18 Years and 10,000 Babies Later
Visiting the Just One Life families, on our Magen David Yeshiva (MDY) Hesed Mission, was so powerful. You really begin to appreciate all the blessings you have in your life which you take for granted,” says Jack Horowitz. But for Justin Liniado, it was especially moving to meet the parents, “who told us that despite their many hardships, the children are their reason to get up every day and try to make their lives better.” Jack and Justin are two of over a dozen MDY students who spent a week in Israel recently experiencing Just One Life, doing hesed and learning about various hesed opportunities in Israel.
Indeed, over the past 18 years, Just One Life (JOL) and the Sephardic Community have helped over 10,000 children to be born in Israel—boys and girls who may never have seen the light of day without the financial and moral support of the community.
Take for example, Sarah. Born in Aleppo, she and her husband lived in Jerusalem where they were doing their best to raise a family. But her husband lost his job and was diagnosed with clinical depression. The strain on the family was great and all this occurred while they were expecting their new addition to the family. Sarah began to contemplate terminating the pregnancy, not seeing any alternatives, and dreading going down that path. But as if Divine Intervention stepped in, Sara’s local social worker understood her situation and told her about Just One Life. Sara contacted JOL’s team of social workers in Jerusalem. Working with JOL’s professional staff and supplemented with a financial assistance package, Sarah was able to fulfill her dream to grow her family and be the mother to the child that Hashem had blessed her with.
Or for example, Miriam, a young mother who was blessed with a multiple pregnancy. After her doctor suggested reducing the number, Miriam contacted the JOL team for assistance. JOL facilitated getting her the best medical care in Israel so that Miriam was able to fulfill her dream and healthfully bring all her children into the world.
Or Rinah. She and her family were living in Beit Shemesh when financial crisis hit. Her husband lost his job and she could no longer go to work due to the difficulties of her pregnancy. The family lost their home to bank foreclosure and moved in with their elderly parents. Rinah began to consider what was, for her, the unthinkable. After sharing her troubles with her health professional, Rinah was referred to JOL for assistance. JOL provided some financial assistance during the crisis and the supportive ear of professional social workers. In addition, Rinah began attending classes at the JOL Mother and Infant Center where she was able to learn additional skills to help her manage the family’s finances.
Without coercion, without preaching, Just One Life offers mothers the ability to choose life and raise all of their children, simply by offering viable options and solid, practical assistance.
How does JOL find its clients? The clients are referred to Just One Life through the health professionals, doctors and social workers in 140 cities, villages and towns across Israel. Just One Life is simply about people helping people; Jews reaching out to help other Jews. And JOL succeeds because it is based on a simple premise: Jewish women must be able to look forward to the birth of a new baby despite financial, physical or emotional stress. And that’s just what Just One Life provides.
Madelaine Gitelman, MSW, and Executive Vice President, Israel, has earned a respected reputation in Israeli circles for her mesirut nefesh (the goodness of her heart) on behalf of every Jewish child. “The amazing thing,” says Ms. Gitelman, “is that after they hold the beautiful babies in their arms, they are extremely thankful. They just can’t imagine what life would be like without their precious children.”
Just One Life helps the Jewish people grow, one child at a time. It helps women face impending motherhood with confidence by providing short- and long-term support and care for women who question their ability to welcome and care for an additional child due to financial, familial or medical issues.
During the past 18 years, Just One Life has learned much from listening to the women they help. They have heard their frustrations and anxieties concerning the addition of another child to their family, and the insecurity they face before and after the birth. This holds true for experienced as well as first time mothers. Questions about the entire process, normal child development, nursing, nutrition and the development of the mother-child relationship are often raised. This information, which should be available to the general public, seems out of reach to many of those who turn to Just One Life.
To this end, Just One Life opened a Mother and Infant Center. Among its purposes is to provide its clients with the opportunity to acquire information and to gain skills in the areas that are related to their current reality in a format that they can easily understand and use—be it child nutrition, women’s health or parenting skills. Accompanied by much planning and enthusiasm, the center opened its doors a little over one year ago, and so far over 250 mothers have benefited from the vital seminars and workshops it offers.
Just One Life helps relieve burdens before and after birth in a number of ways. Depending on the individual case, a family will receive a monthly subsidy and counseling to relieve the expectant mother’s stress. Most important, this mother now has an opportunity to spend the next months preparing emotionally and financially to welcome the new addition to her family.
This effort has been called “Internal Aliyah.” Just think, the 10,000 children born thanks to the efforts of Just One Life equals the population of ten average Israeli towns! Can we begin to imagine what the demographics of 10,000 Jewish children means for Eretz Yisrael? How many children they will have, and how many grandchildren? When there is so much concern about faltering Jewish immigration, in addition to the high Arab birthrate, Just One Life is combating the acute demographic challenge experienced in Israel, in addition to the unequaled merit of saving Jewish lives.
Imagine, by supporting Just One Life you can earn the merit of saving an entire world. You can become a partner in a unique, live saving project. For more information, contact Rabbi Etan Tokayer at the JOL office at (212) 683-6040 or visit them at their Jerusalem center; Justonelife.org; or email: etokayer@justonelife.org.
