I was the “older single” in my family. My younger siblings got married one by one and had children. On seder night last year, a family member bought me a present: participation in the tefillos at Amukah of the Vaad. It was such a meaningful gift, and I davened and cried, asking Hashem to split the sea for me too this year.   After years of unsuccessful dating, I was engaged in a month.” – Rivka This is one of the amazing true stories told by a donor to Vaad HaRabbanim’s Amukah campaign. Every year, money is gathered at this fund to help the poor of klal yisroel, and messengers gather by Amukah on the night of Shvi’i Shel Pesach to pray for its donors.

It’s the week before Pesach and the grocery stores in Israel are swamped. As one teenage girl approaches the register with a full cart, however, the cashier looks on curiously. The girl is scraping change together from the bottom of her purse and pulling cash out of her pockets. As he scans the items, her eyes nervously watch the screen. The teenager piles together small change until the exact amount is reached. The cashier rolls his eyes at the annoyance. He has no idea what’s really going on. “Fraida” is the oldest sibling in her family, and her parents are both ill. Her father is recovering from a stroke, and her mother has cancer.

When the video starts, the first thing you notice is Bracha Faiga. She’s an adorable 3-year-old with wispy blonde hair and pink cheeks. The longer you look at Bracha, however, the more it becomes clear that she is not a “normal child.”    Bracha Faiga was born with a rare and severe developmental disorder. Her parents have an inspiring attitude about raising a special needs child, and they are reminded each time they call her name – meaning, of course, blessing. In their video address to the public, mother Mayaan struggles to hold Bracha Faiga still, as the sweet little girl struggles to control her movement. Frankly, it is difficult to watch.    Lately, however, it has become extremely difficult to maintain a positive attitude.

The directer of Ohr Hatorah, Rabbi Chanoch Davidman visited Rav Chaim ZT”L last year before Yom Tov and received a bracha for all donors who donate to Ohr Hatorah’s fundraiser. Pesach is fast approaching. The klal is broken and hurting! The Rambam in Hilchos Tzedaka writes a list of the different levels of tzedaka that we should give. Who comes first, who comes next, et cetera. And others write a prioritized list as well. According to the Pele Yoetz, the poor and destitute of Israel have the status of “local poor people” – the highest level of tzedaka. CLICK HERE TO DONATE Give relief! Give kovod! Take away the poor embarrassment of these poor families and their children.

Pesach is getting closer, and near chaos has broken out in a small set of offices located in Jerusalem. These are the offices of charity organization Vaad HaRabbanim, where 10 new volunteers have been added just to prepare for the flow of Kimcha Depischa donations. With each donation that comes in, another check is written for a poor family. For the families receiving the checks, the help comes at a crucial time: They have only days to purchase groceries and other essentials for the holiday. One young mother in particular reflects on what Pesach has been like for her family: “ Ever since my husband passed away, I’ve been struggling to care for our 8 kids alone. Money is always hard, but there’s nothing more difficult than Pesach.

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“It has its challenges, but really we love it,” says Fraidy Deutsch* about being one of 14 kids. “That is we did, until…” Her voice trails off. The Deutsch family* was flipped upside down recently with the diagnosis of their father, a respected Rabbi & talmid chacham. Weighed down by medical debts, the family was forced to downgrade to a one-bedroom apartment. Each night, roll-out mattresses cover the floors of the shabby living room. Their father continues his Torah study & teaching despite being violently ill. Other members of the beis midrash were alarmed when the rabbi lost consciousness mid-shiur.  Rav Avigdor Nebenzahl, who knows the family personally, released a powerful video address asking the public to help the Deutsches.

“It has its challenges, but really we love it,” says Fraidy Deutsch* about being one of 14 kids. “That is we did, until…” Her voice trails off. The Deutsch family* was flipped upside down recently with the diagnosis of their father, a respected Rabbi & talmid chacham. Weighed down by medical debts, the family was forced to downgrade to a one-bedroom apartment. Each night, roll-out mattresses cover the floors of the shabby living room. Their father continues his Torah study & teaching despite being violently ill. Other members of the beis midrash were alarmed when the rabbi lost consciousness mid-shiur.  Rav Avigdor Nebenzahl, who knows the family personally, released a powerful video address asking the public to help the Deutsches.

Dear brothers and sisters, My name is Rivki and with Hashem’s help I will be getting married very soon! My happiness is not complete because I have no way to pay for anything! I do not have any relatives or friends who can help me pay for my wedding. I beg of every Jewish soul to please open your heart and donate whatever possible to my wedding fund. DONATE NOW! You have an incredible opportunity to invest in the great mitzva of hachnosas kallah, and you will be wiping away the bitter tears from my eyes. In the zechus of helping me, Hashem should send you shefa and hatzlacha in all areas of life in good health. Tizku limitzvos. Rivki CLICK TO DONATE!

It was the end of their first date and Yair & Rachel were starting to worry. It seemed the worst case scenario was taking place: They really liked each other. Why would this be bad news? Well, because then they’d have to tell each other the truth.  “Ever since my father passed away,” began Rachel nervously, “things have been difficult.” Yair’s eyes opened wide. “Ever since my father passed away, we have struggled too.” The young boy & girl opened up and found that they had shockingly similar “secrets.” Both of them had lived in poverty since their fathers had passed away at a tragically young age. Yair’s father from cancer, Rachel’s in a car crash just outside her house.