולך"- we need to know about our past so we can fulfill our potential. We are reminded that the three week period commemorates the destruction of the two holy temples. The reasons behind the destruction are manifold, but our rabbis emphasize that our treatment of the other was sorely lacking. Perhaps we were not sensitive to each other's needs, perhaps the poor were treated harshly, perhaps we lost sight of what it means to have a functional, giving and loving society. Lema'an Achai tries to right this wrong, by spreading acts of kindness.

We still have a lot of work ahead of us before we reach the completion of the construction of Lema'an Achai's International Chesed Center. We need everyone's help to build a better tomorrow for our clients and families. Please partner with us and together we will make the dream come true!
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A Fresh New Start

 "You don't know how much you helped my son's family, Eliyahu. You're a real lifesaver. My son's home was on the verge of destruction, and thanks to you, we were privileged to rebuild it." This is the opening sentence of a letter that came to us from an elderly Jew from Boston, just a few days ago. A sentence which is especially poignant as we observe the 17th day of Tammuz and start the Three-Week mourning period.

"Eliyahu, my son, immigrated to Israel with my daughter-in-law, Aliza, and their three children nine years ago. At first, they lived in the Ramot neighborhood of Jerusalem, but very quickly they decided that it wasn’t for them and decided to move to Gush Etzion. They chose Gush Etzion because their eldest daughter required an integrated special education framework, and Gush Etzion has such a school.

Socially, everything was excellent, but economically it was a struggle. For years, Eliyahu, a musician by profession, found it difficult to find a livelihood. Although he had students who came to study music with him, the family struggled to make ends meet. To supplement his income, Eliyahu approached the rabbi of the community for assistance, and the community's Tzedakah fund decided it would help with thousands of shekels every month until the family found a better way to make a decent living.


About a year ago, the Committee administering the fund put a letter in the family’s mailbox, that due to a sharp decline (apparently because of the coronavirus) in income and the large number of families who applied to the fund this year, they were forced to reduce the assistance they were given. Aliza felt immense shame. Until that moment, she had not known that she and her family lived largely at the expense of the public purse, and even more so, she was very angry that her husband, Eliyahu, had hidden it from her. Although he did this out of love for Aliza and out of a desire for her not to worry too much, Aliza saw this as a lack of trust.

Without going into details, the relationship between Eliyahu, my dear and beloved son, and my daughter-in-law, ran aground. Now in addition to his financial worries, his marriage was in trouble." The father, in his letter, continues to write: 'When I learned of this, I remembered that I had been contributing to Lema'an Achai for several years. I asked Eliyahu to contact the organization's Executive Director, Rabbi Avrohom Leventhal, who periodically visits our congregation in Boston, to send him regards and ask for his help. And he did. Eliyahu and Aliza were placed under the auspices of Lema'an Achai and went through a tailor-made process and plan, meeting with counselors and social workers, rebuilding the trust between Eliyahu and Aliza, and Eliyahu found a permanent job as a music teacher at the high school Yeshiva near their home. B"H their lives returned to normal – and all thanks to you, the dear people of Lema'an Achai" the father finished his story.

The father added a very moving sentence: "The Temple was destroyed because of baseless hatred. You at Lema'an Achai increase unconditional love in the world and are saving the lives, and marriages, of people from different walks of life, including Eliyahu and Aliza. In fact, you are rebuilding houses that were on the verge of destruction, and I wish you that you will soon be able to complete the construction of your home (the International Chesed Center) so that you can save many more families. I very much want to be part of Lema'an Achai and will continue to invest in it to the best of my ability. I call on all my friends to join me in supporting this important organization."

Not Your Ordinary Dollar…

It is our absolute honor to be the recipients of the 10 millionth dollar from Daily Giving!
Daily Giving is charity platform Lema'an Achai is proud to be a part of. Thanks to them, more families will be able to receive assistance from Lema'an Achai every year.
To sign up to Daily Giving
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To view our Ekesher Archive
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STRATEGIC VISION

Lema'an Achai envisions making a significant dent in poverty in Israel. We endeavor to help people restore their economic independence. Our vision is realized through professional programming designed and implemented to restore hope, resolve problems, build confidence, identify strengths, sharpen skills, and direct clients to gainful enterprise.

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