Joyous event honors orphans entering the IDF….and their parents
On Tuesday evening, a joyous event was held by Amitsim, (The Courageous), an organization run by Rabbi Yehudah Glick and his wife, Hadass Dissen Glick, that works to brighten the lives of orphans and widows in Israel. The gathering was called to honor orphans who served or were about to serve in the IDF.
Rabbi Glick explained to Israel365 News.
“The event was for young people about to enter the IDF or National Service,” Rabbi Glick said. “Some have been orphaned for several years, some for as much as ten years. It was to honor the children as they entered a new stage of life, but we also wanted to applaud the parent, the Mother or Father, for raising these children alone for so long.”
“The event was to bless the kids so they have a safe service and a successful new stage in life. But we’re here also to applaud the parents. We wanted to tell the families, ‘Listen, we don’t only remember the lost parent. We also remember the living parent.’.”
“For so many years, the remaining parent was transparent. Nobody saw how these parents were raising the kids all by themselves. We wanted to turn them from transparent to parents.”
The event touched the hearts of all its participants. One mother was incredibly grateful for the evening of entertainment, noting that, in her full schedule as a single mother, there is rarely time for fun activities.
“For our family, which has lost so much, these life events are difficult but important,” she wrote. “This year, my Noam is enlisting, and even though I have already had two signs enlist into combat units, my heart is beginning to break again. But this morning, I thought of you. Not many organizations step in to help quietly and modestly to help families who have lost so much that is dear to them. Yours is an organization that does not seek publicity or attention. It is focused on bringing a hint of a smile to those families who have lost their loved ones.”
Another poured out her heart in gratitude:
“God takes the most precious souls,” she wrote. “But precious souls remain behind. And there are still holidays, school, and life to organize for these precious children. Even if there is help rom outside, all of this falls on one parent’s shoulders.”
Katrin and her children signed this letter.
Another letter was from a mother whose fatherless son was about to be drafted.
“Shimon was so happy,” she wrote. “And to be honest, so was I. With time and weariness, we forget what used to be. Last night, we were able to take a break and to remember that anything is possible. Even hope is possible.”
Another described her joy at her son’s rite of passage before entering the IDF.
“All of the children were ecstatic!!! And to see Nesher in uniform… It was pure joy!
“I sometimes think about how things happened. When my husband died, I thought the world was over, that there was no chance and no reason to continue. Then we discovered you, I don’t know if you remember, but you visited us to make Nesher happy on his birthday. It was the first time since his father died that Nesher smiled.”
“I remember thinking that if he’s happy, then maybe I’m a little happy, too. And maybe there is hope for even more happiness. Thank you for the hug, the hope, the love, and everything else: the food, the smiles, and the listening. I feel part of a community, and that’s a lot for us!”
Many respondents noted that Hadass and Rabbi Glick serve this community quietly and with little fuss. Hadass founded the organization after she was widowed at a relatively young age. Her empathy comes naturally. She understands that despite their need to connect with others, privacy is essential to widows and orphans.
For more information, visit the Amitsim website.
To watch a video from the event, click here.
The post Joyous event honors orphans entering the IDF….and their parents appeared first on Israel365 News.
Israel in the News
