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OPERATION
REFUAH NEWSLETTER
Volume
3, Issue 1
This
newsletter is dedicated to a refuah shelaima for Alta
Chana bas Breindel and to all those in need of a complete
and speedy recovery.
Dear
Friends of Operation Refuah,
We
would like to share with you a very exciting event that will take place this Tisha B'Av. On this day, thousands of people who visit the Kotel (Wall) will be able to sign the Operation Refuah scroll and their names, in addition to the names generated through this website, will be brought and left at the holiest spot at the Western Wall in Jerusalem.
The
Chaverim Kol Yisrael scroll, which reaffirms that we are
indeed One People with One Heart and One Soul, is one
of Operation Refuah's many projects that encourage a rededication
to the mitzvah considered to be the very foundation of
our Torah - V'Ahavta L'Reyacha Kamocha (Love Your Neighbor
as Yourself).
We
at Operation Refuah felt that Tisha B'Av, a day in Jewish history that is replete
with tragedy and misfortune, was a most auspicious time
to make this declaration of Achdut (Unity) and Ahavat
Yisrael .
We
would like to thank our wonderful volunteers both in the United States and in Israel
who made this event and other previous events possible: Mrs. Susan Roth, Mr. Ron Antoci, Mr. Effie Lahav, Mr. Yisroel Cohen, Mrs. Sheila Nashofer, Mr. Alex Flomin, Mrs. Doreen Czinn, Mrs. Hadassah Goldsmith, Mr. and Mrs. M. Jacobs,, Mr. and Mrs. S. Polsky,
and Rena Cohen.
To
date, we have received names for our scroll from the following countries:
Argentina, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Canada,
England, France, Gibraltar, Israel, Italy, Japan, Mexico,
Peru, South Africa, United Kingdom, United States, and
Uruguay.
If
you have not signed our scroll , please do so on our website or by
e-mailing us at info@operationrefuah.org.
On our website you will also find our brochure and posters.
If you would like complimentary copies of any of these
items for yourself or to distribute in your community,
please let us know and we will be glad to send them
to you. We would like to extend our sincere thanks to
all those who have already distributed our material
in their neighborhoods.
SEND
A CARD AND WARM A HEART!
On
our website you will notice a new opportunity to send
get well wishes to hospital patients, nursing home residents,
and others who are homebound. If you do not have access
to the web, please e-mail us at info@operationrefuah.org
for more information about this project so that you
can add a smile to someone else's day!
SHARE
YOUR SPECIAL MOMENT!
As
always, we encourage you to send us your special V'Ahavta
L'Reyacha Kamocha moment...when someone made a meaningful
impact on your life by fulfilling the mitzvah of V'Ahavta
L'Reyacha Kamocha. Your anecdote will serve as an inspiration
to others as well as show how this mitzvah has the awesome
power to turn around someone else's life for the good!
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We
would like to share with you a beautiful gesture of
V'Ahavta L'Reyacha Kamocha that we received from an
Operation Refuah participant:
"I
can't remember the details, but I'll always remember
the feeling: I was walking through Nachlaot in Yerushalayim,
just a little bit lost but not worried about it.
I felt good to be in Yerushalayim, and Nachlaot itself
is a special place. As I walked and wondered what direction
I should be going, I saw an older woman walking in the
other direction. I considered asking directions, but
decided against it. Instead, I smiled and greeted her
with one of those "meaningless" remarks asking how she
was. I thought I was doing something for her with the
greeting. She responded with a smile and started telling
me that she was fine, great, in fact. She said G-d had
blessed her with so much, and she even told me some
of the blessings. (There was nothing unusual, just life.)
Then she walked on. After meeting her, I all but skipped
onward. She had given me such a feeling --- I was almost
flying."
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One's
simple words can have a very positive impact on someone
else's attitude. Here is another anecdote that shows
how NOT saying anything can also make a difference:
"Someone
once gave Rabbi Moshe Feinstein (1895-1991) a ride in
his car from his home to his yeshiva. As Rabbi Feinstein
was leaving the car, the driver accidentally closed
the door on his fingers. Despite his great pain, Rabbi
Feinstein did not emit a sound and calmly proceeded
to the door of his yeshiva. Some of his students who
had witnessed this rushed over to assist their teacher,
who was obviously suffering. One of them asked Rabbi
Feinstein why he did not say anything to the driver.
'He was kind enough to drive me to the yeshiva. How
could I embarrass him?' he replied." (From
LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR by Rabbi Zelig Pliskin, quoting the
book BASTION OF FAITH).
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We
would like to close with the special thoughts of Coby,
a very alented singer and great supporter of Operation
Refuah:
"Over
the past years I have done numerous concerts throughout
the US and various parts of the world. I have tried
to dedicate at least one song to Operation Refuah during
each show, however not every show is conducive to this
due to time constraints and such. I do want you to know,
however, that over the past years mentioning Operation
Refuah time and time again has truly had a profound
impact on me in that I am cognizant of the mitzvah of
ahavas yisrael each and every day now. I want
to thank you for bringing a mitzvah that was in the
back of my mind to the forefront where it belongs. I
will, bli neder, continue to mention the organization and its importance
whenever I can."
Thank
you, COBY, for your kind words!
We
invite not only singers but all of you to continue to
spread the message of Ahavat Yisrael in your
communities because THROUGH AHAVAT YISRAEL, WE HAVE
THE POWER TO TURN THINGS AROUND!
Sheila
Nashofer, Editor
Operation
Refuah Newsletter
info@operationrefuah.org
www.operationrefuah.org
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