By Carine Chitayat
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SAN DIEGO — Since October 7th, Adopt a Family Foundation has been in close contact with our adopted families all over Israel. Most of the families from the South are still displaced. They too – for more than 150 days – have been praying for the return of the hostages and are still mourning the loss of so many of their friends in their Kibbutzim. So many Israelis from the North are also displaced from their homes and live in such uncertainty of what is next.
Amidst the turmoil, we stand resolute. We continue to pursue our mission and to support our adopted families, take upon new projects and provide support to Nova survivors.
Since the attacks we have:
–Sent additional financial support to all our adopted families.
–Offered a scholarship to one of our adopted families so their son can get a better education.
–Sent a financial gift to two of our families to celebrate the births of their grandchildren.
We Also Hosted Families in Need of Relief
In January, we hosted Chanel and Efraim Ifergan and their young children, who lost their apartment by a rocket attack in Ashkelon on October 27. It was a miracle that they escaped it alive. It was also a miracle to see them regain their strength during their stay in San Diego. We would like to thank everyone involved in their recovery, whether it was through financial or emotional support. Your love was felt deeply by them and made all the difference.
Shaked Kdoshim, the daughter of Anna, belongs to one of our adopted families who needed the calm of San Diego to regain her strength after living through the horrors of October 7th with her newborn in Kibbutz Kfar Aza. Shaked opened up and with much hesitation asked for help for her mother, Anna Kdoshim. Shaked’s mother, lives in kibbutz Kfar Aza, three miles from the border of Gaza. She has lived in the kibbutz for 44 years and has devoted all her time and energy into her family and community. Fifteen years ago, a rocket was shot from Gaza and directly hit the Kdoshim’s backyard, killing Anna’s beloved husband, Jimmy. This horrific tragedy forever changed the Kdoshim family. And now, after what they experienced on October 7th in their home in Kibbutz Kfar Aza, they need our help.
Anna and her family have lost so much and have endured the unimaginable twice in their lives. We have joined our efforts with KavodFund to help her get the financial support she needs at this time. Please help the Kdoshim family recover from these horrors. Every amount is so appreciated, please donate and share: Make a Donation
On top of all our other work we also committed ourselves to support a therapy program for the Sha’ar Hanegev youth community. As the residents of the South are starting to go back to their Kibbutz, specifically now to Kibbutz Or Haner, we are sponsoring a few art therapists who will be working with a group of 10-15 children once a week for 4 months. We also committed ourselves to sponsor a trailer that will be used as a mobile space to offer therapy wherever needed.
We, in collaboration with Choose Kindness Foundation, are supporting an art program led by Leetal BenZvi for Nova Festival survivors. The goal of the Eilat-based program is not only to help survivors overcome their trauma, but also to train additional therapists to further spread their outreach. So far, the program has reached out to about 50 survivors. We decided to fund this program in memory of Sandy Novak’s cousin, Moti Zuerman. Sandy is one of our wonderful and dedicated committee members whose cousin was tragically murdered on October 7th. Moti was shot while exiting the Nova Festival, as he was trying to save the life of a young, injured man by bringing him to Sderot. May Moti’s memory be a blessing. Our thoughts are with Sandy and her family.
In the coming months, we will adopt 5-10 new families who were directly impacted by October 7th.
We are looking for more adopters to be matched with these families. There is no financial obligation to become an adopter, but it is necessary to be committed to a long-term relationship with a large heart, an open ear, and non-judgmental compassion.
If interested, please contact us via this email.
In this month of Adar, as we are approaching Purim, we must hope for Miracles, as how ancient Jews were spared from massacre during the Persian Empire. In the theme of Purim I pledge that if the hostages are not released, I will fast for the first time on the Fast of Esther, on March 21. This is an initiative brought forward by one of our wonderful adopters: Limor Spilky, hoping that our unity and fast could bring a miracle. I believe we are all ready for a miracle to happen, like at the time of Esther.
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Carine Chitayat heads the local Adopt-A-Family Foundation, which befriends and lends a helping hand to Israelis whose lives have been disrupted by terror.