Why doesn’t every single school that teaches Torah in their daled amos, have a zero-tolerance policy for bullying?
As an American living in Eretz Yisrael for almost 15 years, I nodded in recognition as I read the article about Chaim V’Chessed. Like most (all?) Anglos living here, we’ve benefited immeasurably from Chaim V’Chessed’s services — the bureaucratic assistance, the therapy referrals, the online articles that serve as a Dummies’ Guide to Surviving Misrad Hapnim. But two years ago, when my son was born with a condition that would necessitate surgery during his infancy, I gained new appreciation for what they do.
After being discharged from the hospital, one of the first calls I made was to Chaim V’Chessed, so that I could find out how to get my baby onto Bituach Leumi, the national insurance, as quickly as possible (a typically time-consuming process for non-citizens), to ensure that he’d be covered if he needed the surgery immediately or if any complications arose. A helpful CVC rep walked me through the process, giving me tips on how to efficiently navigate the complex Bituch Leumi–US embassy maze.
Then, a couple of days later, I was back on the phone, asking Chaim V’Chessed to help expedite an important appointment I was told I’d need to wait months for. And a few days after that, I found myself in the ER, with my two-week old baby. On Erev Pesach. While his Bituach Leumi application was still being processed. Gulp.
I called Chaim V’Chessed and hesitantly pressed 1 to leave an emergency message after hearing that they were closed. (It was just four hours before the Seder.) Within half an hour, on what must be the busiest day of the frum year, I received a call back offering me guidance — and, more crucially, reassurance.
Create a free account to keep reading.
