"A father to the fatherless, a defender of widows, is God in his holy dwelling."
Psalm 68:5
Dear Friends,
All across Israel, children are preparing to head back to school. For most families, this season is filled with simple, happy rituals: choosing notebooks, trying on new shoes, packing a fresh school bag for the first day. But for some families, this season carries a weight that few of their neighbors ever see.
We want to share with you the story of one mother, R., whose life changed completely about three years ago, when her husband took his own life after a long struggle with heavy debts.
Since that tragedy, R. has been left alone. She has no family in Israel. She bears full responsibility for raising her two small children, and she carries the heavy debts her husband left behind. Despite her loss and pain, she refuses to give up. She runs a small jewelry store, working to earn a decent living for her children. But the store’s profits are simply not enough to cover both the debts and the family’s living expenses, and daily life has become a constant struggle for survival.
Outwardly, R. works hard to show resilience and optimism for her children. But behind the smile she wears for them, a great and complex difficulty is hidden.
Asking for help was a complicated and embarrassing step for her. Yet her children’s best interests are always at the forefront of her mind. She does everything she can to keep them from feeling deprived, so that they can begin the school year just like all their friends, with a sense of belonging and full equality.
Think for a moment about what that means to a child. A child does not count the cost of a school bag. What a child feels is whether they walk through the school gates looking like everyone else, or whether they stand apart. A new school bag on the first day of school tells a child something no words can: you belong here, just like all your friends.
That is why, for this family, the new school bag they received through our Pack to School project is so much more than material help. It gives R. a little breathing space. It eases a heavy financial burden. And it allows her children to walk into the new school year with their heads held high and a sense of security.
This is what your generosity does. It reaches into homes where a parent is quietly carrying more than anyone knows, and it lifts something off their shoulders. It reminds a widowed mother that she is not alone, and it lets her children simply be children.
There are many more families across Israel like R.’s, mothers and fathers doing everything they can, and still coming up short as a new school year begins. Your gift today can meet them in that quiet struggle with practical help and real hope.
Please consider giving today. Your compassion can help a child start the school year with dignity, and help a parent breathe again.
Thank you for standing with the families of Israel.
With love and gratitude,
Barry & Batya
