November 15, 2002
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There is a woman here in Jerusalem who has single-handedly changed the lives of thousands and thousands of people and has set in motion a chain of goodness that is far-reaching and ever-growing. She is known simply as "The Rabbinit." She is tiny in stature and huge in heart. Whoever thinks that it's impossible for one person to change the world, they haven't met this wonder of a person. Her story began over 39 years ago when she was approached by a woman in need. The Rabbinit helped without even thinking twice. This experience was the beginning of a lifetime of mitzvot (good deeds). She began (and is still running) a Passover food distribution program that feeds over 4,000 families, a summer camp for underprivileged children, a clothing collection program, and she comes to the rescue of young brides not able to buy their own wedding gowns (women send their once-worn gowns to The Rabbinit from all over the world). I spent the morning at her house -- hearing stories, running food from here to there, taking carloads of clothing to the distribution center, etc. And through all of this the doorbell rang every 15 minutes or so -- people having a hard time, people who need food for Shabbat, people who don't have money to buy milk. This is her life. This is her meaningful life. As I tried to absorb and process everything, I was in awe of what was happening around me. And I've only seen a glimpse so far. I hope to have many more chances to learn from and be inspired by The Rabbinit. Our world should only know goodness like hers.
My mind is so filled with this morning's visit that I can hardly think back to the rest of the week.
My Monday visit with the Ethiopian family was also incredible, though. The mother, father, and I spent an hour going through a Hebrew and Amharic (their native language) dictionary. We would try to read the words together in Hebrew, then I would look in my Hebrew-English dictionary and teach them how to say it in English, then they would teach me in Amharic. It was SO much fun and such a different experience than I've ever had. The kids climbed all over us, braided our hair, drew crayon portraits, we worked on homework together, and laughed and smiled a lot. Can't wait to go back.
Tonight is the "Hess Minyan" again -- the Shabbat service organized by Mark and three of his classmates. Then we're having a group over for Shabbat dinner. Mark and I just set a goal this week -- to have everyone in the class over at least once this year. It's hard to get to know people on an individual level, as we're usually in a big group during school activities. So, if you have any favorite recipes, please pass them along. I'm not much of a cook, so any insight would be helpful. :)
Just put the finishing touches on our Israel website. It was great to put it together and we hope you enjoy seeing the pictures and learning more about Israel. http://millers18.tripod.com
Until next time, take good care.
Love,
Rachel Ann
