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When Meira Guttenstein lost her father to brain cancer at the tender age of 11, the pain of her loss was indescribable. Then, when her mother had a heart attack and died when she was only 15, it turned her world upside down. Not only had she lost her mother, but overnight, she had become an orphan. She was completely alone in the world.
As she grew older, a great sense of responsibility dawned on Meira– Everything her parents and grandparents had fought for to stay frum, all of that was on her. She was the sole member left in the family. It was up to her and her alone to carry on the chain. But ever since one month ago, something awfully ironic has been standing in her way…Because she is in the hospital, fighting a rare form of brain cancer.

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When Meira Guttenstein became an orphan at the age of only fifteen, she thought that her life couldn’t possibly get any harder. Her father was a fatal victim of brain cancer when she was only 11, and then when she was 15, her mother was ripped from this world after a sudden heart attack. She’s suffered far beyond most girls her age. But what is happening right now is the single hardest thing she has been through after losing both of her parents…
She is fighting for her life.
“A few weeks ago, I started suffering from terrible headaches,” Meira explains.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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Passengers screamed and ducked as a rock reportedly smashed through a Jerusalem bus window. The damages, however, reached far beyond the replacement of the glass. Though months have passed, a 16-year-old being referred to as “Shaina” has been diagnosed with PTSD and suffers severe panic attacks. This means she often loses the ability to breathe and needs to be transported to an emergency room.
Her parents have poured everything they can into her therapy and she seems to be progressing, but now they have no idea how they will afford Pesach. The family then contacted Vaad HaRabbanim, where they learned that due to their severe level of poverty, they qualified for the kimcha depischa program.

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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.”

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As Pesach steadily nears, the gargantuan efforts of Tomchei Shabbos to give more assistance to more people is well under way. The number of households accepting Tomchei Shabbos packages is climbing, and we can feel how badly they need a very significant amount of food to help them manage this Pesach season. Every few minutes, another family calls asking for assistance. The office of Tomchei Shabbos is so inundated with phone calls, they have added new staff members just to keep up with the increased demand!

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Get smart with Smarty and check out our Pesach In A Box packages!
Stop trying to fit disposable products into your suitcases, and don’t worry about calculating exactly how many napkins and cups you need. When you buy direct, you can save up to 50% on all your disposable products by ordering at wholesale prices, and have it delivered wherever you are for Pesach!