* Translation by Yehoshua Siskin ([email protected])
Yesterday the following two messages arrived, one right after the next:
Meital Shlezinger, a producer from Moshav Batzra in central Israel, decided that she and her friends would prepare gift packages of appreciation for the volunteers of Zaka (the Haredi organization that identifies victims of catastrophic death). They collected money to buy candy and other sweet delights to fill the packages. They assiduously checked to make sure the products were strictly kosher and also purchased children's books for the volunteers' kids. They then went to the houses of the volunteers to say thank you. "If the horrific videos we merely glimpse keep us up at night," Meital said, "what happens to those who must touch, collect, and identify the victims' remains? Do they have any idea how grateful and admiring we are of what they do?"
And, immediately afterwards, I received the following message from Pinchas Weiss: "I am a social worker and during these days I have been working around the clock treating victims of the terror attack. One night I had to mentor a woman over the phone on how to deliver the bitter news to parents that their son had died in one of the communities near the Gaza Strip. I spoke with her for almost an hour about the emotional impact on the family and to help her deal with the ramifications. At the end, she asked me about myself. I said that I am Pinchas, with a master's degree in social work, a resident of Beitar Illit. 'Isn't Beitar a Haredi town?' she asked. When I answered yes and that I was a Karlin Hasid, she paused and said: A few weeks ago I was very involved with the movement against the judicial reform and I wouldn’t believe that I would be conversing with you. And, what's more, to receive your help at a time of distress? Unbelievable.'
Believe it.
