Love and unity that sprout out from the heart - Part 2

By Rav David Lhungdim

On Yom Rishon,15 Oct, I was busy with my wife Sarah helping our community members she told me Moshe Pine called me on the phone. She was unaware of who was calling the phone I told her that he was the deputy director general of the Ministry of Aliyah and Integration.

I rang his phone call and the first word he asked was how was your community and he added that he was coming to visit our community in Olive Tree Hotel, it did not take long within 20 minutes he called me back and said I had reached the hotel, I don’t have the time to gather our community so I went to greet him alone, I was surprised to see him alone without security guard only accompanied by Elad Zakhut deputy director general of budget, we discussed the Bnei Menashe community problems and then we went to visit our community in their respective hotel.

Pic. visit from Moshe Pines deputy director general of the Ministry of Aliyah and Integration and Elad Zacut deputy director general of Budget.

What I saw in these two ministers was the level of kindness and sympathy they had for the community of Bnei Menashe. They chatted and talked with the community members and lifted up their morale and spirits.

On Tuesday at 19:00, I was informed that Demsat Yosef Haokip one of the community elders was severely sick, at this point, I would like to share my experience of how the seed of Avraham Avinu safeguarded the middot of kindness, I took Yosef from the olive tree hotel to Leonardo hotel where Clinic Clalith was open, we reach the clinic at 19:20, the worker informs me the doctors were gone but they promise us they will arrange everything for him the nurse went and come back with women from a team of Khamal Lev her name was Ela a Jerusalem resident, she told me to wait until she will arrange a car to move Yosef within a minute she said a car has arrived and arrangement have been made for Yosef to visit Terem (emergency Clinic) in Jerusalem, she said not to take a taxi when we have urgent matters because her team will arrange everything.

I stepped into the car with D. Yosef accompanied by Tzion Haokip, the driver greeted us warmly, his name was Moshe Dvash, we reached the clinic at 20:00, as we entered the emergency room Moshe told me he would wait for us until the treatment was over, I felt embarrassed to receive such level of hospitality from the resident of Jerusalem.

Pic. 1. Moshe Dvas helped us tirelessly and was happy to contribute his time to Bnei Menashe. pic 2. Ela from Khamal Lev volunteered at Leonardo Hotel her contribution to our community is boundless. pic 3. A group of volunteers from Khamal Lev and Lev Ekhad distributed gifts to every resident of Sderot/

I was expecting to receive a positive result but to my dismay, the doctor told me the result was critical and that we needed to admit Yosef to Shaarei Tzedek Hospitals, and an ambulance was called but only one could accompany the patient so I told Tzion to go with Yosef, and I will follow them with Moshe on the way Tzion rang me a phone and said he does not know Hebrew, I comforted him and said he need not worry because it is the job of the paramedic.

I asked Moshe Dvash if we could return to Leonardo Hotel and take along with us the daughter of Tzion and Yosef who would take care of the elderly man in the hospital, Moshe agreed happily, we reached Shaarei Tzedek Hospital at 22: 20, and I rang a phone call to Tzion I receive a message that Yosef was admitted to ICU ward at the 10th floor, Moshe told me to call him back after the visit is over, we reach the 10th floor we stayed for 20 minutes and I return with Tzion.

I called Moshe and waited for him another 10 minutes, he took us back to the Leonardo Hotel as we reached the hotel I looked at my phone and the hour was 23:00, as we climbed down his car Moshe told me to call him if needed, and I nodded my head and we wish a good night.

As for me, I learned a great lesson because as we fled from our beloved city Sderot I questioned myself why did this happen to us G-d forbid, everything Hashem does is for the best, as I reached Jerusalem I got my answer the kind providence of Hashem's hand guided me up to Jerusalem to witness how kindness and unity sprout among the children of the chosen nation, it does not matter whether you are Azkenazi Sephardi or Chassidic, and it does not matter whether you belong to European Jews, Russia Jews, Moroccan Jews, Yemenite Jews Tunisia Jews Ethiopian Jews or Bnei Menashe, what matter us is to safeguard this loving kindness and unity which sprout from within our heart because of the atrocity and murderous act carried out by Terrorist outfit Hamas, and the enemy need to know "Am Israel Khai VeKayam".