Healing trip to Israel

Through a series of unusual events, I had the opportunity to bring healing to a grieving family in Israel.

The events started when I bought a bracelet at the Temple Chai religious school's Mitzvah Mall a few months ago. Michaela and Margot Sands sold bracelets engraved with the names of Israeli victims of terror as part of their mitzvah project. (The money goes to help surviving family members.) The name on my bracelet was Nir Sami, a 21-year-old soldier who was killed in a terrorist attack on the West Bank.

When I joined the Temple Chai Shalom Center's Healing Trip to Israel in April, I had no idea a connection would be made.

While we were visiting the Koby Mandell Foundation in Jerusalem, we were told one of the services they offer is support groups for mothers who have lost children in terrorist attacks. It occurred to me that Nir's mother may have attended one of the groups. I showed a woman at the foundation the bracelet and asked. I was told probably not, because the army provides services to families whose children were killed while serving in the army. The Koby Mandell Foundation serves basically civilians. But she promised to check.

At the end of our visit to the foundation, I was told that Nir's mother, Chava, not only lives in Jerusalem but also had recently started attending a support group. I was given the phone number, and I made the call as soon as we got back to our hotel. I was excited and nervous. My intention was just to let her know I was visiting from the States and that I was wearing a bracelet with her son's name on it to honor his memory. But she didn't understand about the bracelet and asked if I could come visit so she could see it.

It turned out that evening was free. I took a taxi to her house and spent an hour and a half getting to know a beautiful family. I met Chava and Itsik, Nir's parents; Tzachi and Omri, two of his brothers; and Mordechai and Ettie, his uncle and aunt, plus a few neighbors who stopped by to meet me and see the bracelet. They were all extremely moved to see this bracelet with Nir's name. They had no idea a bracelet like it existed. They were very grateful for the visit, and I felt like it lifted their spirits to see the bracelet. I left it for them as a gift.

I feel honored to have been a part of such a healing experience, one of many from our Healing Trip to Israel.

I encourage you all to purchase a bracelet and, on your next trip to Israel, to make an effort to find the family and meet with them. They will be eternally grateful to you. It will mean a great deal to them and will help them in their healing process.

Sandra Zerner lives in Scottsdale. Contact her at www.itsgoodtobegood.com. Bracelets can be purchased through www.all4israel.org.

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