illness – Page 2 – Ezer Mizion

Springtime: “When The Seeds I Planted Began to Sprout”

Farmer: Rivi Kosover, Assistant Director, Ezer Mizion Jerusalem Branch
“And thank you so much for the lovely gift,” she tried to smile as her visitor left the hospital for the real world. She fingered the soft folds of new robe. “Something to make you feel pretty while in the hospital,” her friend has said. It truly was lovely but it spoke of illness, of helplessness.
Her eyes lit up as I came into view. “I brought you a gift,” I said. “It’s a cookbook for when you leave this place. I hope you’ll find some new recipes and please don’t forget to invite me to taste them.” There was nothing forced in the patient’s smile as she eagerly perused the Table of Contents.
The sentence I planted:
We sat and planned…an orange sherbet recipe which her elderly mother will love when she comes to visit…a whole section of chocolate recipes for the widower who lives next door and lights up when she brings over a chocolate concoction for Shabbos. Continue reading Springtime: “When The Seeds I Planted Began to Sprout”

A Letter Meant for You, Our Friends and Supporters

Ashdod Bakotarot – Letters to the Editor

Thank You Ezer Mizion – People of Chessed
On several occasions, I have had the opportunity to benefit from the services of Rabbi Zevulun Baruchi shlita, director of Ezer Mizion’s transport services for rides to hospitals. Anything I could write would not portray the full dimension of my appreciation and the extent of my admiration for him and the special work that he and all the people at Ezer Mizion do.
One call about the need for a ride and Zevulun immediately rallies to the cause, doing above and beyond anything expected of him, all hours of the day. [A big pat on the back to the volunteer drivers in this Ezer Mizion’s network, too – may there be many more like you!]
One time, when I called, I mentioned that there are some parents in the hospital who are so worried about their sick children that they don’t eat a thing. And Zevulun, with his huge heart, responded immediately, and without thinking, said: “Don’t worry. I’ll make sure to pamper them with the best food there is.” Continue reading A Letter Meant for You, Our Friends and Supporters

Light in the Tunnel (Mishpacha 12/14)

The K. family’s living room was well-lit. But neither the sparkling chandeliers nor the glowing fluorescents could banish the darkness that prevailed there.

As long as there were only suspicions and conjectures, they managed to somehow suppress them. But when the unequivocal results arrived, they could not ignore the facts anymore. The father of the family, the supporting pillar, the broad shoulders that carried the entire family – was diagnosed with cancer.

Malka felt as if the sky had crashed down on her. At night, on the tear-drenched pillow on the ward, she had a frightening dream, blacker than black. Continue reading Light in the Tunnel (Mishpacha 12/14)

A Letter Meant for You, Our Friends and Supporters

The Angels of Ezer Mizion

Dear Ezer Mizion

With heartfelt thanks and appreciation, I want to share my story with you. During the nine weeks that my dear mother a”h Miriam Malka Reiss bat Reb Yehoshua z”l was hospitalized at the Shaarei Zedek Hospital, the Ezer Mizion “angels” came through the ward every evening with a tea/coffee cart and brought a smile into the lives of the patients and their families.

Every day I received a meal or a sandwich courtesy of Ezer Mizion.

“Who is like you, Yisrael!”

Thank you so much, and may you continue your holy work.

Wishing you a happy New Year,

Shaindy (Sheila) Zohn

His Daughter’s Wedding

The flowers were ordered-they decided on pink and blue. The gown was stunning-it fit perfectly. The caterer had agreed to the molded dessert that she loved. But the bride was not happy. “Flowers and desserts are nice but what about my father! It’s my special day. He talked about this day since I was a little girl. And now he won’t even be there.”
Miles across town, Eli’s tears mixed with his daughter’s as he lay ill in the hospital bed. There was not a chance that he would be released before the wedding. Continue reading His Daughter’s Wedding

Like Magic Wand

To the wonderful volunteers of Ezer Mizion,

It is so fantastic that when a person is in distress, there are wonderful people who understand him, understand his needs

and his difficulties, and care about him. . . .

When the family members of a sick person are running around, confused, in pain, and worried, they totally ignore their daily needs. Continue reading Like Magic Wand

When It is Impossible to Cook…

Over the last few months, I was privileged to become closely acquainted with the powerhouse of activity generated by the great chesed organization, “Ezer Mizion”.

Our family went through a difficult period of time, extending over the span of quite a few months, during which it was almost impossible for me to cook meals for my family. Continue reading When It is Impossible to Cook…

In and Out of Hospitals

I want to thank you for the wonderful chag we enjoyed thanks to you, for the absolutely perfect Seder night meal, for the yomtov and chol ha’mo’ed meals, for the warm heart that was evident in every box we opened…

For five months, we have been in and out of hospitals with a child who became ill with the dreaded disease, cancer. For five months, our home has maintained a minimal semblance of sanity, only thanks to Ezer Mizion’s remarkable volunteers. Five months during which your staff has served as a listening ear, a guiding hand, and a boundless heart that gives and gives and gives some more…

“Making Pesach” is not a simple task in any home, and it gets much more complex in a home that has not been functioning normally for five months running and is still doing shifts at the oncology ward 24 hours a day.

We didn’t know where to start. We never dreamed that there would be a Seder here this year. When we received your confirmation that food was “on you,” a huge stone rolled off our hearts. We knew that whatever is in your hands will be done the best way possible.

And that is exactly what happened! The abundance, the taste, the variety, the freshness (in the middle of the week, we received another fresh delivery of food). Above all, we felt the dedication invested into every single item so lovingly and esthetically packaged.

So many volunteers are partners in this mitzvah that we thought the best way to reach them all is through thanking you publicly in this newspaper public opinion section. We want to personally thank all the volunteers who cooked in their homes, all the volunteers at the central kitchen, and all the drivers who brought the cartons laden with all the delicacies to our doorstep.

May you be blessed with an abundance of health and nachat, and may Hashem fulfill all your heart’s desires for the good, Amen!

Even the Day before Passover

(From the Yated magazine)

Esther P. from Bnei Brak wishes to give honorary mention to a uniquely devoted group of volunteers, who do not neglect those in need even on Erev Pesach. She “happened” to hear about the buzzing activity when she noticed a box at the doorway of a Bnei Brak family, filled with neatly stacked trays of cooked food for yom tov. The sticker identified it as being connected to Ezer Mizion. The woman of the household admitted that she serves as a way station for collecting freshly cooked food packages from families in her area, which are then picked up by a special driver and delivered to those in need and for the families of hospital patients.

The demand for kosher le’Pesach food comes to a head as Pesach approaches. At the height of the high-pressure Pesach preparations, women find the time and energy to stand in their kitchen and prepare kosher le’Pesach meals for needy families, carefully labeling the type of food, the kashrus supervision, and whether the food is sheruya (gebrokht) or contains kitniyot (legumes)…

This amazing chesed operation continues for the length of the yom tov. In the midst of hosting guests and heavy work in the kitchen, the volunteers continue to think about others. On Chol Hamoed, another collection is made, meant for Shabbos Chol Hamoed and Shvi’i shel Pesach. May the women participating in this unbelievable project be blessed, along with Ezer Mizion as a whole…!